|  | Diet Nutrition | Nutrition

Serotonin Effects

Serotonin affects the body processes facilitated by the neuroendocrine system, central nervous system and vascular system. Emotional effects, including depression, happiness and sleep-wake patterns, have been attributed to the presence of serotonin. There are various factors, such as age, gender and health condition, that influence the synthesis of serotonin in the body. Therefore, the effects of serotonin are different for every individual.

  1. Significance

    • The percentage of serotonin distribution in your body includes 90 percent from the enterochromaffin cells of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, 5 percent from the neurons of the GI tract, and the remaining 5 percent from the central nervous system (CNS). The wide distribution of serotonin in your body indicates a huge role in maintaining good health. For instance, serotonin synthesized in the CNS influences the information processed by your brain and the body movements coordinated by your nervous system.

    Sources

    • Serotonin is derived from tryptophan, an essential amino acid that is widely available in protein-rich foods, such as banana, soybeans and milk. Serotonin and its precursor tryptophan are also available as component of some multivitamins and dietary supplements.

    Brain Behavior Response

    • Serotonin, as a neurotransmitter, helps in the normal regulation of various behaviors controlled by your central nervous system. According to Karolina Lempert's report on the Harvard Brain "low levels of serotonin have been linked to reduced verbal memory, impaired decision-making and even depression." For example, if you have normal levels of serotonin in the brain, you may feel an optimistic attitude of wanting to try harder despite failing an exam, whereas if you have a low level of serotonin in the brain, you'll feel sad and eventually, feel depressed.

    Blood Clot Formation

    • One of the many sites of serotonin synthesis is found in the vascular system. Strictly speaking, serotonin is found in the internal granules of your blood platelets, which aggregate and form the blood clot in sites of vascular injuries or wounds. The platelet aggregation is an automatic response of the body to kill the bacteria, and stop further blood loss from an open wound. Hence, serotonin is a part of the normal healing process that is facilitated by the blood clotting system.

    Sleep Alteration

    • Serotonin plays a role in the modulation of sleep-wake patterns. For example, during starvation, hormones trigger the degradation of stored amino acids in the liver to produce energy. This will then increase tryptophan levels in the brain and thereby produce high levels of serotonin. The increased serotonin level, according to Eugene Toy, MD in the book "Case Files: Biochemistry," influences wakefulness. As a result, the presence of serotonin alters the normal sleep pattern when triggered by certain stimuli.

Nutrition - Related Articles