By Sam Adeoye
Serotonin is said to be a chemical produced naturally in the brain that affects the way you feel, that is, something that makes you feel happier, calmer, or less hungry. Scientifically, it had been proven that when a person’s levels of been happier, calmer, or less hungry is out of order the person is considered to be having mental issues.
Naturally, it had been proven that in every human being there are some level or let me use the word amount of madness that are existence. Now, this fact is not something that has to do with a particular geographical position, but something that is prevalent in human beings worldwide.
Now, whatever level of madness that is present in individuals become increased when religion meets foolishness. And this is the reason why we have some many people with half-truths of no truths in them becoming religious fanatics; building their entire lives, destiny and futures on nothing but lies.
To these individuals Jesus Christ said in John 8:44-47 that; “you are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
Another translation says; “you’re from your father, the Devil, and all you want to do is please him. He was a killer from the very start. He couldn’t stand the truth because there wasn’t a shred of truth in him. When the Liar speaks, he makes it up out of his lying nature and fills the world with lies. I arrive on the scene, tell you the plain truth, and you refuse to have a thing to do with me. Can any one of you convict me of a single misleading word, a single sinful act? But if I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone on God’s side listens to God’s words. This is why you’re not listening — because you’re not on God’s side.”
An average human being walk in ignorance; an average religious person walk in total blindness about the fact of God and the reality of life. And this is one of the main reasons why it is easier for any religious leaders to manipulate anyone.
Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that carries messages between the nerve cells in your brain; which is known as your central nervous system, and throughout your body; which is your peripheral nervous system. These chemical messages tell your body how to work.
Even though Apostle Paul said in 1 Cor 6:18-20 that; “flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a Man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I had also realized that God did not create Sex for marriage, neither did he create it for just bearing children. Religion made us to believe in all these misconceptions and it somehow affecting human functionalities in real time.
When Serotonin transmits a message to your body that you needed Sex, you better go ahead and it. Why? Because, at the point of orgasm, the brain releases massive amounts of Oxytocin and Dopamine. Oxytocin or the “love hormone” is what promote feelings of connection and bonding with a partner after orgasm, and Dopamine is a “feel-good” neurotransmitter connected to the reward centre of the brain.
Now, the love hormone does not only promote feelings of connection and bonding between you and your partner after orgasm, it also connected you to yourself, boast your moral and improve your self-esteem. It’s your escape route away from depression.
According to Cleveland Clinic, Serotonin plays several roles in our body, including influencing learning, memory, happiness as well as regulating body temperature, sleep, sexual behavior and hunger. Lack of enough Serotonin is thought to play a role in depression, anxiety, mania and other health conditions.
Each of this emotional bankruptcy the bible addressed one after the other.
DEPRESSION
Depression is a mental state in which you are sad and feel that you cannot enjoy anything, because your situation is so difficult and unpleasant.
In 1 Sam 16:15 it was said about Saul’s servants who said to him, “surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you.” If you read the same in TMB, it reads, “This awful tormenting depression from God is making your life miserable.
While Saul overcame his own depression with music. This was made clear in 1 Sam 16:16-17, 23 where Saul’s servant said to him; “o master, let us help. Let us look for someone who can play the harp. When the black mood from God moves in, he’ll play his music and you’ll feel better.” Saul told his servants, “Go ahead. Find me someone who can play well and bring him to me.” After that, whenever the bad depression from God tormented Saul, David got out his harp and played. That would calm Saul down, and he would feel better as the moodiness lifted.
ANXIETY
Anxiety is a feeling of nervousness or worry.
In Eccl 11:10, King Solomon said; so then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.
MANIA
Mania is a mental illness which causes the sufferer to become very worried or concerned about something.
In Matt 6:25-34 Jesus said; “therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Depression, anxiety and mania are said to be mental state; which means…
…the process of thinking.
Our thought process matters a lot if we’re to make anything reasonable out of our lives. Every human beings are first of all what they think of themselves before what they become. In Phil 4:8-9, Apostle Paul said; whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
…the state or the health of a person’s mind.
The state of your mind is the state of your life. The quality of life you live is as a result of the quality of information and thought patterns you preoccupied your mind with. In 1 Peter 1:13-16, Apostle Peter said; “therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Now, most of the Serotonin found in your body is in your gut; I mean the intestines. About 90% of Serotonin is found in the cells lining your gastrointestinal tract. It’s released into your blood circulation and absorbed by platelets. Only about 10% is produced in your brain.
Serotonin is made from the essential amino acid tryptophan. An essential amino acid means it can’t be made by your body. It has to be obtained from the foods you eat. In Gen 2:16, the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “of every tree of the garden you may freely eat” which means there are some things you cannot freely eat as a person if you are to remain healthy.
Serotonin plays lot of roles in our body’s functions. It is so unfortunate that we religiolized and spiritualized everything, so it is extremely difficult to tell when our body is functioning towards a particular aspect of our body system or when we’re just been spiritual or religious in our thinking.
When Apostle Paul said in Rom 7:13-25 that “has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
What Apostle Paul was literally referring to here is the various roles Serotonin plays in our body’s functioning. And if we cannot differentiate between body functioning and spiritual attacks on our lives, we’ll continue to make blunders regarding our health, which of cause can lead to early grave.
MOOD
One good thing Serotonin do in our Brain is to regulate our Mood. It’s often called your body’s natural “feel good” chemical. When Serotonin is at normal levels, we feel more focused, emotionally stable, happier and calmer. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression. Many medications used to treat anxiety, depression and other Mood disorders often target ways to increase the level of Serotonin in your brain.
Serotonin played a major role in Ruth and Boaz coming together as husband and wife to produce Jesse, who later produced King David and David produced Jesus Christ. According to Ruth 3:6-16, it was said that; “Ruth went to the threshing place and did just what her mother-in-law had told her. When Boaz had finished eating and drinking, he was in a “good mood” -Serotonin-. He went to the pile of barley and lay down to sleep. Ruth slipped over quietly, lifted the covers and lay down at his feet. During the night he woke up suddenly, turned over, and was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet. “Who are you?” he asked.
“It’s Ruth, sir,” she answered. “Because you are a close relative, you are responsible for taking care of me. So please marry me.” “The Lord bless you,” he said. “You are showing even greater family loyalty in what you are doing now than in what you did for your mother-in-law. You might have gone looking for a young man, either rich or poor, but you haven’t. Now don’t worry, Ruth. I will do everything you ask; as everyone in town knows, you are a fine woman. It is true that I am a close relative and am responsible for you, but there is a man who is a closer relative than I am. Stay here the rest of the night, and in the morning we will find out whether or not he will take responsibility for you. If so, well and good; if not, then I swear by the living Lord that I will take the responsibility. Now lie down and stay here till morning.” So she lay there at his feet, but she got up before it was light enough for her to be seen, because Boaz did not want anyone to know that she had been there. Boaz said to her, “Take off your cloak and spread it out here.” She did, and he poured out almost fifty pounds of barley and helped her lift it to her shoulder. Then she returned to town with it. When she arrived home, her mother-in-law asked her, “How did you get along, daughter?”
Our being in good or bad mood don’t just happen something is responsible for it; and it’s has nothing to do with the Devil, Satan or any Enemy; none of those are responsible for that. It’s the Serotonin in our brain that regulates our moods that determines what our moods are per time.
DIGESTION
Most of our body’s Serotonin is in our Gastrointestinal Tract where it helps control our bowel function and plays a role in protecting our Gut. Our Gut can increase Serotonin release to speed digestion to rid our body of irritating foods or toxic products. Serotonin also plays a part in reducing our appetite while eating.
In relation to the growth in the body and in perfection of the church, Apostle Paul made mentioned of Serotonin in Gastrointestinal Tract in 1 Cor 12:19-27 saying; “but I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way — the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair? The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. You are Christ’s body — that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything.”
NAUSEA
Nausea is triggered when Serotonin is released into your Gut faster than it can be digested. The chemical message is received by your Brain, which you perceive as Nausea. Many drugs used to reduce feelings of Nausea and Vomiting target specific Serotonin receptors in your brain.
SLEEP
Serotonin, together with another neurotransmitter dopamine, plays a role in the quality of our sleep (how well and how long we sleep). Our brain also needs Serotonin to make Melatonin, a hormone that regulates our sleep-wake cycle.
WOUND HEALING
Serotonin is released by Platelets in our Blood to help heal wounds. It also causes the tiniest Blood vessels, arterioles, to narrow, which slows Blood flow and helps clots to form. This is an important process in wound healing.
BONE HEALTH
Serotonin levels may play a role in the density of our bones. High levels of Serotonin in our Gut may play a role in making Bones weak, which can lead to Bone breaks (fractures) and Osteoporosis.
SEXUAL HEALTH
Serotonin also plays a role — together with the Neurotransmitter Dopamine — in our desire for sex.
Now, low levels of Serotonin may be associated with many health conditions including:
Depression and other Mood problems.
Anxiety.
Sleep problems.
Digestive problems.
Suicidal behavior.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Post-traumatic stress disorder.
Panic disorders.
Schizophrenia.
Phobias.
Scientists still have so much to learn about the role of Serotonin in the body and in disease. However, low Serotonin level usually has more than one cause. Technically, serotonin levels are low because: the Body isn’t producing enough Serotonin; and the body isn’t effectively using Serotonin. This can happen if you don’t have enough Serotonin receptors or the receptors aren’t working as they should.
To increase Serotonin levels in the body it is suggested that you…
Eat more tryptophan-containing foods.
Get more sunlight.
Take certain supplements.
Get more exercise and lowering your stress level.
There are several Foods one can eat to increase Serotonin levels. Many foods naturally contain Tryptophan, the Amino Acid from which Serotonin is made. We can try increasing our Serotonin level by eating Tryptophan-containing foods, such as: Salmon, Eggs, Cheese, Turkey,
Tofu, Pineapples; and Nuts, Oats and Seeds.
Eating Foods high in Tryptophan will not necessarily boost Serotonin levels on its own. It’s a complex process. Our body needs Carbohydrates to release Insulin, which is needed to absorb Amino Acids. Then even if Tryptophan does get into our blood it has to compete with other Amino Acids to get absorbed into our Brain.
SUNLIGHT
Not getting enough exposure to Sunlight can lead to the Mood Disorder seasonal affective disorder in some people. We must try to get 10 to 15 minutes of Sunlight each day to boost not only Serotonin levels but Vitamin D levels too. If you live in an area where you can’t get natural Sunlight, consider using light therapy to get that needed daily sunlight.
SUPPLEMENTS
Several dietary and herbal supplements also increase Serotonin levels. These include:
Dietary supplement: Tryptophan, Probiotics and SAMe.
Herbal supplements: These can include Ginseng, St. John’s wort, Syrian rue and Nutmeg.
Exercise
Even though Apostle Paul said in Exercise 1 Tim 4:8 that; “bodily exercise profits a little” I can with every sense of responsibility tells you that bodily exercise profits much not little and regular exercise is known to increase Serotonin levels. Thirty minutes of Aerobic Exercise five times a week plus two strength-training sessions per week can improve mood disorders and heart health.
There are four feel-good hormones. Dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin. We can boost levels of these hormones with some simple lifestyle changes, like diet, exercise, and meditation, and possibly improve your mood in the process.
DOPAMINE
Often called the “happy hormone,” dopamine results in feelings of well-being. A primary driver of the brain’s reward system, it spikes when we experience something pleasurable. Praised on the job? You’ll get a dopamine hit.
SEROTONIN
Love affects Serotonin, a Neurotransmitter primarily responsible for regulating behavior and mood. Interestingly, love’s impact on Serotonin largely depends on Gender. For Men, Serotonin levels decrease in response to a romantic relationship, while Women experience a significant increase in Serotonin.
- Pastor Adeoye, lives in Lagos.