Posted by Karen (216.112.85.82) on May 05, 2001 at 19:09:33:
In Reply to: seratonin in foods posted by steffen tuck on March 29, 2001 at 04:09:25:
"Seratonin is a brain chemical which can best be
described as our ‘satisfaction’ chemical. When we
have higher levels we feel good. If levels drop
we feel lousy. One of the ways of raising
seratonin levels in the brain is to eat
tryptophan rich foods. Tryptophan is an amino-acid
(protein building block) which, amongst other
functions, is converted into seratonin.
Tryptophan-rich foods include meat, fish, eggs,
cheese, milk, yoghurt, nuts, and legumes such as:
peas, beans and lentils. Particularly rich sources
are turkey, cottage cheese, pheasant and partridge.
Eating whole carbohydrates (such as wholemeal bread,
brown rice, brown spaghetti,
jacket potatoes and porridge oats) alongside
tryptophan-rich foods helps to force the
tryptophan to go down the route of turning into
seratonin. Foods which do not contain tryptophan
are fats and oils, sugar and alcohol."