HOW DOPAMINE CAN CHANGE HOW WE FEEL

SURROUNDED as we are by dire prediction and hit-or-miss national policy, I decided to find something pleasant to write about this week. I used my maddeningly unscientific and deliciously irrational serendipity methodology and discovered dopamine.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain, one of those chemicals that transmits signals between the nerve cells. It is a hormone that promotes reward-related behaviours. It is released during pleasurable experiences and tends to take us back there. Low dopamine levels lead to loss of drive, motivation and enthusiasm.

This is where my scientific input stops. I don’t know enough to present a dissertation. Yet it becomes clear from these few pointers that dopamine can have bad effects as well, both when present in excess and absent in poor health. Just think about pleasurable experiences to which we return. This is a shoe-in for addiction. On the other hand, if we understand how to maximise the production of this hormone, we could galvanise slothful people into positive mode.

How can we maintain a healthy level of this hormone, especially in these times? It boils down to a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle stresses the importance of eating healthily, sensibly and in moderation.

Let us unpack that mantra with regard to dopamine. How do we promote its increase in our daily lives and well-being, bearing in mind that a healthy immune system is essential for beating the bug?

Eat lots of protein. You need to make choices here. Reduce your intake of saturated fats. I struggled with this one because I love greasy food. Consume probiotics. Here I am confined to yoghurt. But there are others. I have always known that yoghurt hasn’t much dietary value but it promotes digestion and neutralises food that tends to stodge in the gut.

Probiotics also come in tablet form. It is important to know that when these sensors fail, the first manifestation is the dreaded Parkinson’s. In that case, they also promote the ingestion of velvet beans, although I don’t yet know what velvet beans are.

So much for the eating part that will raise and maintain your vital dopamine levels. Remember, good dopamine levels make you feel good, enhance the feeling of well-being and make living generally pleasurable. As you have worked out by now, there are several dots to join.

Exercise often. There are no rules. Just keep moving, even when you are sitting. Get enough sleep. Adults need between 7 and 9 hours per night. Listen to instrumental music. It promotes the feel-good, calming state. Lyrics could tend to make inroads into your serenity, especially if the song is a sad one. Sit in the sun for a short while. The best time is between 10am and 2pm. Lastly, consider all of the above as supplements which are available from the health section of your pharmacy.

There is not enough space to analyse all of the above, or relate it to the truth that some of us can afford this regimen for a good life, while others cannot. Reread my opening paragraph.

Happy chewing.