53. The science of being happy

Psalms 16:20: "Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful."

   The brain is constantly trying to keep the neurochemical systems in balance. This means that everything needs to work in a specific, balanced way within the brain. Whenever there is an imbalance, there is going to be trouble. If there is too much or too little of any neurotransmitter, it can change the way we think, feel or behave. Neurotransmitters are the little messengers that run throughout the brain, controlling your different moods, telling you whether you should be happy or sad or whether you should be excited or whether you should be alert. The different neurotransmitters are responsible for either exciting the central nervous system or inhibiting the central nervous system to the point of where you either are activated to do something or deactivated to calm down. The transmitters are responsible for moving the messages of how to feel and how to think and then how to behave, from one part of the body to another.
    Today we are going to look at one of these little messengers called serotonin and how to have it in the right place and at the right time, as well as how to get enough of it.
    We have learnt that serotonin has two functions. It is a hormone as well as a neurotransmitter. It regulates the activity of the other neurotransmitters – acting as the foreman of the other little messengers, telling them how to move and where to move. If serotonin is not working well within the brain, there will be degrees of malfunction regarding the other neurotransmitters as well. Many of the messages will go where they are not supposed to go, or not getting where they are supposed to be, or not even being sent.
    Serotonin is also responsible for functions such as digestion, the regulation of the anxiety and stress levels, the body's heat regulation, sleep and appetite, moods and even sexual drive. If you do not have the correct balance of serotonin, you can also struggle with depression. 
    It is interesting to note that 90% of the serotonin is produced in the digestive tract. In other words, what you eat produces 90% of the serotonin in your body. Now, just to be clear, as much as such a high percentage can be produced within the body, it does not mean that all 90% is accessible to the brain. In order for enough serotonin to get to the brain, you need to eat foods that are high in an amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan mostly comes from protein products. When you eat foods that are high in tryptophan, the body converts the tryptophan into another chemical substance called 5-HTP. This combination helps the body to produce serotonin. The 5-HTP is also going to assist the serotonin to breach the blood barrier and to enter the central nervous system and the brain. It is therefore very important to eat foods high in tryptophan so that the serotonin produced by the body can be carried into the brain in order for us to enjoy bodily health as well as brain health.
    Foods with a high concentration of tryptophan that will help to promote serotonin levels within the brain, are the following:
• The highest on the list of foods is butternut or squash seeds. Interesting, right? Next time when you eat raw butternut, add the seeds. Or you can buy the dried-out seeds.
• The second highest is sea vegetables, like seaweed, kelp and Spirulina.
• Then you have soy which is found in soybeans, tofu and soymilk.
• Oat bran is also very high in tryptophan.
• Walnuts.
• Leafy greens (anything with dark, green leaves).
• Potatoes.
• Cauliflower.
• Mushrooms.
• Cucumber.
    All of the above are high in tryptophan and when you eat them, your body will naturally use them and break them down to produce serotonin.

How are the proteins broken down?
    It is very interesting that, in order to help the different proteins to be broken down, you need to eat carbohydrates. Not the carbohydrates you might think of – not the fluffy white bread that you buy in the shops and not the stuff that has been refined – proper carbohydrates that are still in their natural form. The carbohydrates are going to help with the synthesis of serotonin by breaking down the proteins. Eating carbohydrates, triggers the release of insulin which forces the muscles to 'eat' non-tryptophan amino acids as their food or fuel. This is beneficial to the brain because it frees up the tryptophan to be absorbed by the brain.
    Researchers have found that women who suffer from PMS, are experiencing a carbohydrate craving. This may be a message from the brain to ingest more tryptophan in order to alleviate the symptoms of PMS.
    Fruit is also very key. Researchers have found that patients suffering from depression and who supplement with fruits, like plantains, pineapples, bananas, kiwis, plums and tomatoes, noticed a reduction in their mental illness symptoms.
    As much as it is good to eat protein-rich foods, you still need carbohydrates to free up the tryptophan within the food. When the nutrient is in its protein form, it has not been broken down into its different little pieces, the amino acids, and for this, carbohydrates are needed. You might have noticed that everything in the body works together. The carbohydrates assist the proteins to be broken down and once the proteins have been broken down into its little amino acids (of which tryptophan is one), then the tryptophan can start forming 5-HTP which then will be able to form serotonin that will be passed on through the bloodstream into the brain. Once the serotonin is in the brain, there are still the little pathways that the serotonin has to run through in order to give us the health we need. Remember, these little messengers need to be at the right place, at the right time and in the right amounts.
    If you have the right amounts of serotonin, how are you going to get them to the right places? This takes place with the help of something called micronutrients. The specific micronutrients assisting serotonin, are vitamin B6, vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.
    Vitamin B6 cannot be fully produced by the body itself, but fortunately we can find it in food. Good sources for vitamin B6 include plant-based products, like avocados, cabbage, green beans and lentils.
    When the neurotransmitters are sent through the different pathways, there are little doors that need to be unlocked. The micronutrients are responsible for unlocking these little doors so that the serotonin can get to where it needs to be.
    Vitamin B6 also contributes to the synthesis of many neurotransmitters by breaking down proteins into its building blocks. In other words, vitamin B6 does not only open the door for serotonin, but it also helps to break down proteins into amino acids. As much as we need carbohydrates to break proteins down, we also need vitamin B6 to assist in the process.
    The micronutrient, Vitamin D, regulates the conversion of tryptophan into serotonin, in other words, helps with the formation of serotonin. Where do we get Vitamin D from? Mostly from the sun. Do not go for supplements. Our bodies do not always recognise supplements because our bodies are designed to recognise food in their original form and to use it to the best of its ability. God designed our bodies to recognise the fuel sources He has intended us to eat, not the supplements.
    Omega-3 fatty acids also help the little messengers. These micronutrients are actually very crucial for the brain cells because the brain cells are made up of Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in linseeds or flax seeds which are not that expensive. Not having enough Omega-3 fatty acids results in low serotonin levels. Omega-3 fatty acids make up the brain cells and they also play a role in forming the serotonin pathway and keeping it smooth so that the serotonin can run the way it is supposed to. It also makes the serotonin receptors more accessible to serotonin. What this means is that it opens up the path as well as the gate for the serotonin to get to where it needs to be.
    You might have noticed that only plant-based products with tryptophan was mentioned. There are some animal proteins that contain tryptophan which might also help with the production of serotonin, but I would like to recommend that you eat the plant proteins as opposed to the animal proteins. The reason for this is that plant proteins have less arachidonic acid. Our bodies tend to naturally produce arachidonic acid because we do need it and by consuming excessive amounts of animal protein, the level of arachidonic acid becomes too high. This leads to inflammation and also certain mood disorders.
    Arachidonic acid is mostly found in chicken and eggs. There is also some in beef, pork, fish and other animal products. (How much chicken and eggs do South Africans eat? There is a chicken shop on every corner.)
    If the body is inflamed because of excess levels of arachidonic acid, it is going to be counterproductive to what the tryptophan is trying to accomplish. High levels of arachidonic acid is apparently also directly connected to certain mood disorders. The reason why you are eating these food products is because you want the tryptophan to produce serotonin which is a happy hormone, a happy neurotransmitter that makes you feel cheerful and joyous. However, the arachidonic acid in the animal protein is counteracting those happy feelings by making you inflamed and making you feel very moody.