Dopamine is primarily responsible for facilitating our experience of pleasure as a component of the brain's reward system. Activities such as shopping, having sex, or even just smelling cookies baking in the oven can cause a "dopamine rush," or the release of dopamine.
This happy-making neurotransmitter has a role in reinforcing as well. We might therefore return for another (or two, or three) after trying one of those cookies. The strong sense of reward that users of drugs like heroin or cocaine experience when using them is the darker side of dopamine and can result in addiction.
Dopamine also plays a role in these functions:
Dopamine is produced by neurons in the area near the base of the brain in two stages. Tyrosine must first be transformed into L-dopa, an other amino acid. Then, L-dopa changes again when it is converted to dopamine by enzymes.
Parkinson's disease is characterized by rigid movements, which are brought on by insufficient dopamine. Studies show that a dopamine deficiency also plays a role in depression, despite the fact that depression is more commonly associated with a lack of serotonin. People who are depressed in particular frequently struggle with motivation and focus issues.
Tyrosine is an amino acid that is used to make dopamine, so increasing your intake of this amino acid through diet may raise your brain's dopamine levels. Research suggests that eating a diet high in tyrosine may also enhance mental clarity and recall.
Foods high in tyrosine include:
Additionally, there is some evidence that when we meditation, the brain releases more dopamine. Its release could be brought about by the shift in consciousness that happens during meditation.
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