This is the second in a series of episodes going into some detail about the brain chemicals discussed first in Episode 139 (http://RunningAFEVER.com/139).
In review, dopamine:
1. Comes from accomplishment, crossing things off a to-do list; it makes sure we get things done.
2. This is why we need to write down goals. When we see it, like an apple on a tree, the closer we get the more dopamine is released.
3. This is why we have corporate vision – because you can see it, for example, Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech.
4. It is “highly,highly,highly addictive” – it’s associated with addictions to alcohol, gambling, cell phones.
All of these chemicals are neurotransmitters, basically, if the nervous system was a system of interstate highways, these would be the trucks, except they would be trucks traveling at speeds approaching 300 miles per hour.
Unlike Endorphins, dopamine is far more mysterious and how it works in the body is more complex and less understood. It is heavily involved in the reward systems we mentioned earlier, but also is important in motor function and drugs that stimulate production of it have been used in treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Dopamine also affects sexual arousal, hallucination, and our abilit to pay attention.
The effects of dopamine vary widely by individual, because each person’s dopamine receptors are different. This could explain why some people are more susceptible to addiction than others.
Like endorphins, dopamine can be increased by things we control, and some of them are quite healthy, for example:
1. Eating lots of protein.
2. Eating less saturated fat.
3. Taking probiotics (believe it or not, some bacteria can produce dopamine).
4. Eating velvet beans, which contain L-dopa, which is used as a dopamine drug in treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
5. Exercise often. In one six-month study, doing one hour of yoga six times per week increased dopamine levels.
6. Get plenty of sleep.
7. Listen to Music
8. Meditate
9. Get enough sunlight.
10. Supplements: Iron, Niacin, Folate, B6.
Several of these just sound like fun things to do. Of course! Dopamine is basically the fun chemical. So when we’re enjoying these things, that’s the physical process that’s making them seem fun. And you thought we were so intellectual…..
Sources:
Healthline
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-increase-dopamine#section3
The Conversation
http://theconversation.com/it-feels-instantaneous-but-how-long-does-it-really-take-to-think-a-thought-42392
Simon Sinek Speech
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmyZMtPVodo
Simon Sinek Book
https://amzn.to/2WqCsWT