Many people experiencing depression report they feel much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin melatonin. Inadequate serotonin can cause depression, anxiety and insomnia. Serotonin regulates mood, sleep, anxiety and helps to relieve depression.
In the central nervous system, 5-HT pathways modulate behaviors, eating, and sleep, whereas, in the gut, they are involved in the regulation of gastrointestinal motility. Fruits, vegetables, and seeds are major sources of 5-HT. In recent years, the number of studies on the content of 5-HT in plants has increased, greatly encouraged by the discovery of melatonin, which stimulates the late vegetative growth of different tissue sections.
5-HT appeared to be prevalent in the green fruit of the Musa genus (that is, prata banana, and other species), containing about 7100–21,000 ng/g of fresh weight, followed by a significant decrease during ripening. Higher concentrations were found in banana peels compared to the pulp.
Depression affects the brain chemistry, and in particular it reduces your serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter which acts like a happiness inducing ingredient – happy in the sense of mellow and content, not high and buzzy (that’s dopamine).
Functions of serotonin
