How to Improve Mental Health – Serotonin Superfoods

Mental health is an integral and essential component of health. According to the Singapore Mental Health Study, the prevalence of mental illness in Singapore is 12%. This means that about 1 in 8 people are faced with mental health issues. These include issues like depression, insomnia, eating disorders and the most common, mood and anxiety disorders. In Singapore, the circuit breaker due to covid-19 resulted in most people going into a quarantine by working from home and being away from family and friends.

Studies have showed that quarantine can cause a wide range of psychological effects, including post-traumatic stress symptoms, depression, feelings of confusion, anger and fear. In April 2020, 20 percent of Singaporeans stated that their mental health had gotten worse. In times like this, many of us turn to comfort foods to temporarily make us feel better. However, instead of eating just anything, why not eat foods that have been scientifically shown to affect how we feel.

Hence, let us understand a little more about Serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter found in the body that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain. Serotonin, also known as a happy chemical has been scientifically shown to improve mental health and happiness. As you cannot directly get serotonin from food, the serotonin diet consists of eating foods rich in the precursor amino acid tryptophan, which is converted to serotonin in the body. Tryptophan is found primarily in high-protein foods such as turkey and salmon and is also found in eggs, spinach, pineapples. However, as tryptophan is heat-volatile, it is non-existent in cooked foods. A great example of a superfood high in tryptophan is raw cacao as it has not been heated in the process. Cacao also contains magnesium which is another mineral required to produce serotonin. Hence, raw cacao is known as an anti-depressant and is commonly associated as a pick-me-up comfort food that makes you happy.

Nature’s Superfoods Raw cacao powder and Raw Cacao nibs are an excellent way to get your dietary intake of tryptophan to maintain sufficient levels of stress balancing serotonin in your body. Raw cacao powder and Raw Cacao nibs can also be easily incorporated into your diet. If you are looking for a healthy drink alternative to substitute your chocolate flavored drinks, why not try make a quick, easy, hassle-free, and not to mention delicious Maqui Hot Chocolate. This drink is not only aesthetically perfect for a great Instagram picture, it is also filled with all the bliss nutrients and antioxidants you need to make that quarantine, work-from-home morning better. You can get the recipe on our website here: https://organicandwholesale.com/maqui-hot-chocolate.html.