JS013 Intro to Brain - Serotonin 101

Serotonin, is another neurotransmitter that is integral for some of the most intense and positive emotions we feel in our daily lives. www.jolsid.com Before we jump into the technical side of Serotonin, I want to share some of the benefits that it has in your life and how it indirectly impacts your success. Also, how Serotonin is Different than Dopamine. Appropriate levels of Serotonin promotes the feeling of comfort, contentment and well-being. It has also been called a “happy” neurotransmitter.The deficiencies in serotonin can lead to depression and fear. Feeling contentment and sense of well-being is responsible for continuous progression. If we lack contentment and sense of well-being in our daily lives then we opt to live daily on instant gratification lifestyle or things that provide thrill and excitement in the moment. Even though instant gratification is healthy for us in the moment, it tends to create addictive behaviours which could eventually lead to habits that can be destructive for our long term growth and well-being. For example If we start eating 2 sweets per day and each time we eat them we get a combination of thrill, benefit and exhilaration for that specific task at that moment (not in the future but at that very moment). This is also simplified to instant gratification that makes individuals become addicted to substances or certain destructive habits. Because the combination of thrill, benefit and exhilaration in the moment sends a wave of Dopamine in our brain telling us that we are happy and excited in the moment, which is not necessarily bad. But If we repeat this action every single day eventually 2 sweets or the reward will become the new baseline and we will not feel the same feeling of happiness that we used to. Now we will have to increase the stimulus or in this case those sweets in order for us to achieve the same level of excitement or happiness we felt with the 2 sweets initially. That’s where we lack the feeling of contentment and get busy in the chase of that emotion that we felt the first time. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that rewards us when there is slow progression and it keeps us motivated though the journey as opposed to seeking the reward now and abandoning the path of growth and slow progress. Now let's talk about science and history of Serotonin. Serotonin was first discovered by Vittorio Erspamer in Rome in 1935. But it was not isolated and named until 1948 by Maurice M. Rapport, Arda Green, and Irvine Page of the Cleveland Clinic. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter released by neurons in the brain. It's made from the amino acid tryptophan, which is a component of protein that we consume in our daily routine. Tryptophan can be found in foods like Brown rice, Turkey and Chicken. The majority of Serotonin in humans is present in the enterochromaffin cells of the digestive tract, where it is involved in regulating movement of the gut. Effects of Serotonin Relaxation A "feel-good" hormone, serotonin helps people to feel relaxed and content. According to Macalester College. Low serotonin levels are linked to anxiety and depression. Like many hormones and brain chemicals, serotonin functions best when it's at optimal concentrations. Normal levels of the chemical promote relaxation, but be cautious that extra Serotonin won't necessarily increase feelings of well being--it may just make the individual feel sleepy. But one of the 2010 studies on excess serotonin viewed sleepiness as One of the benefits of excess serotonin. As sleepiness, which is not necessarily a benefit at the wrong time of day, is certainly welcome at night. This study in the scientific journal "Sleep" notes that if the brain's serotonin transporters are misshapen, patients experience insomnia. Further, individuals who have difficulty sleeping have long been advised to try a glass of warm milk before bed....