Low serotonin symptoms often involve mood changes like sadness, anxiety, and irritability, plus sleep issues (insomnia), digestive problems, sugar cravings, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating, all linked to this key neurotransmitter affecting well-being, appetite, and sleep. Low levels are associated with depression, OCD, anxiety, and PTSD, though it's a complex system, and blood tests aren't always definitive.
Ways to increase serotonin levels include:
Symptoms of Serotonin Deficiency
A meta-analysis of 84 trials13 found that, overall, 16% of patients taking SSRIs experienced diarrhea.
Low serotonin can lead to mood problems like depression and anxiety, digestive symptoms like stomach aches and nausea, and physical symptoms like headache and fatigue. Although low serotonin doesn't "cause" depression, it is a common feature of depression and other psychiatric and mood disorders.
5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), curcumin, St. John's Wort, magnesium, and B vitamins have all been associated with increased serotonin levels in studies.
Causes of Serotonin Deficiency
Environmental factors: Stress, trauma, poor diet, lack of sunlight exposure, and certain medications can disrupt serotonin levels.
Here is a list of foods that contain mood-boosting serotonin and dopamine:
In line with this, a pre-clinical trial has provided evidence that five different antidepressants (including two SSRIs) can affect both the balance and the integrity of the gut microbiome, and that both treatment effect and side effects could be modulated by the replenishment of different strains of probiotics (15).
It may go away after your body adjusts to the medication. Consider these strategies: Take your antidepressant with food, unless otherwise directed. Eat smaller, more-frequent meals.
A dopamine imbalance can cause depression symptoms, such as apathy and feelings of hopelessness, while a serotonin imbalance can affect the processing of emotions.
Serotonin affects the way the muscles behave, so low serotonin may cause chronic pain. Low serotonin is strongly correlated with fibromyalgia, a type of widespread chronic pain. People with fibromyalgia may even get relief from antidepressants that raise serotonin levels.
Serum serotonin levels exhibit diurnal variations, with a peak early in the morning and a trough in the midafternoon and during sleep (Wirz-Justice et al., 1977;Kwon et al., 2018).
Some studies suggest ashwagandha may help increase serotonin levels, thus improving symptoms of stress and anxiety. Other research suggests ashwagandha can reduce stress by reducing cortisol, a stress hormone. Ashwagandha appears to be safer than some herbs, like St. John's wort.
Exercise increases levels of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, just like medications can.
Serotonin — a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger that sends messages among cells — serves many functions in the human body, including playing a role in emotions and happiness. An estimated 90% of the body's serotonin is produced in the gut, where it influences gut immunity.
Signs of bad gut health include digestive issues like bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and heartburn; skin problems such as acne or eczema; mood changes like anxiety or depression; fatigue; sugar cravings; and unintentional weight changes, all stemming from an imbalance in your gut microbiome (dysbiosis). These symptoms can signal that your gut isn't processing food and eliminating waste effectively, impacting overall well-being, notes Healthdirect and GoodRx.
The gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion. Anger, anxiety, sadness, elation — all of these feelings (and others) can trigger symptoms in the gut. The brain has a direct effect on the stomach and intestines. For example, the very thought of eating can release the stomach's juices before food gets there.
Better Mental Health
People with low levels may experience memory problems, difficulty concentrating or mood swings. B12 injections can increase serotonin and dopamine, alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety while increasing happiness and relaxation.
Depression and irritability.
Low serotonin in the brain can lead you to be frustrated more quickly than you used to be. A lack of serotonin also depletes your energy so you're quickly wiped out.
Drinks like green tea and probiotics help to boost serotonin. Other foods containing Vitamin D are also good because Vitamin D activates tryptophan, which leads to increases in serotonin levels. Good sources of Vitamin D foods include cod liver oil, fortified orange juice, and many types of yogurt.
Recently, it has been proposed that vitamin D plays an important role in serotonin and melatonin regulation, which further indicates the relevance of vitamin D in mental health, especially the regulation of mood and sleep [4,6].
It's also possible to increase serotonin levels without taking medicine. One natural way to increase serotonin is by working out. When you pedal your bicycle or lift weights, your body releases more tryptophan, the amino acid your brain uses to make serotonin.
The answer lies in the body's circadian rhythm, which is the internal clock that regulates various physiological processes, including sleep-wake cycles. Exposure to sunlight helps to regulate the circadian rhythm, which in turn helps to regulate the production of serotonin.