Hi Matt,
I'm very busy and stressed at the moment being a month into the final year of my bachelor's degree in nutritional health - but battling on!
Hypoglycaemia affects brain function in many ways; the central problem being a lack of fuel for brain cells. Brain cells can only use glucose (blood sugar) whereas other cell types can use fatty acids (and protein if needed). The connection to low serotonin is that the cells of the brain require large amounts of energy to synthesise neurotransmitters such as serotonin and when you are hypoglycaemic these needs are not met so you end up with low serotonin. Hypoglycaemia also triggers the stress response with release of hormones including adrenaline and cortisol which further suppress serotonin production.
You are right that protein only diets or low carb diets can hinder serotonin production. Protein (particularly poultry) provides the amino acid tryptophan from which serotonin is made. However, you also need carbs for this to happen. Eating carbohydrates triggers the release of insulin which causes cells throughout the body to take up all of the amino acids in the blood EXCEPT tryptophan. This means that the tryptophan is free to be used in the synthesis of serotonin. Obviously if you have Candida/gut dysbiosis and need a low carb diet it's a bit of a catch-22. You need to treat the gut dysbiosis.
I have had real trouble raising my own serotonin levels and found the only effective interventions to be getting more sunlight exposure, taking
vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplements and meditation.
5-HTP,
Rhodiola rosea and
fish oils (EPA/DHA) have been effective in a number of research studies but haven't helped me personally. 5-HTP is a step closer to serotonin than tryptophan and has been found to be as or more effective than SSRI antidepressant drugs when compared to them in a number of studies. It requires vitamin B6 and other nutrients to be converted to serotonin however and Candida patients seem to be low in B vitamins - most likely as alcohol depletes these vitamins.
Yes there are functional tests for neurotransmitter levels but their reliability is questionable. They often test urine for metabolites of serotonin, dopamine etc. Google 'neurotransmitter testing' and you will find a lot of info.
Back to the subject of raising serotonin you may find these pages on this site useful:
A blog post I wrote -
Natural Alternatives to Antidepressant Medications
An article on this specific subject -
Easy and Natural Ways to Raise Serotonin Levels<br /><br />Post edited by: Maff, at: 2009/10/25 22:16