2. Serotonin
• Serotonin acts as a neurotransmitter, which helps
relay signals from one area of the brain to
another
• Serotonin is manufactured in the brain
• 90% of the supply is found in the digestive tract
and in blood platelets
• Serotonin begins with tryptophan; cells that make
serotonin use tryptophan hydroxylase, a chemical
reactor which, when combined with tryptophan,
forms 5-hydroxytryptamine, otherwise known as
serotonin.
3. What’s The Role of Serotonin?
• Serotonin has a direct or indirect effect on a
large number of psychological and
physiological functions which include mood,
sleep, memory, sexual and social behavior, etc.
• Research has shown that low levels of
serotonin is linked to depression
4. Depression
• Depression is a mood disorder where feelings of
sadness and anger interfere with everyday life
• Low energy, diminished interest in activities, low
energy, decreased attention, insomnia/excessive
sleep
• During high stress situations, body burns
serotonin at higher pace
• Once the brain starts burning more serotonin
than it can replace, depression strikes
5. Natural Ways to Increase Serotonin
• When exposed to bright light, the body
naturally increases serotonin levels
• Exercise increases serotonin levels and has
been shown to be effective in treating
depression
• Carbohydrates trigger a release of insulin,
keeping tryptophan levels high enough to
enter the brain and be converted into
serotonin.
6. Medications
• SSRI
– SSRIs prevent the reuptake of serotonin in the
presynaptic cell, which increases the level of
serotonin allowed to bind to the post synaptic
receptor
– Recycling process
– I.e. Prozac
7. Implications
• After taking SSRIs, serotonin levels show increase
in a matter of hours, so why does it take weeks
for the medication to show benefits?
• This question has questioned whether or not
depression is linked with serotonin or not
• Maybe it takes a while for enough receptors to
arise to accommodate for the rapid increase of
serotonin in the body
– Serotonin and receptors work together
