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HOW TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY BRAIN CHEMICAL BALANCE

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HOW TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY BRAIN CHEMICAL BALANCE

The brain is full of chemicals that help in the neurotransmission of information across the body. Different elements of life and the body will determine the level of neurotransmitters which will in turn affect the health of your brain and overall wellbeing. The problem of stress arises when you put your work at first and your brain health at second. Putting your brain first will improve your life in achieving milestones.

For one to be more productive at work and have a healthy body, the best approach is to have a fresh, healthy, curious mind that avoids stress and distraction. There are also mindful practices to reduce stress and enhance your overall wellbeing through yoga, meditation and gratitude exercise.

BRAIN CHEMICALS

Here are some of the brain chemicals, their benefits and effects in case they are too high or too low.

  • Dopamine

Also called a chemical messenger, this neurotransmitter is synthesized by the body for use by the nervous system to send messages between nerve cells. Dopamine helps us strive, focus and feel pleasure. It’s made by changing the amino-acid tyrosine to a substance called dopa then into dopamine.

 

Low levels of dopamine lead to a vast range of health issues such as Parkinson’s disease. It affects various functions such as learning, motivation, heart rate, blood vessel function, kidney function, sleep, lactation, mood, movement, attention and pain processing.

Dietary sources include fruits, leaves and beans of velvet beans etc.

 

This neurotransmitter helps in motor functions that contracts smooth muscles, dilates blood vessels, increases bodily secretions and slows heart rates. It stimulates a response or blocks a response and thus can have excitatory or inhibitory effects.

Low levels of acetylcholine could lead to difficulty in learning, loss of memory and even Alzheimer’s disease.

It can be sourced from foods such as meat, whole grains and fish.

  • Serotonin

This hormone neurotransmitter helps in stabilizing our mood, feelings of well-being, happiness and regulating digestion. The level of serotonin is affected by stress, exercise and sunlight.

The low level of serotonin leads to anxiety and obsession. The dietary supplements are foods rich in folates, fiber and vitamin D fortified foods.

  • Endorphin

This opiate-like chemicals are produced internally in response to pleasure and excitement. The release of endorphin affects the increase and decrease of serotonin levels. It relieves anxiety and pain, reduce stress, improves mood and strengthens the immune system.

Foods such as chocolate, chili pepper, cakes and cookies.

  • Glutamate

This neurotransmitter regulates the development and creation of nerve connection also enhances memory and learning. Dietary sources include seafood, tomato, spinach and seaweed.

GABA is involved in improving focus and vision and regulates the nervous system. The excess of glutamate brings about seizures while low levels lead to a coma. Efficient GABA levels balance the high glutamate levels since glutamate is converted into GABA naturally.

GABA can be found in tomato, spinach, mushroom, potato, wheat, rice, chestnut and peas.

While eating well may give you the required chemical neurotransmitters, at times taking nootropic supplements may be the best option to make sure you get the necessary amounts.

Brain balance programs have been developed in the USA and other first world countries. Brain balance achievement centers are after-schooling learning centers that offer programs in brain training, exercise, simple physical exercises, skills training and dietary advice. They help children with developmental and learning disabilities through the program that was developed by Robert Melillo, a chiropractor based in New York. In the scientific and medical community, this program has been criticized for the lack of scientific evidence and there was no good evidence that it was helping children. https://share.upmc.com/2016/09/about-brain-chemicals/

 

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