When endorphins flood your body, you'd love to embrace the whole world. These happy hormones boost your mood, awaken your drive, and make you want to embark on new adventures. Good reasons to pay more attention to these special neurotransmitters.
Table of contents
1. Endorphins – painkillers and happiness hormones
Happiness can be so simple if you know how. Endorphins are the magic word that banishes gloomy thoughts and instantly lifts your mood. Everyone knows that these happy hormones have a positive effect on our brains – but many fail to take advantage of this knowledge and prefer to mope around instead of reaching their full potential.
But what are endorphins anyway? Strictly speaking, they are endogenous morphine, or endorphins for short, which are produced in the body to relieve pain . In other words, they are a natural drug that is released when needed and provides a high.
Endorphins are produced in the brain, among other places, in the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. This occurs in emergency situations so that you don't feel pain in the event of an injury.
Second, these neurotransmitters are released during positive events . Since they bind to the same receptors as opiates, they can produce a rush-like euphoria.
Endorphins consist of up to five amino acids and are divided into
- Alpha-endorphin
- Beta-endorphin
- Gamma-endorphin
Beta-endorphin is the most abundant hormone in the human body, making it the best-researched subgroup of these little lucky charms.
Take-home message #1: Endorphins are, on the one hand, the body's own painkillers, and on the other hand, messenger substances that increase the feeling of happiness and can lead to euphoria.
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2. The effect of endorphins
As mentioned, endorphins primarily have a pain-relieving effect. These neurotransmitters also have a calming effect and promote restful sleep .
Another function is the production of sex hormones and the regulation of hunger. You're probably familiar with the latter from exercise. As soon as you've exhausted yourself, the feeling of hunger sets in. But endorphins can do even more:
- Endorphins for health
People who live life with a positive attitude, enjoy life, and take time out to relax are less likely to get sick. This is simply because endorphins strengthen the immune system .
If the body regularly produces happiness hormones , depressive moods don't stand a chance. Endorphins therefore support both physical and mental health .
- Endorphins against stress
The pain-relieving and calming effects of endorphins are very beneficial during periods of stress. They make you less sensitive and more resilient to the intense stress. Perhaps a walk in the sun or a jog will help you cope with stress – this promotes endorphin production.
Take-home message #2: Endorphins relieve pain, improve sleep, stimulate sexuality, reduce hunger, strengthen the immune system, and prevent stress.
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3. The most important happiness hormones at a glance
Various neurotransmitters are responsible for feelings of happiness, and they can be even more effective when combined. However, each happiness hormone also has its own functions:
- Beta-endorphin: As already described, beta-endorphin is a subgroup of endorphins and a painkiller produced by the body that immediately kicks in when an injury occurs. On the other hand, it promotes pleasure and the feeling of happiness through positive experiences.
- Serotonin : The hormone serotonin makes us happy, but also calm, balanced, and content. It gives us a feeling of satiety and satisfaction after meals, and reduces stress, anxiety, and aggression. A lack of serotonin in the body can lead to unfounded anxiety, depression, or compulsive behavior.
- Dopamine : The neurotransmitter dopamine not only triggers feelings of happiness, but primarily joy, pleasure, desire, interest, and motivation. It provides the drive to develop further and strive to achieve new goals. If the body lacks dopamine, you become listless, sluggish, and listless.
- Noradrenaline : Dopamine produces the neurotransmitter noradrenaline . It has a similar effect to the stress hormone adrenaline, increasing activity, making us more alert, motivated, and productive.
- Oxytocin : Skin-to-skin contact, stroking, and massage release the cuddle hormone oxytocin, which occurs in both women and men. It promotes emotional bonding between partners and between parent and child.
- Phenethylamine : The hormone phenethylamine increases sexual desire. When you're in love, it creates that special butterflies in your stomach.
Take-home message #3: There are different happiness hormones, each with a different effect, but ultimately they all make you happy in some way.
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4. How to boost your endorphins
Now that you've learned more about endorphins, it's up to you to take your happiness into your own hands. We'll show you how to easily boost your levels of endorphins:
- through sport
When you exercise, your brain releases a ton of endorphins. Even a run provides a huge endorphin kick. But it doesn't really matter whether you just go for a half-hour walk or completely exhaust yourself on a bike ride—you're sure to get the feel-good hormone benefit.
In the so-called runner's high, endorphins are responsible for runners being able to endure long distances despite exhaustion and pain – and still feel good.
Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine also discovered the positive effects of exercise in a study in which daily running for 30 minutes brought about a significant improvement after just 10 days [1].
Dancing in a group also releases endorphins and promotes social interaction. This is confirmed by a study from Brazil in which 264 students were divided into groups and asked to perform synchronized movements.
It turned out that their pain threshold increased significantly due to the release of endorphins and they felt more connected to their fellow dancers than those who did not have to learn synchronized moves [2].
- through nutrition
When you think of chocolate, how do you feel? Happy? Quite rightly so, because eating chocolate actually releases endorphins —albeit in small amounts. The capsaicin in chilies has a similar effect.
Also recommended are foods containing L-tryptophan , such as fish, bananas, avocados, legumes, oatmeal, cheese, and seeds such as amaranth, quinoa, and sesame. They contribute to normal serotonin levels.
Dietary supplements can also help you naturally. Products containing vitamin D, for example, can contribute to serotonin production. The vitamin D contained in MOOD capsules helps combat oxidative stress, and vitamin B12 supports your mental function.
- by sun
Why does sunshine immediately lift your mood? It's because the sun stimulates the release of endorphins . This is partly due to vitamin D, which is produced in greater quantities in the body through exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D, in turn, boosts the production of feel-good hormones.
Especially in spring, everyone is familiar with the spring fever that sets in as soon as the days get longer and the sun shines more. The hormones dopamine and serotonin are immediately released, and we feel energized and happy.
- by kissing
Being in love causes butterflies in your stomach, which are perceived as a feeling of happiness. Kissing or loving touching causes the brain to release feel-good hormones . These endorphins, in turn, are involved in the production of sex hormones , which increase the desire for intimacy.
- through laughter
Laughter is healthy because it makes you happy and strengthens your immune system . Researchers at Oxford University found that laughter reduces the intensity of pain perception [3].
The test subjects were asked to watch a funny video while the cuff of a blood pressure monitor was inflated very tightly on their arm. The group who watched the funny videos barely noticed the pain. The control group, who watched a serious documentary, felt the pain more intensely.
Another study even found that people with good social connections have a higher pain threshold than those who are not particularly sociable [4]. But even if you're not out with friends, you can still give yourself a smile.
The brain doesn't really care whether the laughter is genuine or fake . By relaxing or tensing your facial muscles, you can trick your brain into producing endorphins.
Take-Home Message #4: You can easily boost your happiness hormones through regular exercise, a healthy diet, laughing with friends, or taking a walk in the sun. Happiness can be so simple!
5. What happens when endorphins are lacking?
If there is a permanent lack of endorphins , this can, in the worst case, lead to depression or addictive behavior. The first symptoms of an endorphin deficiency are
- fatigue
- Lack of motivation
- Irritability
If you notice these signs in yourself permanently or repeatedly, now is the time to increase the production of endorphins - be it through exercise, social contacts, diet or nutritional supplements.
6. Conclusion
Endorphins are among the happiness hormones. They create a positive mood and reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins, for example, are also the cause of the so-called runner's high.
It also has a calming effect and strengthens the immune system. You can increase your endorphin levels through a balanced diet and a little daily exercise.
7. Sources
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC474733/
[2] http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/11/10/20150767
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3267132/
[4] https://www.nature.com/articles/srep25267
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