Serotonin - Lisa Sills

 Hey everyone,

Have you ever wondered what causes mood swings? Or what causes you to be extremely tired at times? Or what causes you to feel anxious, aggression, violent or even suicidal? Your parents probably think its just you being a hormonal teenager, but there’s a chance it might be something different. It might be related to the serotonin levels in your brain.

If you’ve heard about serotonin, you’ve probably only heard about it in passing when talking about depression, anxiety or another mental condition. But, here’s the interesting part – serotonin is responsible for much more than just the link to mental illness.  

Serotonin acts as a neurotransmitter, which is a type of chemical that “helps relay signals from one area of the brain to another” (Bouchez, n.d.). Serotonin is made in the brain, and out of the 40 million brain cells, it either directly or indirectly influences most of those brain cells. Some include brain cells related to mood, sexual desire, appetite, sleep, memory and learning, temperature regulation and some social behaivours. While it’s primary function takes place in the brain, 90% of our body’s “serotonin supply is found in the digestive tract and in blood platelets” (Bouchez, n.d.). Which means, after serotonin is made in the brain, it is shuttled around our bodies through our blood, and every one of our organs has special proteins that capture the circulating serotonin (Deans, 2011).

In order to keep our brains and bodies as healthy with steady levels of serotonin, I recommend a regular routine of exercise and a healthy diet. There are conflicting opinions on whether a carbohydrate - rich diet or a protein – rich diet are best for increasing serotonin levels (Deans, 2011), so until scientists figure it out, I choose to stay right in the middle…with everything in moderation.

If you are having some of the symptoms of low serotonin levels, such as extreme tiredness, mood swings, feelings of aggression or suicide, please contact your doctor right away. Mental illness is nothing to be embarrassed about, but it is one of the worst things to live with if it goes untreated.