The sun is shining and your mood goes up with it? Did you know that the good mood you feel in nice weather can be explained scientifically? The key is bright daylight, which leads to a release of serotonin in your body. Serotonin is one of the so-called "happiness hormones". Besides serotonin, you may know dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins: they count as "happiness hormones" too.
Find out what these substances are all about, how they work in your body and how you can deliberately steer the release of happiness hormones!
The different happiness hormones
As mentioned, your body contains various happiness hormones that act as messengers. They're often also called the body's own drugs. The six substances have different triggers and each affects your physical and mental wellbeing in its own way.
We'll come back to serotonin in detail later. All the other messengers, how they're triggered and how they work, we've briefly summarised for you here:
Dopamine
It's the most important neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and, alongside noradrenaline and serotonin, is responsible for things like performance, motivation and concentration. A lack of dopamine is associated with Parkinson's disease. Exercise and movement in the fresh air can lead to an increased release of this hormone and boost wellbeing.
Noradrenaline
Just like adrenaline, noradrenaline is produced in the adrenal medulla and is vital for your body's survival. In dangerous or stressful situations more of it is released, which in turn raises blood pressure and heart rate, affecting alertness, attention and heart rate. Athletes often use this effect for greater readiness to perform. Similar to cortisol, too high a dose can lead to sleep disorders, heart conditions or anxiety.
Endorphins
Endorphins are considered the body's own painkillers, released for example during accidents and injuries. They act as a blockade and make sure pain signals can no longer be passed on to the processing areas of the brain. But they can also put the body into a state of euphoria, as they dock onto the same receptors as opiates. Especially in long-distance runners and sprinters, endorphins often cause euphoric states. They help you overcome great effort and pain.
Endorphins have positive effects on sleep, stress and the immune system, they regulate hunger and form sex hormones.
Phenylethylamine
This hormone creates feelings of desire and happiness. Studies show that physical activity, especially endurance sport, leads to an increased phenylethylamine concentration. The substance is also found in small amounts in cocoa and bitter almond oil. However, the amount in chocolate is too small to trigger any effects.
Oxytocin
This hormone is produced in the brain and occurs in all mammals. It influences bonding between partners, particularly between mother and child, and also plays a role in group behaviour and anxiety. In pregnancy, it makes sure labour starts at the right time. If there's a deficiency, it's given via infusions.
What does serotonin do in the body?
Besides the happiness hormones mentioned above, there's a sixth hormone that influences your wellbeing: serotonin. We'd like to take a closer look at it below.
First, the facts: the chemical name for serotonin is 5-hydroxytryptamine, and it is both a hormone and a neurotransmitter. That means it belongs to the body's messengers that transmit information between nerve cells. You'll find this happiness hormone in the central nervous system (CNS), the cardiovascular system, the digestive tract and the blood. Because it acts in so many places, serotonin also has different jobs.
The everyday term "happiness hormone" isn't entirely wrong: serotonin influences our mood. Even so, it doesn't make you euphoric, but helps create feelings like contentment and wellbeing. Depending on where it acts, serotonin has a calming effect. It stimulates memory performance or promotes deep sleep. In the gut, it promotes peristalsis and so ensures smooth, regular digestion. In the cardiovascular system, serotonin influences the contraction of the blood vessels.
What does a serotonin deficiency look like?
In the short term, a low serotonin level in the body means you may be in a worse mood. If your serotonin level is permanently low, it can be a sign of depression. Other possible symptoms include neuroses, anxiety, increased aggression, mood swings, panic attacks, nervousness and exhaustion. A serotonin deficiency can also affect a lot physically: it can lead to headaches or muscle pain, cardiovascular problems, a reduced feeling of fullness, and disturbances of concentration, sleep and digestion.
Can I deliberately "activate" my serotonin?
The interplay of the happiness hormones is very complex. That's why there are only things you can do to activate your happiness hormones overall.
Here are a few tips on how to activate your happiness hormones:
- As mentioned at the start, sunlight affects your mood. So to fight a bad mood or a gloomy outlook, we advise you not to reach for chocolate. Go for a walk in the fresh air instead. You'll see, your mood will lift! As an alternative, especially in the dark winter months, so-called daylight lamps can be used as natural mood boosters! The special light imitates sunshine and can lead to the release of happiness hormones.
- You certainly know that fantastic feeling after sport, right? Exercise can also lead to a release of happiness hormones. There's a reason the term "runner's high" exists! But walks, endurance training or HIIT classes also put you in a good mood.
- We humans are social creatures. Touch and time with acquaintances, friends and family can lead to a burst of happiness hormones.
- Food can also activate happiness hormones. Meals rich in protein and carbohydrates, as well as fresh, natural and nicely presented food, put you in a good mood.
The fasting high as a mood boost
Did you know that fasting can also lead to a release of happiness hormones after several days? Many people who fast report the so-called "fasting high". The exact mechanism hasn't been clarified yet. According to personal accounts, you can expect an increased release of happiness hormones from about day 4 and experience the fasting high. Happiness hormones make fasting feel lighter and lift your mood. Unfortunately, a 3-day juice cleanse isn't enough to experience the fasting high. To benefit from the positive effects, you should fast for at least 5 days.
In this context, have you already come across our 5-day juice cleanse and our 7-day soup cleanse?
Conclusion: Activate your happiness hormones
As you can see, you can deliberately influence your mood and give yourself boosts of motivation and performance. Whether with a juice cleanse for a higher serotonin release, walks in the fresh air or endurance sport, there are many ways to lift your own mood.
