Almost all of us are looking for ways to be happy in life. Although the happiness hormone is popularly known as a single hormone, there are actually 4 different types of hormones that affect happiness. These hormones are serotonin, endorphins, dopamine and oxytocin. Many health and happiness indicators from mood, sleep patterns, diet, digestion and immune system are related to the hormone serotonin . In order to be happy, the hormones in our body are as effective as external stimuli. Problems that prevent happiness, such as stress and anxiety, are directly related to insufficient secretion of happiness hormones. Together with all these functions, the happiness hormone significantly affects our whole life.
The happiness hormone endorphin is directly linked to the brain's reward mechanism. Chemicals that are secreted by the body and have various functions are called hormones. Each of the hormones in the body is important both for the organs and for a healthy life. Along with all these functions, the happiness hormone significantly affects mood, outlook on life and emotions. Therefore, nutrition, avoiding stress and regular sleep have a very important place in increasing the hormone.
How Many Types of Hormones Affect Happiness?
Although the happiness hormone is perceived as a single hormone, there are 4 types of hormones that affect happiness. We can list the happiness hormones, which play a very important role in human life, as follows;
Endorphin Endorphin, one of the happiness hormones, is directly linked to the rewarding function in the brain. Endorphins are usually secreted in the blood after rewarding functions such as eating, drinking or exercising. It is recognized as the body's usual painkiller and is released after any pain condition or illness.
Serotonin Also called the happiness hormone, this hormone is often confused with endorphins. The reason is that both hormones have a direct effect on energy and happiness levels. Serotonin not only works to regulate mood, but also contributes to good sleep and easy digestion of food.
Dopamine This hormone is related to feelings of pleasure, memory, learning and other motor systems in the body. Dopamine , also known as the "feel healthy" hormone, contributes to making you feel happy quickly by suddenly increasing your mood.
Oxytocin The hormone oxytocin is also called the "love hormone". This hormone is effective in establishing a strong bond between family and child from the moment of birth, and it is also secreted during hugging or kissing, supporting the growth of trust and love in a relationship.
How to Increase Happiness Hormone?
The secretion of the happiness hormone occurs much more, especially in the evening. It also increases if the brain shows any effort. In sports activities that have the feature of mobilizing both the brain and the body, running and swimming activities are effective in the secretion of the happiness hormone. We can list the ways to increase happiness hormones with natural methods as follows;
Going outside: Going outside, getting plenty of oxygen and benefiting from sunlight is very effective. According to researches, utilizing sunlight leads to an increase in serotonin and endorphin hormones in the body. Therefore, taking regular walks every day can be effective.
Exercise In addition to the physical benefits for human health, exercise is also very beneficial for mood. Exercising regularly increases hormone levels in the body. Therefore, exercise can be a good choice to increase happiness hormones.
Laughter Laughter is very effective in increasing hormone levels, but laughter does not cure ongoing health problems. However, keeping good thoughts in mind at all times and trying to see the funny side of situations, laughing more increases hormone levels.
Cooking: The pleasure of eating something delicious increases the secretion of happiness hormones in the body. In addition, consuming food prepared with a loved one is important for increasing hormones.
Listening to music: Listening to music or dealing with music is very effective in increasing happiness hormones. In particular, listening to instrumental music relaxes the brain and increases the level of dopamine secreted. In addition, listening to a favorite type of music is very beneficial for the mood.
Healthy sleep: Getting enough quality sleep has a positive impact on health. In particular, not getting enough sleep can lead to an imbalance of the hormone dopamine in the body. This negatively affects mood and physical health. In order to balance the happiness hormone, you need 7-8 hours of sleep a day.
Avoid stress as much as possible: It is normal to experience a little stress at certain times. However, being constantly stressed lowers the hormone levels produced by the body. This usually affects mood and physical health in a bad way. To increase the amount of endorphins, it is necessary to avoid stress as much as possible.
Taking a shower: Another way to increase happiness hormones is to take a warm shower. It is useful to massage the whole body with a relaxing and fragrant soap.
What are the Foods that Increase Happiness Hormone?
Serotonin is one of the happiness hormones. The production of this hormone is carried out by the body and is also used in foods that support its production. The substance that provides the serotonin hormone is known as the amino acid tryptophan. Therefore, it is recommended to consume foods rich in tryptophan. Foods rich in tryptophan are products such as turkey and red meat, eggs, milk, cheese. Along with these; nuts such as soybeans and walnuts can also be consumed. We can list the foods that increase the happiness hormone in detail as follows;
Eggs: Eggs are the most important of the foods containing the hormone serotonin. Eggs contain a rich amount of protein and are very useful. The rich protein in its content significantly increases the blood level of tryptophan.
Cheese One of the other important foods that provide happiness hormone is cheese. Its rich zinc, phosphorus and calcium content increases the level of happiness hormone in the body.
Pineapple It is an effective fruit in the secretion of happiness hormone. This fruit provides a strong food support in terms of increasing the level of happiness hormone. Thanks to the vitamin C contained in pineapple, it strengthens the immune system and protects the body against possible ailments.
Tomato It secretes less dopamine than vegetables and fruits, but tomatoes have the highest level among vegetables. Tomatoes are the main food source of lycopene, which protects heart health and strengthens the immune system.
Walnuts They are among the foods containing serotonin. Hazelnuts and other oilseeds are among the essential nutrients for the happiness hormone. Regular consumption of walnuts reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease and respiratory problems thanks to their vitamin and mineral content.