The Secret To Happiness – The Urban Times

Posted by John Malloy on 05/31/2011

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Serotonin is an important chemical in the brain termed the ‘happiness hormone’. Serotonin helps raise our mood levels by helping with calming anxiety, relieving depression and sleep. Low levels of serotonin are linked to mild to moderate depression.

A study conducted by Dr. Natalia Alenina et al., have shown that lacking serotonin has been shown to decrease the growth of mice after birth and is the reason for impaired maternal behaviour. The gene Tph2 that is responsible for the formation of serotonin was switched off in order to discover it’s function. Researchers found that mice that produced no serotonin had an impairment in the regulation of blood pressure, body temperature, and respiration, and that they needed more sleep during the day. Giving birth to pups and making enough milk was something that female mice were able to do. However, their impaired maternal behaviour meant that many offspring died.

via The Secret To Happiness – Urban Times – Optimistic Forward-Thinking.

Posted by John Malloy on 05/31/2011. Filed under Barrie,Health,International,Owen Sound,Spirit,Wasaga Beach. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry