However, the dopamine consumed in food doesn’t cross the blood–brain barrier and so has no impact on your brain. If you want to elevate your dopamine level with food, you’ll need to use a workaround. Dopamine is made from the amino acid l-tyrosine which is commonly found in protein-rich foods. Eating a diet high in l-tyrosine can help ensure you’ve got the basic building blocks needed for dopamine synthesis. Here’s a list of foods, drinks, and spices known to increase l-tyrosine or dopamine directly: (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) all animal products almonds apples avocados bananas beets chocolate coffee fava beans green leafy vegetables green tea lima beans oatmeal olive oil oregano peanuts rosemary sea vegetables sesame and pumpkin seeds soy products turmeric watermelon wheat germ Fava beans, also called broad beans, are one of the few foods that contain l-dopa, a direct precursor to dopamine that is used to treat Parkinson’s disease. (13) Foods high in natural probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, and raw sauerkraut can also increase natural dopamine production.

Low dopamine levels can lead to lack of motivation, fatigue, addictive behavior, mood swings and memory loss. Learn how to increase dopamine naturally. dopamine provides motivation What you’ll learn about increasing dopamine in this article: What dopamine is and why it’s so important The effect of dopamine on your brain and the symptoms of a dopamine deficiency Unhealthy ways to increase your dopamine level (though many of us do these!) How to increase dopamine with food, supplements and lifestyle changes How to harness your brain’s reward system to increase your level of dopamine Dopamine is a major neurotransmitter that’s a key factor in motivation, productivity, and focus. Dopamine provides your zest for life. Unfortunately, lifestyle habits, diet, and illness can deplete dopamine levels, draining the joy out of life. If you feel that you aren’t living your life to its fullest, a low dopamine level may be the reason. Fortunately, there are many ways you can increase dopamine naturally. What Is Dopamine? There are about 86 billion neurons in the human brain. They communicate with each other via brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Dopamine is one of the most extensively studied neurotransmitters because it is linked to so many aspects of human behavior including motivation, pleasure seeking, and addictions. It plays important roles in attention, memory, mood, learning, sleep, movement, and anticipatory pleasure. Dopamine dysfunction is the cause of a handful of diseases, most notably Parkinson’s disease which is caused by the death of dopamine-producing cells. Relatively few neurons create dopamine and those that do are found in a just few areas of the brain. Dopamine is also used by a few systems outside the central nervous system such as the kidneys, pancreas, and immune cells. This dopamine is created locally since it does not freely move across the brain’s protective blood-brain barrier. Dopamine is associated with traits that seem uniquely human, yet it is widespread in the animal kingdom and occurs in some plants. What Does Dopamine Do? Now let’s take a look at how dopamine impacts your daily life. Dopamine is your “motivation molecule.” It boosts your drive, focus, and concentration. It enables you to plan ahead and resist impulses so you can achieve your goals. It gives you that “I did it!” lift when you accomplish what you set out to do. It gets your competitive juices flowing and provides the thrill of the chase in all aspects of life — business, sports, and love. Additionally dopamine is in charge of your pleasure-reward system. It allows you to experience feelings of enjoyment, bliss, and even euphoria. Too little dopamine can leave you unfocused, unmotivated, lethargic, and even depressed. Dopamine is so critical to motivation that dopamine-deficient lab mice lack motivation to eat. Alarmingly, without dopamine, they will choose to starve even when food is readily available. (1) Dopamine Deficiency Symptoms If you are low in dopamine, you’ll have little joy for life. You’ll be low on energy and motivation, and will often rely on caffeine, sugar, or other stimulants to get through the day. Here’s a list of the most common dopamine deficiency symptoms: (2) lack of motivation fatigue apathy procrastination inability to feel pleasure low libido inability to connect with others sleep problems mood swings hopelessness memory loss inability to concentrate inability to complete tasks engaging in self-destructive behaviors, especially addictions Dopamine deficiency can also manifest as certain psychiatric disorders including depression, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, and addictions of all kinds. (3, 4) Causes of Low Dopamine There are many underlying causes of dopamine deficiency. The most common culprits include poor diet, nutritional deficiencies, addictions, obesity, thyroid disorders, and the use of dopamine antagonist drugs. Related article — Dopamine Deficiency, Depression and Mental Health What “Increase Dopamine” Really Means When we say that a food, supplement or activity increases dopamine, it sounds like more dopamine is being made. This is often the case, but not always. ✓ Dopamine-Boosting Supplements Effective for increased motivation, energy & focus – Amazon.com Sometimes the amount of dopamine has not changed, but it’s being better utilized. (5) What’s really going on could be one or more of the following: more dopamine is being made dopamine breakdown is slowing down more dopamine is being recirculated more dopamine receptors are being created existing dopamine receptors are working better We will use the phrase “increase dopamine” as a convenient shortcut for this entire group of neurochemical changes. Unhealthy Ways to Increase Dopamine When we take an action that helps to ensure our survival — such as eating, drinking, having sex, or making money — dopamine is released. This ensures that we’ll continue to do what’s needed to survive (unlike the dopamine-deprived lab mice). Neuroscientist John Coates reveals in his national bestseller The Hour Between Dog and Wolf that these natural activities can raise dopamine by 50-100% over baseline levels, but drugs increase dopamine much, much more. Nicotine increases it by 200%, cocaine 400%, and amphetamines a jaw-dropping 1,000%. Few people realize that they are “self-medicating” to get a dopamine boost when they engage in potentially addictive and self-destructive behaviors. The use and abuse of caffeine, alcohol, sugar, drugs, shopping, sex, video games, online porn, power, and gambling are all effective, but temporary, dopamine boosters. Fortunately, you don’t have to resort to “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” to boost your dopamine levels. There are many healthy, proven ways to increase dopamine naturally instead. Related article — How to Balance Norepinephrine Levels Naturally Dopamine-Boosting Foods Potatoes, tomatoes, avocados, broccoli, oranges, spinach, and Brussels sprouts contain some dopamine. Bananas are a particularly rich source of dietary dopamine. However, the dopamine consumed in food doesn’t cross the blood–brain barrier and so has no impact on your brain. If you want to elevate your dopamine level with food, you’ll need to use a workaround. Dopamine is made from the amino acid l-tyrosine which is commonly found in protein-rich foods. Eating a diet high in l-tyrosine can help ensure you’ve got the basic building blocks needed for dopamine synthesis. Here’s a list of foods, drinks, and spices known to increase l-tyrosine or dopamine directly: (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) all animal products almonds apples avocados bananas beets chocolate coffee fava beans green leafy vegetables green tea lima beans oatmeal olive oil oregano peanuts rosemary sea vegetables sesame and pumpkin seeds soy products turmeric watermelon wheat germ Fava beans, also called broad beans, are one of the few foods that contain l-dopa, a direct precursor to dopamine that is used to treat Parkinson’s disease. (13) Foods high in natural probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, and raw sauerkraut can also increase natural dopamine production. ✓ Probiotic Supplements Reduce stress, anxiety & depression – Amazon.com Surprisingly, the health of your intestinal flora impacts your production of neurotransmitters. An overabundance of bad bacteria leaves toxic byproducts called lipopolysaccharides which destroy the brain cells that make dopamine. (14) Dopamine-Depleting Foods to Avoid If you want to increase dopamine, there are some foods you should avoid as well. Eating a lot of saturated fat also decreases dopamine receptor sensitivity. (15) Sugar has been found to boost dopamine, but this is a temporary, unhealthy boost that is more drug-like than food-like and ultimately contributes to deficiency. (16) And don’t reach for artificial sweeteners instead. Aspartame decreases brain levels of both dopamine and serotonin, another important mood-boosting neurotransmitter. (17) Related article — Balancing Neurotransmitters to Take Control of Your Life Dopamine Supplements It’s not always possible to raise dopamine levels with food alone. Here’s a look at some of the best supplements that raise dopamine levels naturally. L-tyrosine is the first dopamine supplement to consider. This amino acid is the precursor to dopamine. If you don’t get enough l-tyrosine in your diet, or your body doesn’t properly convert it, you won’t be able to synthesize adequate dopamine. ✓ Tyrosine Supplements Proven dopamine enhancer for increased motivation – Amazon.com Stress, exhaustion, and illness can increase your need for l-tyrosine as well. Mucuna pruriens is a tropical legume that contains l-dopa, a dopamine precursor. Mucuna pruriens supplements are sold to enhance mood, memory, overall brain health, anti-aging, and libido. (19) This herb was found to work even better than levodopa medications for Parkinson’s, a disease characterized by low dopamine levels. (20) Curcumin is the main active ingredient in the spice turmeric. It readily crosses the blood-brain barrier where it boosts levels of dopamine. (21, 22, 23) ✓ Curcumin + Turmeric Supplements For positive mood, better memory & brain protection – Amazon.com Curcumin has been found to be as effective for treating depression as the popular antidepressant Prozac. (24) When buying a curcumin supplement look for one that contains piperine, a compound found in black pepper that increases curcumin absorption by a remarkable 2,000%. (25) Ginkgo biloba is traditionally used for a variety of brain-related problems such as poor concentration, memory problems, headaches, fatigue, mental confusion, depression, and anxiety. (26) One of the ways ginkgo works is by raising dopamine. (27, 28) L-theanine is a unique compound found in green, black, and white teas. It increases levels of dopamine as well as serotonin and the relaxing neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). (29) ✓ L-Theanine Supplements For sharper focus & stress reduction – Amazon.com L-theanine improves recall, learning, and positive mood. (30) You can get a dopamine boost by either taking an l-theanine supplement or by drinking tea. Green tea is a good choice if you are concerned about your caffeine intake since it contains a modest 25 mg of caffeine. (31) Phosphatidylserine acts as your brain’s “gatekeeper,” regulating nutrients and waste in and out of your brain. It can increase dopamine levels and improve memory, concentration, learning, and symptoms of ADHD. (32, 33, 34)