Happy Hormones

Author - Dr. Jayashree Gopinath, Post Graduate in Oral Medicine

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Sunil Shroff, MBBS, MS, FRCS (UK), D. Urol (Lond) on Sep 10, 2022

Introduction

Is there any shortcuts to this happiness? That can make us feel the pleasures of life and keep our blues away. This has never been more important than in the COVID-19 times.

Apparently there are different hormones and neurotransmitters that can help us feel happy and these are called 'happy hormones.' And If we can figure out which activities or food can boost our natural feel-happy hormones, it would help us to be happy and have a positive attitude towards life.

What are Hormones

Hormones are the body's chemical messengers involved in lots of essential processes, like heart rate and digestion, but some of them are known for their ability to affect mood and feelings. The brain also releases hormones that have the ability to feel happy or sad. This article is a guide for knowing about some of the famously called happy hormones. Learning about these hormones will help navigate through the emotional roller coasters that sometimes can hit us.

What are the Four Happy Hormones?

One group of hormones is called happy hormones because they help people to bond, feel joy, and experience pleasure. Dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin are those hormones that produce euphoric feelings.

Generally, hormones are chemicals produced by various glands present in the human body whose main function is to communicate between two glands or between a gland and an organ.

Some hormones are involved in the regulation of mood, pleasure, bonding, and even pain relief. These hormones are also called neurotransmitters, depending on their type of action(1^✔).

Happy hormones travel through the blood to different organs and tissues. While they act as neurotransmitters, they are mainly present in the brain and central nervous system where they communicate directly via nerve cells.

The four important happiness-boosting hormones include:

Serotonin - mood stabilizer, wellbeing, happiness
Dopamine - pleasure, motivational role in brain's reward system
Oxytocin - bonding, love, trust
Endorphins - pain relief, energy booster, relaxation

What is the Importance of Happy Hormones?

These hormones of happiness are a reflection of your environment, relationships, diet, exercise regime, and, in some cases, even your gut microbes. Though the perception of happiness differs among people, often there are things we / you can do to make us be / yourself happier.

The cool thing about these happiness hormones is that we / you have a say when they are released. Whether we / you have a good laugh with your friend or do some exercise, your brain is releasing these feel-good hormones(2^✔).

Yes, we / you have the power to influence your mood through the choices we / you make in our daily life every day. Understanding these hormones and how they work can help you / us plan specific strategies to feel better.

Serotonin: The Feel-Good Hormone in Your Gut

Serotonin is a hormone mainly produced by the gut, which is essential for mood, digestion, sleep, brain function, and circadian rhythm.

90% of your body's serotonin is produced in the gut and can either communicate via the enteric nervous system in the gut or through the bloodstream where it operates as a hormone in the body's tissues.

Another factor that influences serotonin production is the availability of its precursor, tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, which means we / you must get it from your diet because the body is unable to make it.

These fascinating findings suggest that we / you may be able to support your mental well-being by taking care of your gut bacteria and your diet. The so- called gut microbiome.

Still, Serotonin remains an elusive chemical for researchers who feel that it seems to be involved in everything but responsible for nothing. For example, Low serotonin has been noted in depression, but increasing serotonin levels in depressed people don't reliably work, and there are some serious side effects(3^✔).

Dopamine: The Motivational Hormone

Dopamine is another hormone that makes us you happy while also keeping us / you alert. It's involved in a wide range of activities such as motor control, cognitive function, decision-making, memory, attention, and reproductive behaviors.

This chemical is part of the brain's reward system, which gives us you pleasurable sensations and keeps us / you asking for coming back for more like an addiction. Dopamine is considered to be the natural motivational factor when we / you perceive food or sex. It is considered to be the active neurotransmitter in addictions to substances (drugs and alcohol) and behaviors (gambling, sex)(3^✔).

Approximately 50% of dopamine is produced in the gut. This potential finding came about after research on Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disease caused by problems with dopamine transmission in nerve cells.

This clearly shows that caring for your gut microbiome can contribute to your mental wellbeing and longevity because there's a second 'brain' in your gut (the enteric nervous system), and it is nearly just as important as your actual brain when it comes to producing the chemicals that makes us / you happy.

Oxytocin: The Cuddle Hormone

Oxytocin is a hormone that promotes bonding and trust, and it is particularly active during childbirth when it stimulates uterine contractions. Its function as a neurotransmitter regulates stress response and calms the nervous system.

The secretion happens in response to stimuli perceived by the brain, which is carefully monitoring your environment for threats (and signs of safety) using your ears, eyes, taste, touch, and smell. Also, in times of stress to counterbalance the effects of cortisol(4^✔).

In recent years, researchers have discovered that oxytocin plays a much wider role in regulating the immune system, healing, and even pain perception. It was also shown that gut microbes can stimulate oxytocin production, thus promoting wound healing and muscle health, and contributing to longevity.

Endorphins: The Athlete's Hormone

Endorphins are hormones that mainly function as painkillers. They block the transmission of pain signals in the central nervous system by binding to opioid receptors (the body's natural morphine). This hormone is produced in response to stress or discomfort. Its production may raise when we / you engage in reward-producing activities such as eating, working out, or having sex.

Endorphins and dopamine are often confused because each one is a chemical that makes us you happy in the broad sense of the term. However, they are in some ways related because, when endorphins bind to receptors of the central nervous system, dopamine (the pleasure hormone) is released.

How To Boost Happy Hormones Naturally?

There are plenty of ways to cultivate more happiness in your daily life. The main thing is figuring out which activities boost your body's natural happy hormones and doing more of them. Doing the following things can help us you to produce more of these natural mood boosters(5^✔).

Move Outside: Spending some time outdoors, especially during the daytime is a great way to increase your serotonin level. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can increase the production of serotonin. We You can try spending about 15 minutes outside a few times a week.

Happy Hormones Boosting Foods: Add more prebiotic foods such wheat, barley, apples, mushroom, garlic, rye, and onion to your diet that support the good bacteria which produce short-chain fatty acids. Add tryptophan-rich foods such as sunflower seeds, oats, turkey, eggs, chickpeas, salmon and soybeans to increase serotonin hormone.

Activities that Boost Happy Hormones: Cuddling with a loved one, indulging in aromatherapy, getting a massage, having sex, listening to feel-good music, meditating, playing with your pets, watching a comedy show, and taking a small nap.

Make Time for Exercise: Exercise has various health benefits. It can also have a positive impact on mental well-being. Endorphins make us / you happy after doing exercise. Regular physical activity can also increase your dopamine and serotonin levels, making it a great option to boost your happy hormones.

Take Supplements: There are several supplements such as tyrosine, green tea, and its extract, probiotics, and tryptophan that may help increase your happy hormone levels. Researchers studying the effects of supplements have found varied results. Many studies involved animals only, so more research is needed to help support the benefits of supplements for humans. Always talk to your healthcare provider before trying them.

Understanding the importance of these hormones in the brain and body and their impact on mental health is very essential for us you to take active steps to improve their levels naturally. This shows happy hormones means a happy us / you!

If the above suggestions don't help and you're still facing difficulty regulating your mood, talk with a healthcare provider, who can recommend therapies or treatments that may be of help.

References:

Breuning, Loretta Graziano. Meet your happy chemicals. System Integrity Press, 2012. - (https://www.innermammalinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Meet-Your-Happy-Chemicals-Chapter-1.pdf)
Dfarhud D, Malmir M, Khanahmadi M. Happiness & Health: The Biological Factors- Systematic Review Article. Iran J Public Health. 2014 Nov. - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4449495/)
Baixauli Gallego, Elena. Happiness: role of dopamine and serotonin on mood and negative emotions. Emergency Medicine (Los Angeles), 2017, vol. 6, num. 2, p. 33-51 (2017). - (https://roderic.uv.es/handle/10550/65560)
Parmar, MS Pooja, and Mr. Shams Malik. Oxytocin-The Hormone of Love. IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences (IOSR-JPBS) 12, no. 6 (2017): 1-9. - (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pooja-Parmar-4/publication/335160337_Oxytocin-_The_Hormone_of_Love/links/5d54288192851c93b63024bf/Oxytocin-The-Hormone-of-Love.pdf)
Lopez, Domenic. Increasing your "Happy" Hormone Naturally. - (https://www.healthymoves-pa.com/blog/increasing-your-happy-hormone-naturally/)

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