Serotonin For Weight Loss – Why you Need it to Control your Appetite

Increasing Serotonin for weight loss may help to control the appetite and naturally reduce your caloric intake.

There is an intricate link between Serotonin levels and carbohydrate craving.

When levels of this mood-regulating neurotransmitter are low, we crave sweet and starchy foods. That craving is a signal from the brain urging us to ingest the necessary nutrients to power the many biochemical processes occurring in the body.

However, low Serotonin levels can also lead to increased appetite even when we don’t need these nutrients, causing us to overeat or to eat unhealthy foods with lower nutrient density.

By using supplements like 5-HTP that raise Serotonin synthesis in the brain, we may be able to control hunger cravings and support weight loss.

In research studies, participants given 5-HTP pills as a Serotonin booster were found to eat fewer calories than those given a placebo.

Serotonin Boosters

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How It Works:

• Increases Serotonin levels in the brain
• Enhances mood and alleviates stress
• Improves sleep and regulates appetite

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Varies depending on supplement

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How does Serotonin affect Weight Loss?

To understand how Serotonin affects an individual’s ability to lose excess weight, it is necessary to understand a little more about the various roles this chemical plays.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is associated with brain function, mood and sleep.

Most have heard that Serotonin, along with Dopamine and Norepinephrine are the brain chemicals that lighten our moods and inspire contentment; they are “feel good chemicals”.

However, many do not know that about 85-90% of human Serotonin is found in the gastrointestinal tract and blood platelets. One of the secondary roles of Serotonin is as a vasoconstrictor (causing your blood vessels to constrict) which regulates blood pressure and blood clotting. The other important secondary role is in mediating gut movement and digestion.

Only the remaining 10-15% or so of the body’s Serotonin is split between the brain and the rest of the central nervous system.

Serotonin cannot cross the protective barrier that separates the bloodstream from the brain (blood-brain barrier). Therefore, whatever Serotonin the brain requires to regulate mood, appetite and other autonomic functions must be manufactured within the brain. This requires several important manufacturing prerequisites to be in order first.

Serotonin and your Appetite

We need Serotonin to activate muscles in our intestines that process food. Serotonin is released into the gut when food is detected in the gastrointestinal tract by what is known as enterochromaffin cells. This causes contractions of muscles in the gut (peristalsis), allowing food to be moved through and aiding in digestion.

Because of this important link, Serotonin is also a key signal that the brain uses to determine the availability of food. When food is readily available and is being consumed, our Serotonin levels are high and we experience a pleasurable mood.

The feeling of fullness known as satiety is directly related to the presence of Serotonin. But if food becomes scarce, Serotonin levels drop and the chemical Dopamine takes over to stimulate our appetite.

Studies have shown that by artificially increasing Serotonin levels, we can trick our bodies into thinking that we have food in our stomachs so our appetite is diminished. This is a key reason why using the Serotonin booster 5-HTP may help you eat less, potentially leading to weight loss.

Carbohydrates and Nutrients required to Produce Serotonin

The body uses the amino acid L-Tryptophan as a precursor to Serotonin. L-Tryptophan is classified as an essential amino acid, meaning that it cannot be made in the body, but must be derived from what we eat.

Vitamins D and B6 also play vital roles in Serotonin production. These nutrients are combined together with the power of glucose, the body’s main source of energy, derived from carbohydrates.

When carbohydrates are present in the system, along with other needed nutrients, the Tryptophan from foods is broken down in the liver by the chemical reaction agent called Tryptophan hydroxylase. The result of this process is 5-HTP, which then travels through the bloodstream, crosses the blood-brain barrier, and enters the brain.

Once in the brain the 5-HTP, is used to manufacture the Serotonin the brain needs. Once the brain has enough Serotonin to meet its requirements, the craving for carbohydrates stops.

How Effective are Serotonin Supplements for Weight Loss?

Clinical studies consistently show that overweight people often fail in their attempts to slim down simply because they are hungry.

Appetite seems to be related to a number of personal factors including willpower, genetics and pre-disposed hormone levels.

Some individuals seem to experience a greater degree of hunger and are less satiated with small amounts of food, feeling hungry only a short period of time after a meal. Others seem to naturally be programmed to require less food. This may be linked to natural differences in Serotonin.

In order to successfully lose weight, individuals must be equipped to overcome their cravings. The keys are employing willpower, and managing hunger. When the brain has enough Serotonin, it does not send out the carbohydrate craving signals.

When we are not being driven so hard by hunger, we eat less. When we eat less, especially fewer carbohydrates, we lose weight.

For this reason, it is very important to ensure the proper amounts of Serotonin in the brain and GI tract. We need Serotonin to live and thrive, just like we need to maintain healthy weight levels. Results of using 5-HTP to raise Serotonin and promote weight loss have been very effective so far.

In one double-blind study, taking 8 mg per kilogram body weight of 5-HTP was found to reduce caloric intake by over 20% in participants who were not coached to eat less. Individuals who were given 5-HTP ate on average 1,800 calories per day, while those using a placebo ate 2,300 calories per day.

Over 5 weeks, those individuals who used 5-HTP had lost more than 3 lbs without consciously making any lifestyle changes.

Natural Ways to Increase Serotonin

In order to control carbohydrate cravings, we need to ensure adequate amounts of this neurotransmitter. In order to do that, we have to give ourselves what is required to manufacture the Serotonin for weight loss.

In short, we need L-Tryptophan or 5-HTP in purified forms. We also need vitamins D and B6. In order to increase Serotonin levels naturally, consider the following methods.

• Increase the amount of Tryptophan you intake. More Tryptophan means more 5-HTP which means more Serotonin production. Foods that are rich in Tryptophan including salmon, tuna, turkey, other fowl, other lean cuts of meat, nuts, seeds, dairy products, legumes, beans and green leafy vegetables. Some studies have shown that only a small amount of the L-Tryptophan in foods is able to reach our brains. Therefore supplements may be a better choice.

• Ensure adequate vitamin D by simply getting out in the sunshine. Go outside and take a walk, even if it’s cloudy. Allow your skin to absorb some sunshine and expose yourself to the best organic source of vitamin D.

• Explore your options for high quality 5-HTP supplements. Adding this supplement to your daily diet may help increase the amount of Serotonin your body produces. In return, you may feel less hungry for carbohydrates, more satiated, and in a better mood in general.

• Ensure adequate hydration and get plenty of physical activity. Every function of the body is enhanced when exercise is a regular part of daily life. The health benefits of exercise are unquantifiable – and exercise is vital for all who are attempting to lose weight by any means.

Increasing your Serotonin to boost weight loss is a method that is backed by clinical studies and scientific experts. The link between Serotonin and appetite is clear and must be managed in order to effectively lose weight and maintain a healthy weight for the long term.

If levels of Serotonin are too low, it can lead to persistent hunger cravings – especially for carbohydrates. By raising Serotonin levels through various natural methods, including taking 5-HTP supplements, studies show that you may be able to control your appetite and lose weight.

Speak to your doctor before embarking on a Serotonin weight loss diet program to ensure you are healthy enough.

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