120: How to Boost Serotonin for Better Mood, Deeper Sleep, and Fewer Sugar Cravings | Michael Murray, ND

Low levels of serotonin are really a problem in North America today because of all the stress and dietary factors. Low serotonin is linked to not only depression and anxiety but also craving of carbohydrates, poor sleep quality, and obesity. There are a lot of things going on that aren't good when our brain serotonin levels are low.

If people are taking 5-HTP, it's very important that they take it in either a chewable tablet or a capsule that's been coated so it doesn't break down in the stomach. If you take 5-HTP in a regular capsule or a tablet, it's very irritating to the stomach, and it can lead to pretty significant nausea.

Life is just better with a good night's sleep, and many people in America haven't had a good night's sleep in decades .... 5-HTP can be the answer for many of those people.

The best medicine is the medicine that addresses the underlying cause. We don't become depressed because we're deficient in Prozac, we don't get a headache because we need aspirin, and we don't have arthritis because we're deficient in ibuprofen.

I've looked at every single study ever published on 5-HTP, and it's very impressive how effective this agent can be in helping people boost not only their serotonin levels but also their endorphin levels. I'm sure people have heard of endorphins—these are the feel good hormones that are produced in our brain, and they're closely tied to serotonin levels.

Serotonin is a precursor to melatonin ... If you're low in serotonin, you're going to be low in melatonin. That means you're going to have difficulty with sleep.

We have basically 60% of the adult population either pre-diabetic or diabetic, and as a result, we have a real problem with low serotonin levels in adults.