Serotonin what is it and why it is so important?

Serotonin what is it and why it is so important?

When was it discovered?

In 1948, Irvine Page, Arda Green and Maurice Rapport of the Cleveland Clinic discovered a substance in blood serum, a vasoconstrictor. As it was a serum agent that affected vascular tone, they called it serotonin (serum that gives tone).

Role of Serotonin in brain activity

Our brain activities are controlled by millions of brain cells, or neurons, which continuously relate to each other by transmitting molecules, which are called neurotransmitters. Serotonin is one type of neurotransmitter which plays a distinct role in brain function and mental health.

The activity of serotonin arises in the brain stem from clusters of neurons known as the raphe nucleus. From the brain, serotonin neurons extend to virtually all parts of the central nervous system making the branching of the serotonin network the most expansive neuro-chemical system in the brain.

From mood and temperature regulation to sexual desire and appetite, serotonin is integral to daily life. While the average adult harbors only 5 to 10mg of serotonin in the body, that small amount affects almost all of the approximately 40 million cells contained in the brain.

Where and how is serotonin produced?

While serotonin is an important neurotransmitter in the brain, around 98 percent of the serotonin found in the body is located in blood platelets, mast cells and the digestive tract. While both forms of serotonin are produced from the amino acid tryptophan, only those neurotransmitters synthesized in the brain can affect the brain: serotonin formed in the body cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. Therefore serotonin that is used inside the brain must be produced within it.

Serotonin Functions

Serotonin as neurotransmitter used by the brain to relay signals from one area to another, serotonin influences many psychological functions.

This chemical plays a crucial role in maintaining our overall happy feeling. Serotonin deficiency or a decrease in the serotonin level is most likely to blame for depression, aggression, anxiousness, and elevated pain sensitivity.

Serotonin plays important role in regulation of:

· appetite

· sleep

· memory

· learning process

· temperature regulation

· mood - serotonin is also known as a happiness hormone because it contributes to feelings of well-being

· behavior

· muscle contraction

· sexual desire

· cardiovascular function

· endocrine regulation

· regulating aging

· bone metabolism

· wound healing - serotonin is a growth factor for some types of cells

There are several ways to boost serotonin levels safely and naturally without drugs and side effects and I will talk about it in details in my next blog post.

Laminine and Laminine Omega +++ helps brain produce serotonin naturally.

Stay healthy J