Dark chocolate, particularly with a high cocoa content (70% or more), contains flavonoids that can stimulate the release of endorphins and enhance dopamine levels. Plus, it's absolutely delicious!
Chemicals the brain releases
Four chemicals are known to be released by the brain when eating chocolate: endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. These chemicals are used by neurons to communicate with one another.
Milk and white chocolate are loaded with sugar and fat that trigger a dopamine fix, but the dark variety holds all the nutritional value.
For example, eating chocolate raises dopamine levels around 50 percent above your baseline. Alcohol increases dopamine levels by around 150 percent. Amphetamines (like meth) raise levels 1,000 percent. The amount of dopamine released can vary from person to person depending on factors like individual brain chemistry.
Cacao contains numerous active compounds and nutrients that stimulate the brain's production of neurotransmitters and neuro-modulators. This results in the release of feel-good hormones like Endorphins, Serotonin, and Dopamine, which are responsible for our improved mood after drinking or eating cacao.
Protein-rich foods like eggs, chicken, and fish (salmon, mackerel) are recommended. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can boost dopamine levels, specifically apples, bananas, oranges, watermelon, strawberries, avocados, beets, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, velvet beans, lima beans, and peas.
Banana contained dopamine at high levels in both the peel and pulp. Dopamine levels ranged from 80-560 mg per 100 g in peel and 2.5-10 mg in pulp, even in ripened bananas ready to eat.
Caffeine causes neural excitation in the brain, which the pituitary gland perceives as an emergency and stimulates the adrenal glands to release adrenaline. Caffeine also increases dopamine levels -- the neurotransmitter that is affected by drugs like amphetamines and heroin.
Enkephalin: The natural brain chemical enkephalin is heightened when chocolate is consumed. Enkephalin triggers opioid receptors similar to those triggered by heroin and morphine use. This chemical leads the brain to desire more after chocolate is initially consumed, which can lead to addiction.
Dark chocolates with high cocoa content have serotonin in them. Having dark chocolates can increase the serotonin level in our system that boosts up our mental health. Serotonin makes a good anti-depressant and releases all the tension going on inside the body.
The research findings suggest that eating 48 g of 70% dark chocolate each day may help lower fasting glucose levels and reduce insulin resistance.
Eating Dark Chocolate Can Make You Happy
Dark chocolate boosts the production of feel-good chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins bind with opiate receptors in the brain, leading to feelings of euphoria, like the kind joggers get from “runner's high.”
Dark chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a neuromodulator implicated in mood regulation. Eating dark chocolate may positively affect mood and relieve depressive symptoms, finds a new UCL-led study looking at whether different types of chocolate are associated with mood disorders.
Green tea for increased dopamine
Green tea has been recognized for its many health benefits, and research suggests that it can also support brain health and more particularly dopamine production.
To make dopamine, our brain needs an amino acid called tyrosine. Certain foods – like poultry, dairy, bananas, avocados and soy – contain more tyrosine than others, and eating them could potentially increase your level of dopamine.
" Too much dopamine is often a result of poor lifestyle choices — too much stress, too little sleep, poor diet, partaking of addictive substances, and/or engaging in risky behaviors.
Engage in activities that make you happy or feel relaxed. This is thought to increase dopamine levels. Some examples include exercise, meditation, yoga, massage, playing with a pet, walking in nature or reading a book.
Low dopamine symptoms can include a lack of enthusiasm for things you usually enjoy and are interested in. Plus, having low dopamine may have a low sex drive. You may also experience physical troubles such as insomnia, tremors, muscle spasms, stiffness, and difficulty moving.
The flavonoids, which are compounds found in dark chocolate, can help reduce inflammation and improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of stroke. Additionally, the antioxidants found in dark chocolate can help reduce cholesterol levels.
Dark chocolate is a healthy snack that regulates blood sugar levels and gives the needed energy for the day. A new study found that people who eat dark chocolate in the morning work more effectively and concentrate better than people who don't.