It is a famous saying that, “you are what you eat.” Your food choices are extremely important because they largely affect your health. It is these foods that determine how you feel, act, and work. So if you have been feeling low lately, unable to perform on your job, or having trouble getting excited between the sheets, chances are you are not eating the right kind of food.
So you wonder…how can food lift your mood and improve your sex drive? By controlling the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin in your brain. Keep reading and I’ll explain.
The Role of Neurotransmitters in
Brain Health
The human brain is just like an electrical circuit controlled by certain chemical agents called neurotransmitters. There are hundreds of neurotransmitters working in your nervous system every minute to accomplish various functions. Among these neurotransmitters are dopamine and serotonin which are in charge of the “pleasure system” of your brain.
Both serotonin and dopamine help you feel happy and invokes a sense of reward in order to increase performance productivity. They also increase attention, sharpen focus, and increase your ability to work. Dopamine also increases the blood flow towards the sexual organs by vasodilation of the arteries. This helps increase the sex drive.
Individuals having low dopamine or serotonin levels often suffer from feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and at times despair. They are sometimes not able to cope with stress and tend to isolate them from others, leading to a decreased happiness level. They are easily distracted, unable to focus, and often find it hard to finish tasks within the deadline. [1]
So if consider yourself a periodic or chronic victim of dopamine or serotonin deficiency, the following 7 foods will help you regain happiness, improve focus, and increase your overall interest and desire for sex.
Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons are extremely important to improve mood and increase your body functioning. This is mainly due to the presence of vitamin C.
The presence of vitamin C is necessary for your body to produce neurotransmitters such as serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine. These neurotransmitters, in turn, stabilize your mood and prevent the feelings of unhappiness.
A clinical study has indicated that replenishing the levels of vitamin C in hospitalized patients can lead to a 51% decrease in psychological stress and a 71% decrease in mood disturbances. [2] Once you regain control of your mood, it becomes easier to find happiness, increase mental capacity, and improve sexual performance.
Spinach
Spinach and other leafy greens are a rich source of vitamin B6. This nutrient is famous for its positive effects on the production of serotonin. By increasing the levels of this happy hormone, spinach helps you to feel good about yourself hence, makes you happier.
Folate deficiency has strongly been associated with clinical depression and reduced productivity. [3] Fortunately, spinach is a rich source of folate and can help you overcome a depressive phase in an efficient way.
So try including as much spinach as possible in your daily diet. Remember to consume it in raw form to gain maximum benefits.
Salmon
Salmon along with other cold-water fish such as herring, tuna, and mackerel are also a rich source of vitamin B complex. As mentioned before, these vitamins are important for stimulating the production of serotonin which makes you happy, relaxes your mind and helps with performance anxiety.
In addition to this, salmon is also a rich source of certain polyunsaturated fatty acids called the omega-3s. These omega-3 fatty acids can also trigger the release of serotonin from brain and help in regulation of mood. [4] Lastly, salmon along with other types of fish is a great source of selenium, a trace mineral. Low levels of selenium have been strongly associated with depression.
So if you believe depression is one of the reasons for
your unhappiness, reduced focus, and tensed sexual life, try eating as much
salmon as possible.
Chocolates
Who doesn’t love chocolates? It is not only delicious but also elevate
your mood by regulating neurotransmitters. Serotonin is one of the
neurotransmitters affected by chocolate which, in turn, regulates mood,
appetite, and sleep patterns. [5]
Like all other starchy foods, chocolate is also a rich source of tryptophan, an amino acid that gets converted into serotonin within the brain. Moreover, it also contains an antioxidant called resveratrol that boosts the production of dopamine and improve the sharpness of brain and treat problems with libido. Sometimes chocolate can even be better than sex…just kidding!
Cheese
Tyrosine is an important amino acid found in most of the dairy products including cheese. This amino acid supports your brain to produce norepinephrine and dopamine. [6] Both of these neurotransmitters possess stimulating properties and perk you up, increase the alertness levels, and sharpen your mind.
An increased dopamine level due to cheese will also ensure that you are
able to perform better sexually. This will help you achieve satisfaction in
your personal life which consequently increases the overall levels of happiness
and quality of life.
Coffee
Many of you have witnessed the powerful effects of caffeine on your brain. It drastically increases your energy levels and boosts overall productivity. In addition to avoiding grogginess, it also stimulates the release of dopamine, especially in the area controlling focus and attention.
It is a common misconception that consuming coffee alters the blood sugar levels, exerts stress on your adrenals, and disturb the hormones controlling sex drive. Most of these facts are nothing but myths and coffee consumption has nothing to do with increased adrenal stress or a low sex drive. It may slightly alter sugar levels but only in people suffering from diabetes type 2.
Research has indicated that men who consume 2-3 cups of coffee per day
are at a lesser risk of developing erectile dysfunction. [7]
Bananas
Bananas are a rich source of an enzyme called bromelain which not only increase sex drive but may potentially reverse male impotence. In addition to this, bananas are a rich source of vitamin B and potassium which increase your energy levels and sharpen focus.
Tyrosine, the building block of dopamine is also found in abundance in bananas so make sure to eat enough of this fruit. [8]
Check out this video for more diet tips on how to increase serotonin.
Conclusion
The seven food items mentioned above have been scientifically proven to increase the levels of serotonin and dopamine, the mood-regulating neurotransmitters of the brain. Using these foods on a regular basis can, therefore, increase happiness, productivity, and sex drive leading to a better quality of life.
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Till next time…
