Dear Budding Scientist,

The amount of serotonin in your brain is influenced by the blood levels of the amino acid tryptophan and by the relative proportions of carbohydrate eaten. A meal containing tryptophan (derived from dietary protein) and high in carbohydrate causes an increase in the synthesis of serotonin. The serotonin binds to a specific receptor site on your nerve cells, and thereby does have an effect on regulating the activity of your nervous system.

It may well be that moods, feelings, levels of vitality, and sleep depend--at least to some degree--on your serotonin levels, and therefore also on the amounts of neurotransmitter precursor (tryptophan) molecules eaten in meals.

Alice