In its early years, psychology primarily focused on the treatment of mental conditions, such as anxiety and depression.
After World War II, researchers started to study joy, well-being, as well as the pursuit of meaning in life, giving rise to a new branch of psychology called “positive psychology“.
For decades, scholars have tried to comprehend happiness predictors by looking both at internal (endogenic) factors, such as genetics, and external (exogenic) factors, such as a person’s social life.
The outcomes of previous studies suggest that happiness is not caused exclusively by one of these two types of aspects but rather from integrated several factors.1
In this blogpost, I will focus on the impact that biological aspects as endogenic factors have on happiness.
I will dig into the four major happiness chemicals that our body releases and share with you research-based methods to increase their levels naturally, so that you can experience more joy in your life.
Let’s dive into it ✨
The 4 Happiness Chemicals
1. Dopamine
The first happiness chemical is dopamine.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter produced by neurons in the region at the base of the brain, and it is significantly involved in important body functions such as movement, pleasurable reward and motivational behaviour.
In fact, multiple studies have confirmed that a rise in dopamine levels increases the level of pleasure expected to be derived from a future event, making dopamine systems fundamental for “wanting” incentives, which are believed to be a component of the euphoric feelings that dopamine can trigger.2, 3, 4
Additionally, research has found that a dysfunction of dopamine in the reward circuit is linked to different clinical syndromes marked by changes in mood, hedonic deregulation and apahty common in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, depression, drug addiction, and neuroleptic-induced dysphoria5.
Here are ways to stimulate dopamine release in your body:
- Eat saffron6
- Exercise7
- Listen to music8
- Spend time in the sun9, 10
- Meditate11
- Sleep enough12
- Get a massage13
2. Serotonin
When talking about happiness chemicals, we cannot ignore serotonin.
This neurotransmitter, which is mostly produced in the GI tract, has also been found to be linked to human emotions.
In particular, studies have shown that increased serotonin levels are associted with higher degrees of life satisfaction14, 15 and that individuals with major depressive disorders present significantly lower levels of this molecule16.
Here are some ways you can boost serotonin levels in your system:
- Eat mushrooms, especially Cantharellus cibarius fruiting bodies6
- Eat spirulina17
- Eat saffron6
- Take Griffonia Simplicifolia extract6
- Get some sunlight18
- Get a massage13
- Eat foods rich in serotonin19, 20, such as:
- Butternuts
- Black walnuts
- English walnuts
- Shagbark hickory nuts
- Mockernut hickory nuts
- Pecans
- Sweet pignuts
- Plantain
- Pineapple
- Banana
- Kiwi
- Ginger
- Cranberry
3. Endorphins
Endorphins are ‘feel-good‘ happiness chemicals that our central nervous system and the pituitary gland produce.
Since endorphines have biochemical properties similar to exogenous opiates such as morphine, they are also called endogenous opiods21. Their primary function in the body is to act as an agent blocking the perception of pain.
Studies have confirmed that endorphins induce pleasure22 and improve individuals’ mood and their sense of well-being23.
Here are some ways you can boost the level of endorphins in your body:
- Join a synchronized dance group24
- Exercise25
- Eat dark chocolate26
- Sing27
- Play an instrument27
- Eat spicy food28
- Do acupuncture29
- Laugh more30 🙂
- Do some aromatherapy with essential oils such as lavender and rosemary. 31, 32, 33
4. Oxytocin
The last of the four main happiness chemicals is oxytocin, a hormone that is produced in the hypothalamus.
Oxytocin is significantly linked to prosocial behaviors such as attachment, affiliation, trust, and social support seeking, as well as the feeling of happiness that comes with them.
Moreover, studies have found that its circulating levels are lower in individuals with major depression34.
Here are some ways to increase serotonin in your body:
- Make love35
- Cuddle and hug more36
- Meditate23
- Get a massage37
- Do yoga38
I hope that you enjoyed this blogpost and that it will help you to boost the level of happiness chemicals in your body! ✨
If you have any comments, feedbacks or wishes, please let me know in the box below!
Here are some articles that might interest you…
- Benefits of Psychedelic Mushrooms
- How to Glow Up Mentally & Physically
- 3 Best Scientific Tip for Glowing Skin
♡ Let’s connect on Social Media ♡
References
- Dfarhud, et al. Happiness & Health: The Biological Factors- Systematic Review Article. Iranian Journal of Public Health. 2014, pp. 1468-77.
- Sharotm, et al. Dopamine enhances expectation of pleasure in humans. Current Biology. 2009, pp. 2077-80.
- Berridge, et al. What is the role of dopamine in reward: hedonic impact, reward learning, or incentive salience?, Brain Research Reviews. 1998, pp. 309-369.
- Berridge, et al. Pleasure Systems in the Brain, Neuron. 2015, pp- 646-664.
- Bressan, et al. The role of dopamine in reward and pleasure behaviour – review of data from preclinical research. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2005, pp. 14-21.
- Muszyńska, et al. Natural products of relevance in the prevention and supportive treatment of depression. Psychiatria Polska. 2015, pp. 435-53.
- Sacheli, et al. Exercise increases caudate dopamine release and ventral striatal activation in Parkinson’s disease. Movement Disorders. 2019, pp. 1891-1900.
- Salimpoor, et al. Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music. Nat Neurosci 14, 257–262 (2011).
- Tsai, et al. Sunshine-exposure variation of human striatal dopamine D(2)/D(3) receptor availability in healthy volunteers. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2011, pp. 107-10.
- Lima, et al. Vitamin D protects dopaminergic neurons against neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in hemiparkinsonian rats. J Neuroinflammation. 2018, pp. 1266-6.
- Kjaer, et al. Increased dopamine tone during meditation-induced change of consciousness. Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 2002, pp. 255-9.
- Volkow, et al. Evidence That Sleep Deprivation Downregulates Dopamine D2R in Ventral Striatum in the Human Brain. Journal of Neuroscience, pp. 6711-6717.
- Field, et al. CORTISOL DECREASES AND SEROTONIN AND DOPAMINE INCREASE FOLLOWING MASSAGE THERAPY, International Journal of Neuroscience. 2005, pp. 1397-1413.
- Matsunaga, et al. Association between the serotonin transporter polymorphism (5HTTLPR) and subjective happiness level in Japanese adults. Psych Well-Being , 2013.
- Harmer, Serotonin and emotional processing: Does it help explain antidepressant drug action?, Neuropharmacology, 2008, pp. 1023-1028.
- Quan-Bui, et al. Reduced platelet serotonin in depression, Psychiatry Research, 1984, pp. 129-139.
- Sasie, Sileshi. (2018). Spirulina as a main source of tryptophan for mental illness: Improving level of serotonin through tryptophan supplementation.
- Lambert, et al. Effect of sunlight and season on serotonin turnover in the brain, The Lancet, 2002, pp. 1840-1842.
- Feldman & Lee. Serotonin content of foods: effect on urinary excretion of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid. Am J Clin Nutr. 1985, pp. 639-43.
- Lauren, et al. Serotonin: An ancient molecule and an important regulator of plant processes, Biotechnology Advances, 2016, pp. 1347-1361.
- Dishman, et al. Lessons in exercise neurobiology: The case of endorphins, Mental Health and Physical Activity, 2009, pp. 4-9.
- Conde Moreno, et al. Is the pursuit of happiness the pursuit of homeostasis? A review on the modulatory functions of endorphins on human behavior. European Psychiatry, 2022, pp. 733-733.
- Rokade, P. (2011). Release of Endomorphin Hormone and Its Effects on Our Body and Moods: A Review.
- Tarr, B., et al. Naltrexone Blocks Endorphins Released when Dancing in Synchrony. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology 3, 241–254 (2017).
- Harber & Sutton. Endorphins and Exercise. Sports Medicine 1, 154–171 (1984).
- Lippi. Chocolate in health and disease. Maturitas, 2010, pp. 195-196.
- Dunbar, et al. Performance of Music Elevates Pain Threshold and Positive Affect: Implications for the Evolutionary Function of Music, Evolutionary Psychology, 2012.
- Carstens, et al. It hurts so good: oral irritation by spices and carbonated drinks and the underlying neural mechanisms, Food Quality and Preference, 2002, pp. 431-443
- Bonta, et al. Acupuncture beyond the endorphin concept?, Medical Hypotheses, 2002, pp. 221-224.
- Jim, J. Therapeutic Benefits of Laughter in Mental Health: A Theoretical Review, The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2016.
- Takeda, et al. Effects of Inhalation Aromatherapy on Symptoms of Sleep Disturbance in the Elderly with Dementia. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2017.
- Kazeminia, et al. The Effect of Lavender (Lavandula stoechas L.) on Reducing Labor Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Hindawi, 2020, pp. 1-11.
- Rahimi, et. al, The Effect of Inhaling the Aroma of Rosemary Essential Oil on the Pre-Hospital Emergency Personnel Stress and Anxiety: A Quasi-Experimental Study. Mod Care J. 2019, pp. 1-11.
- McQuaid, et al. Making room for oxytocin in understanding depression, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 2014, pp. 305-322.
- Carmichael, et al. Relationships among cardiovascular, muscular, and oxytocin responses during human sexual activity. Arch Sex Behav, 1994, pp. 59–79.
- Kathleen, et al. More frequent partner hugs and higher oxytocin levels are linked to lower blood pressure and heart rate in premenopausal women. Biological Psychology, 2005, pp. 5-21.
- Morhenn, et al. Massage Increases Oxytocin and Reduces Adrenocorticotropin Hormone in Humans. Alternative therapies in health and medicine, 2012, pp. 11-8.
- Jayaram, et al. Effect of yoga therapy on plasma oxytocin and facial emotion recognition deficits in patients of schizophrenia. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 2013, pp. 409-413.