Dopamine is a “neurotransmitter” or chemical messenger that is released by nerve cells to send signals to other nerve cells. It is also referred to as a hormone, though it is produced in several areas of the brain rather in a gland, like insulin and adrenaline.
Dopamine is popularly known as a “feel good hormone,” along with serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. But dopamine has a myriad of other effects throughout our body.
Dopamine plays important roles in our learning and attention, mood, heart function, movement, blood vessel tone, sleep, pain sensation, and even breast milk production.
Few other chemicals in our body have so many actions at such a large number of sites in our body.
Too little dopamine may lead to Parkinson’s disease as well as lack of motivation, desire, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Lack of enough dopaminie may contribute to obesity because the reward system is impaired, so one may need to eat more before feeling satisfied. It may also lead to life-threatening low blood pressure and shock. Too much dopamine may lead to schizophrenia and other maladies.
Dopamine acts on various brain centers to produce “feel good” effects. The good news is that we can increase the amount of dopamine in our brain through healthy living. We can increase dopamine levels by eating a healthy diet, including foods rich in tyrosine, a precursor of dopamine. Vigorous exercise and sleep also increase dopamine levels, as does meditation. When we help others and express love we get a little dopamine “hit.”
On the other hand, unhealthy, sugarly and fatty so-called “comfort foods” may also lead to a dopamine hit. This is partly why certain bad eating habits may be difficult to change. We have all experienced the craving for that after-dinner desert, though know it is unhealthy.
How about trying another way of bumping up dopamine by meditating or doing a good deed after dinner?
Note: Although I am a physician, the content in this article is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent illness or disease in the reader – it is for educational purposes only.
References
- Dopamine. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22581-dopamine
- Dopamine: The pathway to pleasure. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/dopamine-the-pathway-to-pleasure
- Olguin HJ, Guzman DC, Garcia EH, et al. The Role of Dopamine and Its Dysfunction as a Consequence of Oxidative Stress. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016; 2016: 9730467
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.