Serotonin is a neurotransmitter known as a monoamine. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that send messages from one nerve cell to another. In short, a neurotransmitter helps different parts of your brain "talk" to each other. Without adequate levels of Serotonin, you will likely suffer from carbohydrate cravings, depression, sleep disorders, and various other addictions.

Do you ever find yourself sitting on the sofa with a chocolate candy bar when you are feeling stressed, bored, or just lonely? Do you find that you get cravings for certain foods — such as cookies, bread or pastries — even when you are not hungry?

Many people turn to food for reasons other than physical hunger. They put this down to a lack of discipline, and get down on themselves. Then, they eat even more so they feel better again! This is like getting a flat tire, jumping out of the vehicle, and shooting out the remaining three tires. In other words, it does you no good to eat more just to feel better for a short period.

What you may not realize is that these cravings could be due to a drop in the levels of Serotonin in the brain. In fact, some studies show a direct link between obesity (due to overeating) and decreased Serotonin levels.

When Serotonin levels drop below a certain level, your brain "thinks" that your body is starving and "tells" you to start eating. Overweight people with low levels of Serotonin feel almost compelled to eat more. Once you get your carbohydrate "fix", Serotonin levels rise, and you feel better again — albeit temporarily.

The food you eat has the potential to raise or lower your Serotonin levels. That is why the ingredients of a meal have such a powerful impact on the way you feel after you eat it. To understand why, you need to know a little more about an amino acid called tryptophan (pronounced trip-toe-fan).

The protein in the food you eat is made up of "strands" of amino acids. Your body cannot make Serotonin without the help of tryptophan. That is why it is called an essential amino acid. If you were to eat just tryptophan by itself, then it would enter the blood, flow into the brain, and raise Serotonin levels.

However, whole foods contain other amino acids besides tryptophan. Tryptophan requires the use of a transport molecule to cross the blood-brain barrier. Several other amino acids "compete" for this transport molecule. The presence of these competing amino acids (tyrosine, phenylalanine, valine, leucine and isoleucine) can inhibit the transport of tryptophan into your brain.

That is why eating a food high in tryptophan (such as cottage cheese) is not the smart way to raise Serotonin levels. Tryptophan is present in foods in relatively small amounts in comparison to these other amino acids. According to some estimates, as little as one percent of the tryptophan in your diet actually crosses the blood-brain barrier.


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