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In this article you’ll learn how to balance your dopamine levels healthily and naturally so that you can regain your zest for life, increase your motivation and improve your mood and overall cognitive functioning.

The 86 billion neurons in our brain communicate with each other via a set of chemicals called neurotransmitters. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which is a key driver of focus, motivation and productivity. Low dopamine levels can lead to lack of motivation, fatigue, addictive behavior, mood swings and memory loss. 

What does dopamine do?
Dopamine has been called our “motivation molecule.”  It has a strong influence on our drive, focus, and concentration.  This neurotransmitter is crucial in helping us to plan ahead and resist impulses so we can achieve our goals.  Interestingly, dopamine gives us that “I did it!” feeling when we accomplish what we set out to do.  It also makes us more competitive and engenders ‘the thrill of the chase’ in all areas of our lives including business, sports, love, and sex.

Dopamine is intrinsically linked to our pleasure/reward system, allowing us to experience feelings of enjoyment, bliss, and even euphoria.  However, a lack of dopamine can leave you unmotivated, lethargic, unfocused, and even depressed.

The symptoms of depression are very similar to the symptoms produced by low dopamine levels and they include: 

• Fatigue
• Apathy
• Procrastination
• Lack of motivation
• Anhedonia / inability to feel pleasure
• Low libido
• Sleep problems
• Emotional lability / Mood swings
• Feelings of Hopelessness
• Compromised cognitive function, memory loss
• Poor concentration

In fact, dopamine-deficient mice in laboratory settings become so apathetic and lethargic they lack motivation to eat and starve to death. Conversely, some people who are low in dopamine compensate with excessive and often self-destructive behaviors to get their dopamine boost.  The following behaviours are known to boost dopamine levels – in the short term – but carry a heavy penalty in the long term:   These can include use and abuse of addictive substances including alcohol, caffeine, sugar, drugs, and participation in destructive behaviours including excessive shopping, sex addiction, overuse of video games, online porn, misuse of power, gambling, or uncontrolled internet overuse.

How to increase dopamine naturally
Thankfully, we don’t have to resort to “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” to boost our dopamine levels. Here are some healthy, proven ways to increase dopamine levels naturally:

Dopamine boosting foods
Dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine.  So, eating a diet high in tyrosine will ensure you’ve got the basic building blocks needed for dopamine production. Here’s a list of foods, drinks, and spices known to increase dopamine:

• All animal products – although these are extremely acid-forming and thus unhealthy.  Furthermore, animal derived foods are linked to animal suffering and thus are not compatible with a compassionate lifestyle – which as we shall see is intrinsically linked to maintaining healthy dopamine levels.
• Almonds
• Apples
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Beets
• Chocolate, green tea, coffee – but these contain caffeine and are very acid-forming due to their alkaloid content, so best avoided
• Green leafy vegetables
• Oatmeal / porridge oats
• Sea vegetables
• Sesame and pumpkin seeds
• Turmeric – with black pepper (see below)
• Watermelon
• Wheat germ
• Pre- and pro-biotics – foods high in natural probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, and raw sauerkraut can also increase natural dopamine production. Crucially, the health of your intestinal flora impacts your production of neurotransmitters.  An excess of bad bacteria leaves toxic byproducts called lipopolysaccharides which reduce your levels of dopamine.

Supplements that can raise dopamine healthily, naturally and safely
Curcumin is the main active ingredient in the spice turmeric. Curcumin readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and can effectively enhance dopamine levels. It has been found to be as effective as Prozac for treating even major depression without concurrent suicidal ideation or other psychotic disorders. Look for a curcumin supplement that contains piperine — a compound found in black pepper that increases curcumin absorption by a at least 2,000%.

Ginkgo biloba is traditionally used for a variety of brain-related problems — poor cognitive function including lack of concentration, poor memory, headaches, mental confusion, fatigue, anxiety and depression.  Ginkgo works by raising dopamine along with acetylcholine — a neurotransmitter associated with memory and learning.

L-theanine is a component found in green tea. It increases levels of dopamine along with two other feel-good neurotransmitters, serotonin and GABA. L-theanine improves learning, the ability to recall information and improves mood. Get a dopamine boost by taking theanine supplements to avoid the caffeine and acidity associated with the tea in its original form.

L-tyrosine, a precursor to dopamine, is available as a supplement, however a better option is acetyl-l-tyrosine, a more bioavailable form that readily crosses the blood-brain barrier.

Phosphatidylserine acts as your brain’s “gatekeeper,” in that it regulates the flow of nutrients and waste in and out of your brain. It can increase dopamine levels and improve concentration, memory, learning, and improve the symptoms of ADHD.

Exercise to boost dopamine
Physical exercise boosts production of new brain cells, it slows down brain cell aging, and improves the flow of nutrients to the brain. It can also increase your levels of dopamine along with both serotonin and norepinephrine.

Dr. John Ratey, the renowned psychiatrist has extensively studied the effects of physical exercise on the brain. He found that exercise raises baseline levels of dopamine by promoting the growth of new brain cell receptors. But you don’t need to exercise strenuously to improve your brain health. Taking walks, or doing gentle, no-impact exercises like yoga, tai chi, or qi gong all provide potent mind-body benefits. 

Increase dopamine with meditation
It’s been shown that meditation increases dopamine, and the benefits of meditation have been proven in over 1,000 studies. Regular meditators experience an enhanced ability to learn, increased creativity, and deep relaxation. In addition, creative hobbies including knitting, quilting, sewing, drawing, colouring, and DIY — can create a meditative state. Loving Kindness or Metta meditation particularly boosts dopamine – as does cultivating a compassionate attitude towards others. 

Acts of kindness
Simply being kind to others, receiving kindness and even witnessing kindness and compassion balances out and improves dopamine levels.

Listening to music can cause release of dopamine
Interestingly, you don’t even have to hear music to get this neurotransmitter flowing. Just the anticipation of listening can do that.

Balance dopamine levels by using your brain’s reward system
Dopamine acts as a survival mechanism by releasing energy when you’re faced with a great. Dopamine rewards us when our needs are met. We love dopamine surges because of the way they make us feel. Our ancestors were on a constant mission to survive. They received a dopamine surge every time they spotted a new patch of berries or a better hunting ground because it meant they’d live another day. Our ancestry aside, there are countless other healthy ways you can enjoy the hunt in modern life. You can forage for new music to download, you can hunt Pokemon, search for specialty ingredients to cook with, scour the web for the perfect pair of shoes to go with that dress. The act of both seeking and finding activates your reward circuits.

The research shows that it takes only 45 days to balance your dopamine levels for optimal functioning – so implement the suggestions above and within only a month and a half you’ll feel happier, healthier, have a brighter outlook, be more goal-orientated and have far better cognitive function.