6 Easy And Natural Ways To Increase Serotonin

by Skye Macfarlane on Jan 16, 2026 0 comments

I like to think of serotonin like the shock absorbers in my car. Without them, every bump in the road would be jarring. But with them, the bumps are still there; they just don’t have the same dramatic effect. When serotonin is doing its job, you feel calmer, more resilient and better able to cope with all the things. When it is low, everything feels harder than it should. So, what are some natural ways to increase serotonin?

What is serotonin and why does it matter?

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, meaning it is a chemical messenger that helps your brain and body communicate.

It influences:

Mood and emotional stability
Anxiety levels
Sleep quality
Appetite and digestion
PMS and hormonal mood changes
Stress tolerance

About 90% of serotonin is made in your gut and not in your brain, so if you are dealing with feelings of worry and/or low mood, alongside gut things like constipation, bloating, and reflux, that is not really a coincidence. That is the gut-brain connection at work.

Serotonin vs dopamine

Dopamine and serotonin often get lumped together, but they do very different things. Dopamine is about reward and motivation. It spikes with notifications, caffeine, shopping and social media stuff. Serotonin is about stability and contentment; it is the calm grounded feeling that things are ok and manageable. Modern life overstimulates dopamine and undernourishes serotonin. If dopamine is the sugar rush, serotonin is the slow, nourishing meal.

How is serotonin produced?

Serotonin is made from an amino acid called tryptophan, which you get from food. This is why your diet is important if you're looking for natural ways to increase your serotonin levels. But tryptophan doesn’t automatically turn into serotonin. Your body needs the right conditions to complete the process.

To convert tryptophan into serotonin, the body also relies on:

Vitamin B6
Magnesium
Iron
A healthy gut lining
A balanced gut microbiome

The conversion happens in stages. First, tryptophan is converted into 5-HTP, a compound many people recognise as a supplement. From there, 5-HTP is converted into serotonin. This process depends on having good digestion, an adequate supply of nutrients, and a relatively calm nervous system.

Most serotonin is produced in the gut, with a smaller but important amount made in the brain to support mood, sleep, and appetite. When digestion is compromised, stress is high, or the microbiome is out of balance, serotonin production drops. This is why eating “well” on paper doesn’t always translate into feeling well in real life.

What happens when serotonin is low?

Low serotonin does not always look like obvious depression. For many, especially those juggling work, family, hormones and stress, it can show up as:

Feeling flat or emotionally numb
Increased feelings of worry or overthinking
Poor and unrefreshing sleep
Afternoon sugar cravings
PMS or mood changes
Feeling overwhelmed by small things

5 natural ways to increase serotonin

1. Support your gut first

Gut health is foundational for serotonin production. Your gut bacteria help to convert tryptophan into serotonin. When the microbiome is disrupted, tryptophan is diverted into inflammatory pathways instead. This is why supporting your gut health is a natural way to increase serotonin.

Some ideas to try:

Eat a variety of plant foods across the week (fresh or frozen). Think lots of different colours.
Include fermented foods if you can tolerate them; things like plain yoghurt, kefir, and sauerkraut.
Eat slowly and chew properly when you can, as this helps improve digestion. Try to eat away from your phone/TV/distractions.
Try taking bitters to support more efficient digestion, especially if you struggle with bloating, constipation or reflux.
Consider a probiotic to help address a healthy microbiome filled with diverse bacteria.

2. Get daylight - even on the less sunny days

Sunlight directly influences your serotonin production. This matters in Aotearoa, especially in winter, as we don't get enough sunlight hours. Think of sunlight as a daily signal to your nervous system that it is safe to wake up properly.

Aim for 10-20 minutes (max) of morning light
We are not talking about sunbaking.
Rather, try small things like going for a walk, or parking your car further away from work (if possible), or simply having your morning coffee outside.
Keep the sunglasses in your bag for that first part of the day.
Cloudy days still count.

3. Move gently but consistently

You don't need to be doing HIIT workouts 24/7. Walking, gardening, swimming, yoga, stretching or a wander around the block all support serotonin without overstimulating your stress hormones. If your current exercise routine leaves you exhausted or wired, it is not helping your mood chemistry, so try gentle movement first.

4. Eat to support your mood, not trends.

Serotonin needs tryptophan and carbohydrates to function properly. This is why extremely low-carb diets can worsen moods for some women. Consider these foods:

Bananas - They contain vitamin B6, which is needed to convert tryptophan into serotonin.
Canned fish - Rich in omega-3, which supports brain function and neurotransmitter signalling. Affordable and easy to add to salads, pasta bakes etc.
Pumpkin seeds - High in magnesium, zinc and tryptophan. You can have them as is, or add them to salads, baking, granola, or have pumpkin seed butter on toast. You can even make it into pumpkin seed mylk for smoothies.
Oats - Oats are super versatile and can be used in baking, as porridge, granola, biscuits or in soups. Oats support a stable blood sugar and help tryptophan reach the brain.
Legumes - Beans and lentils are excellent fuel for your gut bacteria. Dried or canned are just as good, easy, cheap and filling. Make a hummus with canned chickpeas, and add them to a soup or salad.
Dark leafy greens - Spinach, silver beet and kale contain folate and magnesium, which are both important for nervous system function.
Eggs - They are a great source of choline, needed for your brain, and protein - helpful for blood sugar stabilisation as well.
Good quality carbohydrates like sourdough, grainy crackers, bread or wholegrain pasta.
Remember, pairing protein with complex carbohydrates (think wholegrain) helps tryptophan cross into the brain more effectively.

5. Saint John's wort

St John's wort has a long history of traditional use for low mood, nervous tension and emotional fragility. From a physiological perspective, St John’s wort supports mood in several ways:

Reduces serotonin reuptake - Certain compounds in St John’s wort slow the reuptake, or reabsorption, of serotonin back into your neurons. This means more serotonin remains available between the neurons, which supports a more stable mood.

Helps to modulate multiple neurotransmitters - It not only affects serotonin, it also influences dopamine and noradrenaline, which helps explain why it can support motivation and emotional resilience, not just mood.

Supports nervous system regulation - St John’s wort has mild calming and anti-inflammatory effects on the nervous system, making it especially useful when low mood is linked to stress or burnout.

In practice St John’s wort is emotional scaffolding. It does not numb feelings or force ‘happiness’, it helps to support the nervous system while underlying issues like gut health, nutrient status and stress load are addressed.

We formulated our Mood Boost with St John’s wort for this reason. We have paired it with lemon balm to help the nervous system and support a feeling of calm alongside hawthorn, which has been used traditionally to support the heart.

It is particularly helpful for:

Low-grade depression
Mood swings
PMS
Perimenopause
Feeling emotionally worn down rather than acutely distressed

Important note: St John’s wort can and does interact with medications, including antidepressants and oral contraceptives. This is why professional guidance is essential. St John’s wort makes your liver work more efficiently, so you metabolise your long-term medications more quickly - which is not what you want - hence, why people on long-term medication have to be very careful with St John’s wort. Taking St John’s wort as a tea or using it topically as an oil, however, is completely fine if you are on medication.

6. Supplemental support

If food is the foundation of the house, then supplements are the supporting beams - not the whole house. You don’t need an overflowing supplement cupboard to support your mood. In fact, if you do the basics well and consistently, this will work way better than chasing the latest trend.

🌿Related: Can You Take Too Many Supplements?

Magnesium (especially glycinate or citrate) - Supports the nervous system, calm, sleep and serotonin production. Many people are low, especially under stress.

Vitamin B6 (low dose) - Helps convert tryptophan into serotonin. Often included in B complex formulas - look for an activated mix as it is easier for the body to utilise.

Zinc - Important for neurotransmitter function and gut and immune health. Take after your biggest meal of the day and only supplement for a certain period of time; do not take consistently.

Probiotics - The advancement in this area over the past decade has been huge; there are now specific strains for mood, sleep, weight and focus. If you have been unwell with an upset stomach, look at taking a probiotic called Saccharomyces boulardii for a month to help with the gut lining, and then follow up with a comprehensive therapeutic fridge probiotic to help repopulate your microbiome.

Older Post

News

Recent Articles