Serotonin food sources

In many ways, this is an easier task than eating for serotonin. The amino acids used to produce these energizing biochemicals are tyrosine for dopamine and phenylalanine for norepinephrine—amino acids readily found in all sorts of protein foods and more easily assimilated into the brain than is tryptophan. So if you re suffering from a norepi/dopa deficiency, your main goal is to eat enough high-quality proteins throughout the day and to combine your protein sources with other appropriate foods. 

These foods don t contain any tryptophan themselves, but they are terrific sources of the B vitamins and minerals that the brain needs to turn tryptophan into serotonin. They re also are great sources of fiber, antioxidants, and cancer-preventing agents. 

There are numerous sources of niacin that are essential and these include poultry, fish (tuna, salmon), meat (beef), yeast, legumes, milk and fortified eereals. In addition, niacin is naturally occurring in tiny amounts and the human body can make nicotinic acid from the metabolism of dietary tryptophan (Vosper 2009). The body requires tryptophan for two main reasons (i) for the synthesis of niacin and (ii) to raise serotonin levels, which is essential for the regulation of sleep, appetite and mood. The vast majority of proteins contain about 1 % of tryptophan and it is suggested that approximately 100 g of protein intake a day will be sufficient to ensure optimum levels of niacin in the body. The recommended dose of niacin is higher when there is an increase in physiological states such as pregnancy and lactation. Importantly, the Committee of Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) in the UK stated that the Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) for niacin was 17 mg/day and 13 mg/day. 

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