Hormones of happiness and joy: endorphins, serotonin, dopamine

When a pregnant woman walks and glows with happiness, everyone sighs knowingly: “Hormones, whatever you want!” Did you know that these substances “manage” all emotions even in a “non-pregnant” state?

And to feel a little (or a lot) more peaceful or harmonious, you just need to know how to increase the level of the desired hormone. What is it, the hormone of happiness? How to make it stand out?

In fact, there are several such chemicals - five . Each of them has its own effect on different parts of the brain, resulting in different positive emotions. Not all of them can be described as pure and uncomplicated happiness, but associations with it arise.

Most of these substances are not hormones in their essence, but neurotransmitters. What distinguishes them from hormones is that they are not produced by endocrine glands, but are converted by the body from various amino acids. Their main effect is on the brain, where they help transmit impulses from one neuron to another.

There are 5 neurotransmitters in total, which are called hormones of joy and happiness:

• serotonin;
• dopamine;
• endorphins;
• oxytocin;
• a group of other hormones.

Female hormones of joy, happiness, pleasure and love: list

Women have male sex hormones in their bodies, and men have female sex hormones, so the division into male and female hormones is conditional. Below, we list those hormones that are most associated with joy and love in women.

• Estrogen is considered the most significant female sex hormone. This hormone makes a woman attractive in the eyes of men. Thanks to estrogen, the figure looks feminine, the skin becomes more elastic, and the hair becomes thick and shiny. According to statistics, estrogen levels are higher in natural blondes.
• Testosterone is a male hormone, as it is produced in large quantities by the stronger sex. However, for women, testosterone plays a very important role. If it were not for testosterone, women would probably have little interest in relationships with members of the opposite sex. This hormone of activity and determination turns a timid girl into a conqueror, and encourages women to take initiative in personal relationships.
• Oxytocin - this hormone has already been mentioned above, as it is significant for both women and men. But among the fair sex, the level of oxytocin is still higher. This hormone gives rise to tenderness, affection, the need to care, and other qualities that are considered more feminine than masculine. It is also known that women produce oxytocin during times of stress. Therefore, if after a quarrel you feel the desire to take care of your loved ones and cook something delicious, then this is not weakness of character, this is oxytocin.

Women are very different, but female hormones work the same for everyone

The influence of dopamine

Dopamine is a hormone that provokes a person to change one type of activity to another. Its lack can slow down thinking abilities, as a result of which a person begins to express the same thoughts in different words. This is most pronounced in Parkinson's disease.

The enormous influence of dopamine on a good mood forces people to resort to using drugs that stimulate its production. For example, the speed of neurotransmitter delivery to its destination increases under the influence of amphetamines. Alcohol, psychostimulants and cocaine slow down the destruction and release of dopamine, which increases its concentration.

It is impossible to train the body to produce a large amount of a neurotransmitter, since excessive stimulation leads to depletion of the system and a decrease in the synthesis of both the substance itself and the number of receptors for it. The reward hormone in large quantities can cause serious damage to the brain.

Male hormones of joy, happiness, pleasure and love: list

• Testosterone is a male sex hormone that plays a leading role. It is he who makes men determined and courageous. It is believed that the higher the testosterone level, the more attractive a man looks in the eyes of representatives of the opposite sex.
• Dihydrotestosterone is a male hormone that occurs during the breakdown of testosterone and is necessary for the production of new testosterone. Dihydrotestosterone is interesting because it is what is associated with male alopecia, or in other words, previously baldness in men. From this we can conclude that the earlier a man began to go bald, the higher his testosterone level.
• Oxytocin is no less important for men than for women. Representatives of the stronger sex produce the maximum amount of oxytocin in the moments after physical intimacy. Oxytocin makes a man loving and attached. Men with high levels of oxytocin are very loyal and will never indulge in outside hobbies.

The higher the testosterone level, the more a man likes physical activity

Other neurotransmitters

The concept of happiness is different for each person; accordingly, the definition of what the happiness hormone is called varies, as does the neurotransmitter itself: for some, the corresponding emotions are caused by victory, for others - hugs with loved ones. For this reason, positive emotions are formed not only by these four hormones, but also by other neurotransmitters:

• Adrenaline.
• Prolactin.
• Norepinephrine.
• Phenylethylamine.
• Vasopressin.
• Gamma-aminobutyric acid.

The above list is replenished with estradiol and luteinizing hormone in women. Their maximum number is recorded during ovulation, which affects a woman’s appearance. For men, an important hormone is testosterone and its derivatives, which give a feeling of brutality, strength and masculinity.

What foods contain happiness hormones: list

estrogen often becomes the “hormone of happiness” , because with its deficiency, libido decreases, depression sets in, and even appearance deteriorates: the skin does not look so fresh, and hair and nails become dry and brittle. You can try to compensate for estrogen deficiency with the following foods:

• Flax seeds
• Peas and beans
• Bran
• Coffee
• Apricots

Coffee is an invigorating drink that raises estrogen levels.
But note that excess estrogen is also sometimes undesirable. In particular, this hormone can interfere with losing excess weight in the lower abdomen and hips. Therefore, if you have such a problem, then the reason may lie in drinking coffee in large quantities. But if an excess of estrogen does not threaten you, pay attention to our article on how to choose delicious coffee with rating brands.

Sometimes the cause of despondency is a deficiency of female hormones

By the way, in the last days of the menstrual cycle, all representatives of the fair sex tend to experience a deficiency of female hormones and some people experience a bad mood precisely on these days. And you can try to raise it with products from the list above, as well as herbs that contain phytoestrogens, these are:

• Sage
• Licorice
• Linden blossom
• Chamomile
• Hop

Sage is an incredibly aromatic plant with phytoestrogens.

The hormone of happiness in chocolate and banana: what is it called?

Chocolate and bananas promote the production of the joy hormone serotonin . But to say that serotonin comes from them directly would be wrong; these products are simply rich in substances necessary for the production of the hormone. Moreover, there are other food products that contain much more tryptophan (the substance from which serotonin is quickly synthesized) than chocolate, and even more so bananas. Therefore, the legend that chocolate and bananas contain “happiness hormones” is only half true.

Bananas and chocolate promote serotonin production

Drug treatment

Reduced production of dopamine, or the hormone of happiness, according to reviews, is treated with medications:

1. Phenylalanine. An amino acid through which dopamine is synthesized from tyrosine. The latter stimulates the production of a neurotransmitter in case of established disorders of its secretion and is often included in vitamin complexes.
2. Ginkgo biloba. Herbal medicine that improves blood circulation. Its regular intake increases oxygen concentration and stimulates the functioning of neurons that transmit impulses.
3. Medicinal herbs: dandelion, nettle, ginseng.

For severe depression accompanied by dopamine deficiency, antidepressants and drugs that stimulate the production of the hormone are prescribed.

How to train the brain to produce more of the hormone of happiness and joy, serotonin?

Whole books have been written about how serotonin and our other hormones work. We invite you to pay attention to two of them. The author of the first is American Loretta Breuning, the second was written by Asya Kazantseva, a Russian science journalist and biologist by training.

Books about how hormones work

They are valuable because they provide insight into what hormones are for and how they work. Loretta Breuning argues that serotonin is a hormone of self-worth, and its levels are high in those who occupy high social status. Both in her book and on the Internet there are a lot of recommendations on how to quickly increase serotonin levels, for example:

• Play sports and enjoy physical activity
• Eat nuts, chocolate, bananas and other foods rich in priptophan
• Engage in auto-training and praise yourself out loud every day, as well as be proud of your social status, whatever it may be

All these methods work and can help in a moment of despondency, but they give a short-term effect. And in order for the brain to learn to produce more serotonin on an ongoing basis, you really need to occupy the desired social status. Oh, and it wouldn’t hurt to mention that a person constantly wants more, and that means he needs to constantly move forward.

Serotonin levels depend on how satisfied you are with your life

Chapter 1: The Mammal Inside You

The Survival Brain

You inherited your brain from surviving ancestors. This may seem completely natural. But if you look carefully at the colossal difficulties with which human survival was associated in a historical perspective, then the very fact that the genes of your direct ancestors have reached you,

already seems like a miracle. You have inherited a brain that is focused on solving the problem of survival. You may not feel it fully, but in those moments when you are worried about being late for a meeting or eating bad food, your survival brain is working. When you worry that you weren't invited to a party or that your hair is terrible, your brain returns to worrying about your survival, both of which put your social connections at risk. And these connections were of great importance for the survival of our ancestors. If you are freed from existential threats such as hunger, cold, or the presence of predators around, the brain “by inertia” continues to scan for other potential threats.

Intellectually, you understand that a bad hairstyle is not a threat to survival. But neurons tuned to interpersonal communication cannot help but experience some anxiety. The process of natural selection has created the brain in such a way that we subconsciously feel a sense of satisfaction when we see an opportunity to pass on our genes to a partner, and vice versa, we feel anxiety and irritation when we lose such opportunities. At the same time, in order to experience a feeling of discomfort, it is not at all necessary to consciously strive to transfer genes. This discomfort is subconsciously triggered by an innate “alarm system.”

Such reactions to external stimuli are embedded in our brain’s desire to ensure survival. But they are not based on innate neural connections. Unlike many animals, we are not born with instincts to seek out specific foods or avoid specific predators. We are born with a brain that builds its own internal connections based on our experiences. Customization begins from the moment we are born. Anything that brings us a feeling of satisfaction creates neural pathways that activate the production of “happiness hormones.” Conversely, negative experiences form “this is bad for me” connections. Basic neural connections are formed in a child by the age of seven years. This may be a little early, since at this age the child is certainly not aware of long-term survival strategies. Seven years is the period during which a human being remains practically defenseless in nature. This is why we often maintain levels of neurochemical production that do not fully meet long-term needs.

In short, our brain is characterized by several features.

1. He cares about the survival of our genes with the same care with which he cares about the survival of the body.

2. It sets up neural connections even in childhood, although these pathways are often not enough for adult life.

This is why it can be so difficult to understand the nature of our neurochemical ups and downs.

How do neurochemicals make us happy?

The feeling we describe as “happiness” is produced by the presence of four special neurochemicals in the brain: dopamine, endorphin, oxytocin

and
serotonin.
These “happiness hormones” are actively synthesized at those moments when the brain identifies phenomena that are positive for our survival. Then their level in the body drops sharply until the next pleasant occasion.

Each of these neurochemicals “turns on” a specific positive feeling in a person.

• Dopamine

creates a feeling of joy that a person finds something he needs. This is the feeling when people say: “Eureka! I found!"

• Endorphin

creates a feeling of lightness and oblivion that helps alleviate pain. This state is often called euphoria.

• Oxytocin

gives a person a feeling of security in the circle of his own kind. Now it's called "social connections."

• Serotonin

creates in a person a feeling of recognition and respect from others.

You might say, “I don’t define happiness by calling it in these terms.” This happens because neurochemicals work without words. But you can easily observe similar motivations in other people. And research indicates that they also influence animal behavior. As for you personally, until you study the neurochemistry of the mammal that sits inside you, you can assume that your inner voice gives you clues.

Dopamine

creates a feeling of joy that a person finds something he needs.

Endorphin

creates a feeling of lightness and oblivion that helps alleviate pain.

Oxytocin

gives a person a feeling of comfort in society.

Serotonin

creates a sense of social significance in a person.

How do “happiness hormones” work?

The production of “happiness hormones” is carried out in several small-sized parts of the brain: the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, pituitary gland and some others, which together are combined into the human limbic system[1]. Surrounding the limbic system is the large cerebral cortex. The limbic system and both hemispheres of the cortex constantly interact in maintaining the vital functions of the human body and in preserving its DNA. Each of these parts of the human brain performs its own specific tasks.

• Cortex

analyzes the surrounding reality and looks for those manifestations of it that you have already become acquainted with in the past, comparing them with each other.

• Limbic system

produces active biological substances - neurotransmitters (the same ones that in simple terms are called “hormones of happiness”). These neurochemicals tell you: “this is good for you” or “this is dangerous for you, avoid it.” Your body doesn't always follow the instructions of neurotransmitters exactly because the cerebral cortex can cancel them. But if this happens, then the cerebral cortex provides alternative signals to the limbic system, to which the latter responds. Thus, at some points, a person's cerebral cortex may be higher than his limbic system, but our "ancient brain", inherited from our mammalian ancestors, largely determines who we are. The cerebral cortex directs attention and carefully analyzes information, but it is the limbic system that motivates us to action.

Each active biological substance in the brain performs a specific job

The "ancient brain" in the brain rewards you with a feeling of satisfaction when you do something necessary to survive. Each neurotransmitter forms a special type of behavior, ultimately aimed at solving this problem:

• Dopamine

motivates to get something necessary, even if it involves significant effort.

• Endorphin

motivates to ignore pain, thereby giving the opportunity to hide from danger in case of injury or injury.

• Oxytocin

motivates to show trust in others and that personal safety is easier to ensure in a group.

• Serotonin

motivates you to earn the respect of your peers. This, in turn, expands marriage opportunities and the ability to protect their offspring.

In the left hemisphere of the brain, responsible for verbal activity, you can formulate the results of the influence of various neurotransmitters on you in any way you like, but it is the “ancient brain” that decides what is good and what is not.

“Happiness hormones” from a survival point of view

Dopamine - seeks reward

Endorphin – ignores physical pain

Oxytocin – builds social bonds

Serotonin – earns respect

Our “ancient brain,” inherited from mammals, gives commands to the body to achieve what gives us a surge of “happy hormones” and to reject what brings a feeling of discomfort. You can try to restrain yourself from an action that is dictated by an impulse under the influence of neurochemical compounds, but at this moment the brain will give another impulse in order to either achieve what it wanted initially, or somehow get around the obstacle you set. You are not a slave to your animal instincts, but at the same time you never act purely rationally, even if you are convinced of the opposite. You are always looking for opportunities to achieve comfort, and then again looking for better ways to get satisfaction from life.

How the brains of various living creatures react to neurochemical impulses

Animals perceive neurochemical impulses without reasoning or rational thought. This is why they can help us understand the action of neurotransmitters. This is not about exalting the role of animals in science, but about studying what exactly “turns on” the generation of “happiness hormones” in our body.

For example, a hungry lion experiences joy at the sight of prey that it can catch. This is joy not in the philosophical sense of the word, but a state of physical excitement that provides the predator with a surge of energy for hunting. Lions often fail in their hunting attempts, so they instinctively choose their targets carefully, being careful not to waste energy. When a lion or lioness sees a gazelle that they think they can “get,” their dopamine levels spike, causing their hearts to beat faster and supply energy to their muscles.

A thirsty elephant feels excited when he finds water. The feeling of satisfaction from quenching thirst leads to the release of large amounts of dopamine into the blood, which helps create permanent neural connections in the animal’s brain. This will make it easier for him to find water in the future.

The elephant does not need to “try” to remember the signs of an area where there is water. Dopamine automatically creates a neural pathway in his brain. The next time the elephant sees something similar to a spring or other source of water, electrical impulses will travel along the neural circuit and cause a surge of the “happiness hormone.” The excitement the elephant feels will tell you: “This is what you need.” When he is thirsty again, the expectation of reward will drive him forward towards his goal. Thus, “happiness hormones” provide representatives of the animal world with survival without special efforts on their part.

However, neurotransmitters are not constantly secreted in mammals. The lion receives a surge of “happiness hormones” only when he catches his next prey, and the elephant produces them only when he sees a way to satisfy one or another of his needs. “Free” “happiness hormones” do not exist in nature. The feeling of comfort appears only if something important happens from the point of view of the survival of the individual.

Comparison of limbic systems and cerebral cortex of different animals

Animals make critical survival decisions with an extremely underdeveloped cerebral cortex. They only need the limbic system. It forces them to act if the action is perceived positively by their body, and vice versa, to avoid activity when they experience discomfort. This simple system ensured the survival of our animal ancestors for millions of years and still operates within us today.

The picture on the next page shows how, over a long period of time, the old parts of our brain did not change in size, while its new parts developed rapidly. Nature prefers to build something new not from scratch, but using existing living structures. The mammalian brain developed from the “reptilian layer,” and the human brain developed from the “mammalian brain.” Human beings have a huge supply of free neurons capable of forming new neural connections and pathways. But reptiles have very few such neurons. Therefore, they cannot adapt to new circumstances or environment, and are not able to take into account previous experience. But reptiles have extremely developed mechanisms for detecting threats and new opportunities. If one day you suddenly get the feeling that your brain is split into two and exists, as it were, in two dimensions, the reason for this is easy to understand from the picture.

How the human limbic system and the cerebral cortex interact

A developed cerebral cortex distinguishes humans from other living beings. Thanks to the cortex, new neural connections and pathways are formed in the brain. This allows a person to customize his actions and efforts so that they best meet his needs. However, a person cannot exist on the cerebral cortex alone. He needs the limbic system in order to understand on a subconscious level what about

benefits.
The cerebral cortex sees around only a chaotic pile of unrelated details. And only when the limbic system gets down to business does it create a sense of what is good
for you now and what
is
not. You may have this idea that the limbic system is the bad guy and the cerebral cortex is the good guy. But it will be better if you understand how much they need each other. The cerebral cortex is not able to produce “happiness hormones.” If you want to experience joy, then only the limbic system can help with this.

But the limbic system cannot control speech function. Even when you talk to yourself, the cerebral cortex is responsible for your thoughts, expressed in verbal form. Therefore, your limbic system will never be able to articulate to you the reason why it secreted “happy hormones” or “anxiety hormones.” You may think that you are not “feeling it” because your decision has not registered in your brain. For example, you don’t say to yourself, “I’m so angry at her,” or “I’m scared to do this,” but subconsciously

you experience exactly these feelings.

How life experiences create new neural connections

Your feelings are unique because they belong only to you. You turn on the mechanism for producing “hormones of happiness”, using unique neural pathways that are formed in the process of your individual life experiences. This is why we react differently to a situation, although these reactions are based on generally the same experience of survival.

How individual neural pathways are created

Happy moments in the past create special connections between neurons that are ready to produce “happy hormones” the next time you experience similar positive feelings. Bad experiences in the past create neural pathways that you want to avoid.

Every time you experience something in life, signals from the world around you produce electrical impulses in your brain. These impulses travel through the brain the same way water moves in the sea during a storm—along the path of least resistance. The neural pathways created allow electrical impulses to move freely along them, and this is what determines your reaction to a particular event.

Neurochemicals coat these pathways in much the same way as asphalt coats a clayey, impassable road. Repeated experience “smoothes out” new paths even more. Some of these neural pathways become highways as you engage them systematically and with the support of your happy hormones. For example, a child who is highly respected by his parents because he knows how to use computers develops neural connections that allow him to expect greater joy in providing such help to others. He repeats his actions, and new neural pathways appear in his nervous system. As a result, billions of nerve pathways are formed along which electrical impulses pass, and it is they that allow us to create order in the chaotic flow of incoming information that literally “overwhelms” our senses.

Orientation system in neural connections

All the neural pathways that have arisen in you up to this point in your life create a system of orientation in neural connections. This system controls your reactions to everyday stimuli. You do not notice the work of this system, since it was formed without your conscious participation. This is why it is difficult to create new neural connections: you do not fully understand how the previous ones were created.

Familiar neural pathways are easy to use... but not always helpful

Your neural connections allow you to like some things and dislike others. It may also happen that you will have a positive attitude towards what is not so useful and shy away from what is really necessary. Why did the brain need to create such capricious neural connections in an effort to survive?

Because a person is designed to accumulate his life experience and not get rid of it. In the vast majority of cases, the accumulated experience gives us valuable lessons. It gives us the opportunity to repeat actions and decisions that in the past helped us avoid those that caused us trouble. However, the neural pathways created in your brain can also be disorienting. For example, make you avoid negativity that has long passed, or sweat in search of excess pleasures. For example, even as an adult, you may avoid math because you remember how your seatmate laughed at you in class. Or become too addicted to pizza, remembering the wonderful moments with your parents at the pizzeria many years ago.

The cerebral cortex can “correct” old neural circuits so that you can cope with math problems or refuse extra portions of pizza. But the old neural pathways formed in your head are very effective. And you are often inclined to trust them, because the world around you floods you with information, and the existence of established neural pathways allows it to move calmly along them.

However, neural highways do not always lead to the desired goal. Sometimes they cause the appearance of “hormones of unhappiness” precisely at those moments when you were hoping for something pleasant. The more new connections are created in the neural jungle of the brain, the more likely it is to secrete more “happy hormones.” This may not be easy to achieve, but it will be easier if you start to imagine how your brain works.

How can we create new neural connections?

When you were young, you created new neural circuits quite easily. The older you get, the more difficult this process becomes. As you get older, it begins to feel like traveling through the jungle with a machete in your hands, having to carve your way forward. Each step requires enormous effort, and the new neural connections that you created with such difficulty are instantly overgrown with dense bushes, like paths, if you do not use them from time to time. This kind of bushwhacking can feel like a waste of time when you could instead be using the broad neural pathways that already exist.

Neurons have difficulty sending electrical impulses along circuits that have little activity. But every time they make it easier. Neural connections develop rather slowly, and the narrow and slippery neural pathway hardens only after many years of use. So how can you effectively create new neural pathways in your head? The answer is simple: constantly fill your brain with more and more new experiences. Repetition will create the neural connections you need. No one can do it for you, and it is impossible to do it for anyone else.

What and how is the happiness hormone endorphin produced?

• Endorphins are produced in the brain, mainly during sleep, so proper sleep is the key to getting enough of this hormone.
• Endorphins are able to accumulate in the body and are released when an urgent need arises. Typically, endorphin is released in parallel with adrenaline.
• The effect of this hormone is impressive: endorphin allows you not to feel pain and think clearly even with serious injury; nature has provided this mechanism to ensure a person’s survival in a critical situation.

Adrenaline and norepinephrine: help with stress

Nature has provided two types of reactions to a dangerous situation: attack and flight. The hormone norepinephrine is responsible for the success of the first option. It helps to mobilize all the forces of the body: the brain begins to work more actively, blood flow accelerates, blood pressure and muscle tone increase. On an emotional level, this manifests itself as a feeling of courage, and sometimes even rage. Adrenaline is intended to help you get away from danger in time and quickly enough. This does not always mean escape. The body uses the release of adrenaline into the blood in order to resolve a situation associated with fear without loss (for example, during a conflict, an exam, a traffic accident).

Both hormones are produced by the adrenal cortex. Excessive concentrations of these substances in the blood are dangerous: high levels of norepinephrine lead to exhaustion of the body, and excess adrenaline can cause the appearance of uncontrollable fears and phobias.

However, the production of adrenaline and norepinephrine is not always caused by negative emotions. These substances are also released in situations associated with strong pleasant experiences - during successful transactions, large purchases, public speaking, etc.

How to train the brain to produce more of the hormone of happiness and joy, endorphin?

• Trying to increase endorphin levels is probably not worth it, its effect is too deafening, and the body expends too much energy, working to the limit. Opium has a similar effect on the same receptors as natural endorphin, but there is no need to talk about its destructive effects.

The release of endorphins is necessary only in a critical situation

Increased endorphin production

The amount of endorphin is increased by:

• regular exercise;
• listening to your favorite music;
• having sex;
• recreating situations that bring pleasant sensations.

The listed methods work provided that neurons remain functional and are not depleted by pain. If there is a constant sensation of pain, they resort to the administration of painkillers that can increase the level of endorphins.

How is the hormone of love and happiness produced in the body, oxytocin?

Oxytocin is produced in the hypothalamus - it is believed that this part of the brain was formed during evolution first and is responsible for deep motivation and primordial instincts. The hormone oxytocin itself also has a long history; it is present not only in humans, but also in all other mammals. Oxytocin is responsible for attachment to a group, and causes a feeling of satisfaction when an individual is in a circle of similar individuals.

When a person feels like a member of a group, the love hormone oxytocin is released

• Tactile contact with a person who is pleasant sharply increases the level of oxytocin.
• In adults of both sexes, oxytocin levels reach their maximum during intimacy.
• It is believed that oxytocin stimulates a person to become attached to members of his group and to be loyal to them. But this is only true while oxytocin levels are at an average level.
• If the level of oxytocin is off the charts, then a person may neglect the interests of the group for the sake of more important goals. Only family members and especially children can be more important. The same situation is observed in nature, a female can leave a pride if she has lost a cub, representatives of both sexes leave their groups to find a partner and have cubs.

Oxytocin: only children are more important than Pride

What is responsible for pleasure?

Dopamine is a neurodemitter that is produced by the adrenal glands, causing a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction in the body. The hormone, along with nerve impulses, is delivered to the pleasure center of the brain and our pleasure depends on its quantity. It is also a strong motivator in learning and achieving goals.

In the human body, dopamine is produced by the adrenal glands

This is a very active hormone, it is produced by our body from any positive sensations: delicious food, tender hugs, intimacy, even from thoughts about upcoming pleasure. Positive memories also release dopamine into the body. But scientist Knutson has proven that pleasure hormones are involved in the decision-making process and literally make us feel satisfied when needs are not met. This creates a mechanism of addiction in a person.

If a person has an excess of dopamine, this leads to psychosis. The dopamine hypothesis is fundamental in the development of schizophrenia. The hormone in large quantities forces a person to get stuck in the inner world, which brings pleasure, while ignoring the outer world. Pleasure from thoughts alone while complete inaction.

A lack of dopamine is expressed in a person by uncertainty, procrastination, apathy and lack of enthusiasm. Doctors characterize this condition as dopamine syndrome. Some types of foods can help replenish hormone reserves:

• Bananas, almonds, avocados, pumpkin seeds. These products contain the amino acid tyrosine, which is synthesized into dioxyphenylalanine. And it precedes the formation of dopamine.
• Asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, peppers, carrots, beets, strawberries, oranges and other foods that contain vitamins E and C and antioxidants. They protect cells involved in dopamine production.

What is the maximum level of dopamine needed for happiness and how is it produced?

Dopamine is produced at the moment when a person anticipates receiving a reward and helps him become more active and in a cheerful mood in order to achieve the goal. In the days of hunting and gathering, dopamine played an important role in survival; upon noticing something special, our ancestors rushed to that object, and often found food that way. However, the key feature of dopamine is that when a goal is achieved, pleasure does not last long, and the desire to experience positive emotions again pushes us to new achievements.

He is probably already thinking about how he needs to conquer another peak, and a higher one.

How to increase and raise the level of happiness hormones in the body: tips

To ensure that the level of happiness hormones is always high, try to follow these tips:

• Choose foods high in tryptophan: nuts, seafood, cheeses, rabbit and veal meat, halva and seeds. If you eat one of these instead of a bun, it will have a positive effect on both your figure and your mood.
• Don't protect yourself from physical activity. Unfortunately, physical inactivity is a common problem in modern society.
• “Enemy number one” for “happiness hormones” is cortisol, the stress hormone. Cortisol is also very important, because the feeling of discomfort when it is released forces us to move forward. But if there is too much stress and cortisol, then this is a problem that requires attention.
• Learn how hormones work. It is unlikely that you will learn to consciously manage this complex system, but by understanding how hormones work, you can discover the true motives of certain actions and stop worrying about trifles.

Habits for happy people

The following habits have a beneficial effect on the production of endorphins:

• Smile and laugh. Laughter prolongs life. Watch comedies, humorous programs, just fool around. Smile more often, only with a sincere smile.
• Aromatherapy. Take relaxing baths with essential oils. Fragrances have been proven to stimulate happiness hormones. Vanilla has a calming effect, lavender helps cope with insomnia and depression, ginseng relieves fatigue. Use scented candles in your daily life and brew aromatic herbal teas.
• Nature. Spend more time in nature, take walks, take sunbathing.
• Reading. It is recommended to read your favorite literature; it leads us to a state of peace and happiness.