Key Takeaways
Dopamine and serotonin are brain chemicals that play an important role in regulating mood and emotions.
Although the two neurotransmitters work together to support bodily functions, they each have their own role. While dopamine affects movement and focus, serotonin affects digestion and sleep.
If you have a dopamine or serotonin deficiency, there are several lifestyle choices that can help naturally increase your levels. For example, certain foods, supplements, and stress management techniques can all contribute to dopamine and serotonin production.
You’ve probably heard of dopamine and serotonin, even if you’re not exactly sure what they are or how they affect the body. Dopamine and serotonin are both neurotransmitters, meaning they carry chemical messages between the brain and other areas of the body.
Neurotransmitters play a key role in many bodily functions and are essential to everyday interactions and quality of life. For example, dopamine contributes to mood, movement, and learning. And serotonin supports functions like sleep, mood, and digestion.
Both neurotransmitters are vital to overall health and mental well-being, so it’s helpful to understand how to recognize signs of deficiency and ways to naturally increase your supply.
What is dopamine?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in regulating various functions of the body. It’s produced at the base of the brain through a two-step process.
Dopamine is known as the pleasure neurotransmitter because it promotes feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. It’s the reason you feel a little spark of satisfaction and joy when you eat a delicious treat, buy something you’ve wanted, or cross a task off your to-do list.
Dopamine also plays a role in:
Mood
Movement
Learning and attention
Kidney function
Sleep
Pain processing
Lactation
What is serotonin?
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that’s made from the essential amino acid tryptophan and is primarily found in the gut. Normal levels of serotonin can make people feel happy, calm, focused, and emotionally stable. A decrease in serotonin, on the other hand, has been linked to depression and other mood disorders.
In addition to regulating mood, serotonin plays an important role in:
Digestion and gut health
Immune function
Sleep
Bone health
Cardiovascular health
How do dopamine and serotonin work?
Dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters. That means they are chemical messengers in the brain. They help regulate mood, behavior, and overall well-being.
When people talk about dopamine vs serotonin, they’re usually describing motivation versus mood.
Dopamine is linked to reward and motivation. It helps you feel driven to work toward goals. It plays a role in pleasure, focus, and learning from rewards.
Serotonin is linked to mood and emotional balance. It helps promote feelings of calm, stability, and contentment. Serotonin also supports sleep, digestion, and emotional regulation.
These chemicals don’t work in isolation. Dopamine and serotonin interact with each other to keep the brain in balance. If one is out of balance, it can affect how the other functions.
Both dopamine and serotonin also influence movement, thinking, and how the body responds to stress. While they work together, they serve different roles. Healthy brain function depends on the balance between the two.
How to increase dopamine and serotonin naturally
There are several lifestyle choices that can help you naturally increase your dopamine and serotonin levels.
1. Diet
To support dopamine, eat foods with tyrosine and magnesium. These nutrients help the brain make dopamine. Dopamine is linked to motivation and focus. Foods high in tyrosine include chicken, bananas, avocados, pumpkin seeds, and dairy.
To support serotonin, eat foods with tryptophan. Tryptophan helps the body make serotonin. Serotonin supports mood and calm. Foods high in tryptophan include salmon, eggs, tofu, turkey, cheese, and oats.
Eating regular meals and getting enough protein can help your brain use these nutrients more effectively.
2. Exercise
Regular exercise has a positive effect on health and well-being, contributing to a more positive mood, better memory, and increased energy levels. For most adults, this means 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days per week. One study found that adults in treatment for methamphetamine use saw an increase in dopamine receptors after exercising three times per week for eight weeks.
3. Sunlight exposure
Access to sunlight can have a positive effect on people’s mood and mental health. Even just 5 to 15 minutes of sunlight 2 to 3 times per week is a good place to start. And if natural sunlight isn’t possible, consider trying light therapy, or phototherapy, which provides exposure to an artificial light source.
4. Stress-management techniques
Another way to increase dopamine and serotonin levels is to engage in activities to help you feel happy and relaxed. For example, meditating, reading a book, taking a walk, and playing with a pet can all reduce stress and help you feel more content.
5. Talk therapy
If low levels of dopamine or serotonin have you in a funk or are contributing to feelings of depression, consider speaking with a mental health professional. Talk therapy is an effective tool for identifying harmful thought patterns and behaviors, as well as developing healthy coping methods to help you feel your best.
How to know if you have low dopamine or serotonin
Having a dopamine or serotonin imbalance or deficiency can cause a wide range of health symptoms and complications.
Signs of dopamine deficiency include:
Health issues: Low levels of dopamine have been associated with conditions like Parkinson’s disease and restless leg syndrome.
Lack of mental clarity: Having a dopamine deficiency can make it difficult to concentrate, make decisions, or focus on learning and memorization.
Mood change: Low dopamine levels can also affect your mood, making it difficult to enjoy your usual activities or find the motivation to achieve your goals.
Signs of serotonin deficiency include:
Mental health concerns: A lack of serotonin may contribute to depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions, as well as feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or low mood.
Sleep problems: Serotonin helps regulate sleep patterns, so having low levels may contribute to sleep disturbances, like insomnia, fatigue, or poor sleep quality.
Changes in appetite or digestion: Because serotonin plays such an important role in digestion and gut health, a deficiency can lead to changes in appetite, increased cravings for carbohydrates, or even digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Clinician's take
Dopamine and serotonin play different roles in how we feel. Dopamine is linked to motivation and reward, while serotonin helps regulate mood, calm, and emotional stability. Fortunately, there are ways to maintain a balance between the two.
Brandy Chalmers, LPC
Clinical reviewer
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