6 Dopamine Boosts That Influence Eating Behavior

Let’s face it. So, your eating behavior has many influences. So, I want to have a conversation about the neurotransmitter Dopamine.

Although, dopamine may be complex. And it’s influence on your eating behavior may be different than someone else. Basically, It deserves attention.

You see, dopamine is a neurotransmitter. Therefore, Dysfunction of the dopamine system has been implicated in different nervous system diseases. The level of dopamine transmission increases in response to any type of reward. It not only controls mental and emotional responses, but also motor reactions.

Not to mention, dopamine is known as the “happy hormone”. However, serious health problems arise if too little or too much dopamine is being produced.

Additionally, dopamine is involved in food craving, decision making. So, executive functioning and impulsivity personality trait. All of which contribute to your eating behavior.

As you can imagine, that genetics play a pivotal role in how your dopamine is expressed. So, you see, dopamine bind to dopamine receptors to exert its action. Dopamine receptors play a pivotal role in regulating emotion, cognition, memory attention, learning, sleep, impulse control, renal function, locomotion and neuroendocrine signaling.

Genetically, there are five dopamine receptor SNPs, DRD1, DRD2, DRD3, DRD4, DRD5. Each playing a different role in dopamine signaling.

In this one study, they found no relationship between food addiction and the DRD2 genotype. However, obese female carriers of the DRD2 A1 allele reported greater scores on emotional eating and snack food reinforcement compared to non-carriers.

But what does low dopamine “look” like?

Overall low levels of dopamine can present as…

Poor mood
Complacency
Inability to experience pleasure
Fatigue
Increased appetite, especially carb cravings
Low drive and motivation
Feel the need to get more alert and motivated with caffeine & sugar

More specifically, the genetic SNP DRD2 is associated with weaker dopamine signaling. This insensitive reward system can lead to an increased risk for obesity, binge eating, comfort eating and overeating.

Additionally, looking at other genes that influence dopamine and eating behavior will provide a very personalized approach to the symptoms you experience.

For example, COMT(catechol-o-methyltransferase) is an important enzyme involved in the phase 2 detoxification process in the liver. It is involved in the conjugation and degradation of catecholamines such as catechol estrogens, dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Those allele carriers with higher COMT enzyme activity result in lower dopamine levels.

Not to mention, certain allele carries of the CLOCK gene are associated with increased Ghrelin levels, caloric intake and alterations in eating behaviors.

So as you can see, having one genetic SNP may be important to consider. But it’s the combination of genes that determine the severity of what you feel day to day. This is why I love the 3×4 genetic test. We can look at the full picture. Developing a plan that works for you.

So what can you do if you think dopamine may be influencing your eating behavior?

The answer is A LOT!

Dopamine may be made in the brain and kidneys, but it can be influenced in surprising ways. This is where a balanced life come into play. You have to include fun, fitness, finance, family, friends, faith and food to live a well-rounded, fulfilled life.

We teach this in our Gastric Health Membership to build a sustainable foundation of health. The fact that your eating behavior can be influenced by your relationships or career choice by way of dopamine. Makes this an important aspect to address.

You cannot pour from an empty cup.

In fact, living a life with happiness and love provides adequate doses of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. Living a life with stress, anxiety and depression, leaves you with high levels of cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Lacking in dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin.

Now you may be thinking…if I didn’t have stress I wouldn’t feel anxious and depressed. I’d be happy and oozing of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. Full of love.

But here’s the thing, you may not be able to control the stress you’re given but YOU CAN control how you react and respond. You can still live a fulfilled life even with stress.

So, if you want to influence your eating behavior positively, taking a whole body approach is the most effective way to hit your health goals. A sustainable way with long-lasting results.

Let’s dig into the 6 dopamine boosts that influence eating behavior…

Eliminate foods that have a negative influence on mood and brain health
Include 3-4 servings of food rich in B-vitamins and protein building blocks to support brain chemical balance
Consume 3-4 servings of food that support gut health
Commit to grounding exercises that balance stress hormones
Routinely stimulate the vagus nerve to lower the fight or flight response
Optimize production of other neurotransmitters like oxytocin, endorphins and serotonin

Food that have a negative influence on mood and brain health

This is where striving for more whole real food can positively influence your brain. The unfortunate reality is the more sugar and ultra-processed foods you consume, you’ll likely experience changes in your eating behavior.

This 2020 study, shows how Ultra-processed food was positively associated with depressive symptoms in US adults. Although there has been inconclusive evidence directly correlating dopamine to food addiction. This 2022 study reports the DRD2 polymorphisms are associated with hedonic aspects of eating behavior, namely food reinforcement and emotional eating but not food addiction.

Additionally, this 2022 study found that ultra-processed food evoked emotions that contribute to less healthy and sustainable food environments.

So, consuming more whole real food in your daily food choices can overall influence your eating behavior.

Support brain chemical balance

Your eating behavior is influenced by your brain chemicals. Including dopamine. This is where providing adequate nourishing foods to support your brain building blocks is key. Protein and foods rich in B-Vitamins are necessary to manufacture and balance brain chemicals. More specifically, the amino acid tyrosine is necessary for healthy brain chemical production.

These include foods such as…

Fatty fish(salmon, mackerel, sardines, etc)
Dark chocolate
Nuts
Seeds
Avocado
Banana
Brazil nuts
Egg
Blueberry
Chickpeas

Consume food to support gut health

It’s now understood that your vagus nerve is a communication highway. It was once believed communication was one direction. The brain to the gut. Now, we understand this communication to be bi-directional. The gut communicates to the brain and the brain to the gut.

So as you can imagine, maintaining a healthy gut is key to maintaining healthy brain chemicals like dopamine. Essentially, a healthy gut comes down to fiber. Soluble, insoluble and resistant starch fibers. If you want to support healthy dopamine levels and eating behaviors then consuming fiber-filled carbohydrates are necessary.

Additionally, your gut is the exit pathway for many toxins. Keeping your gut flowing is important to toxin removal. So additionally supporting liver detoxification can support healthy dopamine levels and eating behaviors.

Not to mention the importance of lowering inflammation and stabilizing blood sugar balance. All of these support a healthy gut. One will not occur without the other.

These are foods like…

Beans & lentils
Whole grains
Cruciferous vegetables(kale, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts)
Nuts & seeds
Olives
Mushrooms
Berries

Grounding exercises for stress hormones

Grounding is a lifestyle intervention that reduces stress hormone production and stimulates the vagus nerve. Maintaining a healthy dopamine response is directly influenced by your stress hormones as we mentioned.

Grounding can occur by…

Walking barefoot on natural surfaces
Dancing
Swimming in nature
Meditations
Mental affirmations

This is why it’s so important to find what works for you when it comes to stress. Feeling stressed should be your red flag that there’s work to do. Regulating your nervous system is important if you desire to feel happy and loved. The optimal balance of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin.

Vagus nerve stimulation

We’ve already highlighted how the brain and gut communicate via the vagus nerve. In fact, the vagus nerve is vital to having a healthy gut. But brain chemicals like dopamine need vagus nerve stimulation as well. So, this will additionally lower your fight or flight response, enhancing your dopamine.

As we mentioned, grounding exercises can stimulate the vagus nerve. But there are additional ways…

Cold showers
Cold water immersion
Gargling
Rhythmic breathing
Loud singing

Optimize production of other neurotransmitters

Dopamine doesn’t work in isolation. Other brain chemicals like serotonin and oxytocin work together to provide the ultimate euphoria. Happiness and love. When one or more are out of balance your eating behavior is influencing.

This is why a whole body approach is so important. When it comes to healthy eating behaviors, optimizing all of your brain chemicals…dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin will likely be necessary. Although dopamine is a brain chemical that is driven genetically, that doesn’t mean you can’t override your genetics.

Here are a few ideas to improve your happy hormones:

Dopamine

Take a cold shower
Organize your workspace
Exercise
Complete an important task

Oxytocin

Give someone a compliment
Do something kind for someone
Pet a dog or cat
Consider what you’re grateful for

Serotonin

Walk in nature
Get sunshine on your skin & in your eyes
Stretch your body
Sing a song you love

Endorphins

Exercise
Eat dark chocolate
Listen to your favorite music
Meditate

As you can see, they are all different but similar. Therefore, maintaining healthy eating behaviors can be approach by building practices that support your nervous system. So,when hormones such as dopamine are off, you ability to stick to healthy eating behaviors becomes complex and difficult.

Conclusion

So as you can see, your eating behavior has many influences. Including dopamine. So, this brain chemical can be alter genetically and by gut bacteria. Basically, this is why a whole body approach is key to regulating a healthy eating behavior. Remove foods that have a negative influence on your mood and brain, include foods rich in brain building blocks. And support a healthy gut, grounding exercises, vagus nerve stimulation and optimizing other neurotransmitters.

Certainly, this is where our Gastric Health Membership can help you build a sustainable foundation. Also, we can help you nourish health eating behaviors by boosting your dopamine using a whole body approach.