Happiness has a name – and it’s a chemical

Mostly known as the happiness hormone, serotonin is a chemical which can be found in the human body sending impulses through nerve cells, communicating between several brain areas. Although it is produced by that organ, and it functions majorly in it, 90 percent of the serotonin reserves are stored in the digestive system and in blood platelets. It is calculated that, among the 40 million cells present in the brain, most of them are influenced, directly or indirectly, by the action of serotonin.

This chemical has a fundamental role on balancing our brain functions and regulating our mood, as well as our sleep needs, libido and appetite. For this reason, low serotonin production is generally identified as the main responsible for depressions, somnolence, low sexual arousal, tendency to eat sweets, petulance and focus disorders.

Sleep regulation is dominated by this neurotransmitter, and so that it works out correctly, serotonin works in two distinctive ways: instigating the initial sleep phase and, then, reducing its own production during the Rapid-Eye Movement phase, which is the deep sleep period.

Although it is not scientifically proven, since the serotonin levels can only be measured through blood and not in brain cells, depression and anxiety are thought to be caused by low presence of this chemical. A constant appetite, for example, is normally one of the symptoms of a weak serotonin emission between synapsis, because the chemicals has an important role on the satiation feeling. Sexual functions and libido are affected when serotonin levels are exaggerated, being diminished substantially.

One of the best known methods to stimulate serotonin production is through regular exercise. It is proven that sports help increasing the chemical production, becoming an excellent natural antidepressant without all of the secondary effects caused by this medicine.