Have you ever had someone pay you a compliment? It might have been as simple as someone saying “good job on that project,” or “have you been working out.” You can’t help but feel good about yourself for the reward you’ve received, in this case the compliment. When this happens, you actually have changes that go on in your brain. In the brain there are chemicals that send messages. The scientific name is “neurotransmitters.” These chemicals send all kinds of different messages and they do that by connecting to a receptor. If the chemical fits in the receptor it sends off a message.
Certain neurotransmitters are considered “feel good” neurotransmitters. When they are released you feel good. You have better spirits and your mood is better. Certainly, being paid a compliment would make you release these “feel good” neurotransmitters. The main feel good neurotransmitters are Dopamine and Serotonin.
Unfortunately, this whole system can be disrupted. This can happen because you don’t make enough of those neurotransmitters or the receptor become compromised. When this happens you can feel deprived or feel you are missing that reward you are looking for. What often happen, then, is you start to look for alternatives places for those rewards. You may look to food or alcohol to fulfill those rewards. The false sense of reward from food or alcohol doesn’t go away when you decide to stop using it and thus you crave those items again. Interestingly, there is a name for this and it is called “Reward Deficiency Syndrome.”
Studies have shown that lower amounts of Dopamine or lower amounts of the Dopamine receptor can will lead to this craving behavior. Also, increasing the amount of Dopamine released also causes the increase of the number Dopamine receptors. Nutritional support of the release of Dopamine can help.
DL-Phenylalanine is an amino acid that can be taken as a supplement. It has been shown to have a role in pain relief, inflammation and anti-craving. It has been shown to inhibit an enzyme in the brain which then increases the amount of Dopamine in the brain. DL-Phenylalanine should be enhanced with other supplements to have maximum benefits. L-Tyrosine, L-Glutamine, 5-HTP Rhodiola Rosea and P5P help to ensure that healthy levels of dopamine are encouraged to address “Reward Deficiency Syndrome.”
If you have cravings some might say that this is all in your head. When they say that, they are correct, but that does not mean that there is not a real reason for those cravings. Changes in your brain are the problem and having the right nutritional support to correct the levels of the neurotransmitters, or their receptors can help.
Stop in at Custom Health Pharmacy or Custom Health to pick up the perfect product to support formation of these Neurotransmitters, called “Crave Control”.