How to Increase Dopamine

Dopamine is one of the most important neurotransmitters in the brain and its main function is that of transmitting signals between the varied nerve cells. This chemical therefore plays a very important role in the functioning of the varied activities of the brain.

Dopamine is responsible for controlling and regulating movement, emotional response, attention, cognition, varied hormonal processes, and the ability to feel pleasure and pain. Therefore, a profusion of this chemical is important for the mental health of a person.

There have been studies which have formulated that a deficiency of dopamine may lead to the development of Parkinson's disease and borderline personality disorder, as well as other conditions that are associated with emotional and cognitive responses. That is why it becomes important to learn how to increase dopamine levels.

This is because there are very few neurons which actually produce the dopamine neurotransmitter. Since we know that a deficiency of this chemical can lead to severe problems, it is important to keep the levels of dopamine high. But how is one to do that?

In the following sections, we will look at some of the ways by which this can be done and ensure that there is never a deficiency.

We have already given you a fair idea of why dopamine is important. Add to that the fact that dopamine deficiency can lead to a lowered libido, increase in the feelings of depression, addictions and food cravings, loss of motor control, increase in compulsions and obsessions, as well lowered attention, concentration, and focus.

Therefore, it becomes important to learn the ways of increasing dopamine levels. Here are some ways in which this can be made possible.

It has been seen that there is a direct connection between exercising and an increase of dopamine levels. Studies have shown that even simple and mild exercising for 30 minutes triggers the body into producing more dopamine. These lead to a great high and brings about feelings of happiness and satisfaction.

Thus the body gets a signal that exercising is responsible for producing those feelings of satisfaction. When this response gets conditioned into the brain, the body immediately begins producing the dopamine chemicals and keeps the levels high.

Sleep has been seen to be one of the most basic aids in keeping the body fit and healthy. The basic function of sleep is that it allows for the repair of the wear and tear that the body and mind goes through throughout the day in doing all the activities.

Similarly, sleep is also responsible for relaxing the mind and thereby helping in increasing the dopamine levels naturally. All that needs to be looked into is that one gets a minimum of 8 hours of deep, undisturbed sleep so that it allows for the body and brain to recuperate.

There are certain foods that increase dopamine levels naturally and therefore including these choices in your diet helps to increase the levels of the same in the brain. What are some of the foods that need to be included?

Apples, chicken, banana, cheeses, beet roots, eggs, fish, beans, legumes, protein, milk, seafood, blueberries, cranberries, prunes, strawberries, red beans, almonds, avocados, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, duck, walnut, wheat germ, turkey, soybeans, and cucumbers. Including all these foods as a part of your daily diet helps to increase dopamine naturally.

Along with consuming certain types of food, it is important to know the kind of foods that need to be avoided as well. These include staying away from saturated fats, high sugar foods, coffee, refined foods, alcohol, and heavy oils. All these work at different levels in lowering the levels of dopamine in the body.

These were some ways of increasing dopamine levels in the body and prevent the onset of several health risks that could develop without a proper supplement of the same. Maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle is one of the keys to keeping the bodily dopamine at normal levels. And now that you know that, you can work towards making it happen.

Disclaimer - This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.