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Article: Serotonin: mood regulator. (excerpt from 'Food and Mood')
- Article from:
- Nutrition Health Review
- Article date:
- January 1, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Vegetus Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Serotonin is one of those catch-all neurotransmitters that performs a variety of functions. Ample amounts of serotonin in the nerve cells help regulate everything from sleep to mood to food intake to pain tolerance, while low serotonin levels produce insomnia, depression, food cravings, increased sensitivity to pain, aggressive behavior, and poor body-temperature regulations.
Serotonin levels are directly related to diet. This neurotransmitter is manufactured in the brain from an amino acid called tryptophan, which is found in protein-rich foods, with the help of vitamins [B.sub.6] and [B.sub.12], folic acid, and other nutrients. Serotonin levels are directly related ...