21/09/2021
Recent studies show that dopamine is not just a feel good hormone.
Dopamine is traditionally known as a feel good hormone and also linked to attention, memory & mood due to this role.
Recent studies show it is also elevated during stressful situations which implies a role in how we manage stress.
To be honest this was a shock to me; not because I'm surprised it is, but because I'm surprised this is new. It is something I've long assumed to be true but obviously have not looked for confirmation in the literature just because I personally thought it was obviously linked.
You see dopamine is a catecholamine and is altered to become adrenaline. This link makes it seem likely there would be a connection to stress.
But what does it mean for you?
In short dopamine disregulation/resistance from altered dopamine signalling can have large implications on food selection, memory, motivation and general mood.
High stress also has a strong effect on these things, possibly dopamine is part of thst mechanism.
This may be why many of these symptoms improve when taking supplements that improve dopamine regulation such as Ashwagandha.
That said its always a good idea to check first what's going on in your personal situation via objective tests.
Test Don't Guess