Table of contents:
- What causes the body to lack dopamine?
- What are the signs of a dopamine deficiency?
- What can be done?
Dopamine is a brain hormone that is produced naturally as a regulator of emotions. Not only that, some activities are also controlled by this hormone, such as sleep and memory processes. Even this hormone also affects a person's motor skills. It is not impossible that you experience a dopamine deficiency.
What causes the body to lack dopamine?
Brain cells have many nerve cells that communicate with each other. The hormone dopamine is a substance used between nerve cells to send signals that are released between nerve cells.
When you are deficient in the hormone dopamine, the nerves of the brain cannot work effectively in sending signals. As a result, it can interfere with brain activity in regulating various cognitive and motor functions of the body.
Dopamine deficiency can be caused by insufficient amounts of the dopamine hormone produced by the body or a disturbance in brain nerve cells due to health conditions. This condition is also associated with certain diseases such as depression, schizophrenia, psychotic disorders and Parkinson's disease.
Dopamine deficiency is also associated with substance abuse. Drug abuser brains can suffer from brain disorders due to reduced receptors and the production of the hormone dopamine. They also need higher levels of the hormone dopamine to benefit from the hormone dopamine.
An unhealthy diet such as high sugar and saturated fat can reduce the production of the hormone dopamine. In addition, foods high in fat and sugar usually contain less nutrients to produce dopamine hormones such as l-tyrosine and amino acids.
What are the signs of a dopamine deficiency?
A person who is deficient in the hormone dopamine may experience one or more of the following symptoms:
- Cramps, muscle spasms or tremors
- Muscles feel stiff
- Muscle ache
- Decreased motor balance
- Constipation
- Difficulty digesting and swallowing food
- Weight gain or loss for no reason
- Feeling powerless
- Decreased sexual desire
- Feeling anxious
- Move slower than usual
- Speak slower than usual
- Lack of awareness of the surrounding environment
- Experiencing mood disorders, such as feeling guilty, low self-esteem , mood swing and feel sad for no apparent reason
- Experiencing depressive symptoms such as suicidal thoughts or self-harm
- Experiencing hallucinations and delusions
- Trouble remembering
- Easy to forget
- Impulsive and destructive.
Apart from symptoms, dopamine deficiency conditions will be more difficult to recognize. The doctor may also check lifestyle factors, diseases associated with decreased dopamine levels and other medical history.
What can be done?
Here are some things you can do to treat dopamine deficiency:
Reduce high sugar intake
Sugar found in food and beverages (including alcoholic drinks) has the effect of changing brain chemistry and reducing dopamine levels and triggering dependence on sugar.
At the same time the drop in dopamine also leads to addiction to this high sugar intake. Reducing your sugar intake can help fight dopamine drop and sugar addiction.
Eat food sources of tyrosine
Tyrosine is one of the precursors in the formation of the hormone dopamine and this can be obtained from several food ingredients such as bananas, almonds, apples, watermelon, nuts, eggs and meat. However, in serious cases such as people with depression, tyrosine supplementation may also be needed to produce adequate dopamine levels.
Cut back on caffeine intake
After experiencing the stimulant effects of caffeine, the level of dopamine hormone production from the body can decrease. Therefore, consuming too much caffeine, from coffee, for example, can disrupt the balance of dopamine levels in the brain.
Take control of stress
Stress is a condition that can disrupt the body's hormonal balance, one of which is the process of producing and using the hormone dopamine. Controlling stress can be done by applying adequate time to rest, a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Create a consistent exercise schedule
Regular physical activity can maintain healthy blood circulation and help regulate various brain hormones and body dopamine levels.
Establish a bedtime routine
The pattern of activity will affect sleep time which is needed by the body to rest and give it time to reproduce the hormone dopamine.
