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Lead Stories: Friday, August 29, 2008

ASK LARA: Serotonin- Effects, sources, and suggestions for a healthy, active lifestyle

Posted September 8th, 2007 at 5:30 PM by Lara Johnson

Section: Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Columns, Ask Lara

Need advice? Injured? Confused? Overwhelmed? Bored? ASK LARA!
ASK LARA is a free advice column to help you with all of your running, fitness and nutrition inquiries. To ASK LARA — simply fill out the form at the conclusion of the column.

chocolateQ. I know that there are specific foods that help serotonin in the brain. What are they? Chocolate is one. Thanks.
~Michelle from Georgia

A. Interesting question. Since I am not a serotonin expert, I turned to some other sources for help in answering this one. Serotonin is defined as:

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter synthesized in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) and enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract of animals including humans. Serotonin is also found in many mushrooms and plants, including fruits and vegetables.

Basically, serotonin is a chemical in the CNS that carries signals from one nerve cell to the next (hence, a neurotransmitter), thus allowing the brain to communicate. It is also one type of neurotransmitter that is highly sensitive to what we eat and influential in affecting mood. Other “moody” chemicals are dopamine and norepinephrine (source: the Mood-Food Connection).
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Study: Pseudoephedrine can improve performance of runners and other athletes

Posted February 8th, 2007 at 11:02 AM by Megan Hueter

Section: Nutrition, Supplements

sudafed.jpgPseudoephedrine (commonly sold over the counter as Sudafed in 30mg or 120mg) is an over-the-counter drug derived from the plant ephedra which is used to relieve nasal and sinus congestion.

New research from a 2006 study published in Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise found that pseudoephedrine decreases run times by 2.1% in a group of 1500-m runners.

Pseudoephedrine is derived from the plant genus ephedra, also known as ma huang, which has over 40 different species and can be broken down to nearly 30,000 different tones, most found in the plant’s stem. Ephedrine, a well-known herbal weight-loss supplement, is also derived from ephedra.

Ephedrine accounts for 90% of alkaloid content (meaning it generates the biggest physiological response in the body), whereas pseudoephedrine accounts for only 27% alkaloid content. In order to understand the impact of pseudoephedrine, it is necessary to understand the ethical debate over its original source, ephedra.
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