Dopamine, the chemical messenger in our brain, governs motivation, movement, memory, mood, sleep and behavior regulation, it is a central part of the brain's reward system. If you are wondering how to increase it, apply some simple tips.
Every time we do something pleasurable, like a good meal, sex, or a run, a little dopamine is released in our brain. But, when our dopamine level is low, we will feel unmotivated, apathetic, listless and without concentration, he writes Ordination.
A low level of dopamine is also associated with several medical conditions such as depression, addiction, schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, and symptoms that indicate that we do not secrete enough of this hormone can be low libido, muscle stiffness, insomnia, lack of motivation, fatigue, deconcentration, apathy and sluggishness.
What causes low dopamine levels?
Medical conditions such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, depression, substance abuse and bipolar disorder.
A poor diet that does not contain the proper nutrients for optimal brain health, especially a diet lacking in tyrosine.
Substance abuse causes your body's natural production of dopamine to decrease, and this causes you to become dependent on the substance you are abusing. Certain drugs such as antidepressants and antipsychotics work by binding to dopamine receptors, which blocks the natural activity of dopamine in the brain.
How to increase dopamine levels naturally?
1. Get some sleep
Sufficient amount of sleep every night is necessary to preserve our health. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults get an average of seven or more hours of sleep each night.
When you don't get enough sleep, the dopamine receptors in your body can negatively affect you. Research has linked lack of sleep to the suppression of some dopamine receptors in the body.
2. Listen to music
Create a playlist of your favorite music and listen to it when you feel listless, unmotivated or have other symptoms that indicate low dopamine levels.
It has been scientifically proven that listening to music that you enjoy can lead to the release of dopamine in the brain.
3. Eat healthy
Eating healthy has several benefits for your body and mind, and increasing dopamine levels is one of them. Foods rich in tyrosine such as almonds, fish, eggs and chicken are especially good for raising dopamine levels.
Tyrosine is an amino acid that the body produces naturally. Dopamine is produced from this amino acid and can be found in foods rich in protein. Foods containing natural probiotics such as yogurt and kefir can also increase dopamine production. Although coffee-based drinks also increase dopamine, it is important not to develop a caffeine addiction.
4. Exercise regularly
It has been proven that regular exercise is very important for the health of our brain. Whenever we exercise, our brain releases some dopamine.
While more research needs to be done on the exact mechanism that prompts the brain to produce dopamine when we exercise, you're probably familiar with the good feeling you get after exercise.
5. Meditate
Meditation has a positive effect on a number of mental health conditions, and research shows that it also increases dopamine levels.
6. Reduce your intake of processed sugars
Consuming processed sugars like candy and soda can increase dopamine levels, but only temporarily and artificially. Like alcohol and drugs, sugar provides a spike in dopamine while affecting the rate at which your body naturally produces it.
7. Remove stressors from your life
Stress precedes many health conditions and also causes low dopamine levels. We can't always control everything that brings stress into our lives, but we can eliminate stressors that we have some control over.
We can also engage in stress-reducing activities such as meditation, exercise or massage, which naturally increase dopamine levels in our brain.
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