Acknowledging that all animals are complex processes who move through the world by taking in sensations and processing them electrochemically, which tells us what to do, then it’s only logical to find out which part of the process works towards the good and the happy. Serotonin is one of the important players. A shortage makes you “depressed.” Enough makes you pleased and amorous. Too much? Trouble. Outside homeostasis.
I’m basing this post on the New York Academy of Sciences article at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3817523/
This "pop" website might be more suited to other readers. It’ll keep you busy but be warned. They misspell a lot of words, which means either that they don’t proof or they are not readers. Still, who can object to eating sunflower seeds? You’ll need your credit card — these folks are selling.
I was first prompted to be curious about serotonin when I read “Urban Aboriginals: A Celebration of Leather Sexuality.” by Geoff Mains, a shocking but beloved book and man. Because he had a doctorate in biochemistry, he related serotonin to radical sexual behavior in the “leather” community, some of it prompted by PTSD. This took medical mysteries into daily life. His papers are archived at www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c83b60qk/
The “finding aid” is at http://www.glbthistory.org/research/FA/glbths_1989_03_GeoffMains_FA.pdf There are restrictions because society is still so squiffy and punishing about sex. The links may be suppressed.
The “finding aid” is at http://www.glbthistory.org/research/FA/glbths_1989_03_GeoffMains_FA.pdf There are restrictions because society is still so squiffy and punishing about sex. The links may be suppressed.
Serotonin is ancient and mammal-ominpresent. (Our kind of sex is a mammal phenomenon. Reptiles don’t fall in love.) It keys into everything from sugar to weed to the tryptophan in the Thanksgiving turkey. (ncbi.nim.nih says the turkey thing is a myth.) A map of where it operates in the brain almost exactly matches what is called “the social brain,” particularly the parts involved in social cognition and decision making. Even in monkeys, abundant molecules “co-vary” with prosocial behavior (grooming, cooperation and affiliation) and when low, matches with aggression and social isolation. Deficient serotonin matches with depression. (One can’t help speculating that our whole culture is serotonin deficient.)
“Moral codes dictate how people should treat one another, and most of these focus on two facets of social relationships. The first prescribes caring for others and prohibits harm; the second relates to the fair distribution of resources and reciprocity in social interactions. Concerns for harm and fairness play a central role in moral codes across cultures, and there is some evidence that these building blocks of morality shape social behavior in primates.”
Chimps can be killers; bonobos are always lovers. The diff may be partly in their serotonin. There is evidence that serotonin and similar hormones are what create personalities and that the proportions and actions are inheritable. People who are harm-averse (high serotonin) do not rape. But there are two other valences: those who are disgusted by harm to people and therefore get out of there; and those who become aggressive in the face of harm. High serotonin that triggers aversion may be useful for predicting problematic situations to avoid.
QUOTES:
Early studies in rats demonstrated that global brain serotonin depletion made them insensitive to punishment.
Cooperative behaviors in social dilemmas have been linked to serotonin function.
The association between serotonin and social reward processing dovetails with previous reports linking serotonin function to the processing of non-social rewards and recent studies showing that social and monetary rewards engage overlapping regions of the striatum. Collectively, these findings indicate that the role of serotonin in value computation goes beyond a simple enhancement or inhibition of reward processing in general; instead, serotonin's effects appear to depend on the social context. We suggest that serotonin amplifies neural representations of positive social preferences, whereas serotonin depletion shifts neural value computations toward selfish or even negative social preferences.
Assuming that people are predisposed to cooperate in social dilemmas (i.e., that their indifference curves are downward-sloping, absent concerns about inequality), serotonin augmentation should shift preferences further counterclockwise, making people more cooperative, whereas serotonin depletion should shift preferences clockwise, making people less cooperative. Finally, previous studies have shown that serotonin manipulations influence aggressive behavior, particularly in people predisposed to aggression. Assuming that aggressive individuals have upward-sloping indifference curves (i.e., they are motivated to harm others) serotonin augmentation again should shift preferences counterclockwise, reducing aggression, whereas serotonin depletion should shift preferences further clockwise, increasing aggression.
This sort of inquiry is only suggestive, not definitive. We don’t know enough to say that all politicians should be tested for their serotonin levels, but it does suggest that the general public is susceptible to persons with serotonin deficits who don’t want to cooperate, don’t want to avoid harm, don’t want fair shares for everyone. We don’t vote for bonobos — we vote for chimps — as long as they seem to be on our side.
Unconscious efforts to make serotonin go up may include eating sweets, going for a walk at first light, eating foods high in tryptophan, like chickpeas. In my experience chocolate, sex and praise make my serotonin go up — but it might involve some other interacting hormone as well.
“Breeding corn with a higher tryptophan content was shown in the 1980s to prevent pellagra; presumably, it also raised brain serotonin. In a recent issue of Nature Biotechnology, Morris and Sands argue that plant breeders should be focusing more on nutrition than on yield. They ask, “Could consumption of tryptophan-rich foods play a role in reducing the prevalence of depression and aggression in society?” Cross-national studies have reported a positive association between corn consumption and homicide rates and a negative association between dietary tryptophan and suicide rates.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2077351/
SOME MORAL REASONS FOR SHARING SOCIETY VIA THANKSGIVING DINNERS:
As much as 95 percent of the serotonin in your body is produced in your gut, so strategies designed to optimize gut production of serotonin could certainly go a long way toward optimizing your mental health. Make sure you are taking a quality probiotic, properly hydrating, and eating a brain-healthy diet.
There are two ways that food can increase serotonin levels. Foods high in simple carbohydrates, such as pastas, potatoes, bread, pastries, pretzels, and popcorn, increase insulin levels and allow more tryptophan (the natural amino acid building block for serotonin) to enter the brain, where it is converted to serotonin.The calming effect of serotonin can often be felt in thirty minutes or less by eating these foods. This may be one of the reasons simple carbohydrates are so addictive.
They can be used to make you feel happy, but also cause high blood sugar levels that over time are associated with brain atrophy and dementia. I particularly like complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, apples, blueberries, carrots, and garbanzo beans, as a healthier way to boost serotonin. Brain serotonin levels can also be raised by eating foods rich in L-tryptophan, such as chicken, turkey, salmon, beef, nut butter, eggs, and green peas. Many people unknowingly trigger cognitive inflexibility or mood problems by eating diets that are low in L-tryptophan.
They can be used to make you feel happy, but also cause high blood sugar levels that over time are associated with brain atrophy and dementia. I particularly like complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, apples, blueberries, carrots, and garbanzo beans, as a healthier way to boost serotonin. Brain serotonin levels can also be raised by eating foods rich in L-tryptophan, such as chicken, turkey, salmon, beef, nut butter, eggs, and green peas. Many people unknowingly trigger cognitive inflexibility or mood problems by eating diets that are low in L-tryptophan.
They don’t call it comfort food for nothing, and with enough serotonin and proper opportunity, people naturally love to comfort each other. This is good for everyone.
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