Dr. Martin Hash Podcast

It’s not a coincidence that serotonin is often referred to as the "happiness hormone" because it is the source of contentment, the baseline level of happiness. It carries signals among nerve cells throughout your body. Serotonin also regulates blood pressure, temperature, neural development, sleep, digestion, appetite & libido. Serotonin is targeted by several antidepressants, most notably, SSRIs & SNRIs which block its reabsorption in nerve synapses to elevate its levels. Serotonin is found in nearly all bilateral animals, including insects, spiders and worms, and also occurs in fungi and plants. In plants and insect venom, it serves a defensive function by inducing pain. 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut, with a smaller amount synthesized in the brain. There are natural ways to boost serotonin levels; for example, consuming foods rich in tryptophan, such as turkey, eggs, nuts, and oily fatty fish like salmon & tuna. Exercise and exposure to natural light also promote its production; in fact, light therapy is often used to treat seasonal affective disorder. Too much serotonin causes heavy sweating, flushing, and in the long term, osteoporosis. If you eat something toxic, your gut responds by releasing excess serotonin to hurry the toxin out of your body via diarrhea. Similarly, serotonin released by pathogenic amoebae in fruit causes diarrhea, stimulating better seed dispersal. Melatonin, known as the “sleep hormone,” is derived from serotonin, so too much or too little serotonin will affect sleep patterns. The dietary supplements used to increase serotonin are: 5-HTP, probiotics, pure tryptophan, SAMe, and the herb, St. John’s wort.