- Increase Dopamine Naturally -
Ease the Withdrawal Symptoms of Quitting Smoking

An increase in dopamine levels may ease the emotional withdrawal symptoms of quitting smoking.

Dopamine deficiency is thought to be one of the causes of depression, so increasing dopamine levels can improve your mood and ease smoking withdrawal symptoms that are caused by the sudden drop in neurotransmitters in the brain that affect your mood.

Quitting Smoking Facts About Dopamine Agonists

Drugs that act to increase dopamine levels in the brain are called dopamine agonists. Nicotine, cocaine and amphetamines are all known to be dopamine agonists although they achieve this in slightly different ways.

One of the effects of smoking cigarettes is a constant nicotine hit to the brain tissue which acts to increase dopamine levels. At first this feels good but over time your body becomes so used to the higher dopamine levels that it becomes desensitized.

Dopamine is a precursor to epinephrine so when dopamine levels fall you may feel unable to cope with stress or you may notice that you are easily irritated and frustrated. Low energy levels may also result.

Difficulty concentrating, reduced alertness, feeling a lack of motivation, or just feeling depressed, bored and apathetic can all be because of dopamine deficiency. These cognitive and emotional changes are also well documented as the symptoms of quitting smoking.

Foods That Can Increase Dopamine

When you use food to raise dopamine levels in your brain you need to increase those foods that supply the nutrients that are used to synthesize dopamine. This will not work however, if you continue to supply your body with foods that are known to cause dopamine deficiency.

So you have to increase consumption of some foods and stop consumption of others in order to increase dopamine by using food.

Do eat lots of:	Don't eat:
All of these foods contain tyrosine which is used by the body to make dopamine: raw almonds, sunflower and seeds bananas, apples, watermelon dairy products avocado chicken eggs beans and legumes	These food items are known to cause dopamine depletion: alcohol caffeine sugar refined foods saturated fats

The quitting smoking facts show that changing your diet is not the only way to raise dopamine levels. Exercise will also elevate many neurotransmitters in the brain including dopamine. You have to do about 20 minutes of moderate exercise daily to get the effect.

So the best way to deal with dopamine depletion that is causing the withdrawal symptoms of quitting smoking is to eat well and exercise.

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