Whether you're suffering from the blues or simply experiencing a dip in morale, getting a boost of happiness is always a welcome feeling. With endorphins being one of our brain's major pathways to joy, it can be dire if you're unable to participate in the things that release it into your blood stream, like exercising [1] or laughing with friends.
Endorphins — like the body's other "happy hormones" serotonin [2], dopamine [3], and oxytocin — are released into the bloodstream to elicit the feeling of euphoria [4], enhance pleasure, relieve stress [5], and reduce feelings of pain. Although no food products contain whole endorphins for easy consumption, several endorphin-stimulating foods boast high levels of the vitamins and minerals that play a large part in boosting your brain's production like vitamin B12, vitamin C, zinc, potassium, and iron. If you're in need of that feel-good feeling, here are eight foods you can eat that'll encourage your brain's endorphin release.
- Chocolate
- Strawberries
- Animal proteins
- Oranges
- Spicy foods
- Grapes
- Nuts and seeds
- Ginseng