In this episode we discuss:
Why serotonin is NOT the “happy hormone” and you may not want to increase it

How serotonin and depression relate to stress and energy balance
Whether SSRIs are effective for depression
How SSRIs actually work, their impact on metabolism, and whether they’re the best treatment option for depression
The real drivers of depression and anxiety

 
Free Energy Balance Food Guide: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/guide
 
Free Energy Balance Mini-Course: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy/
 
Check out the Energy Balance Solution program here: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/solution/
 
The Nutrition Blueprint: https://mikefave.com/the-nutrition-blueprint/
 
Click here to check out the show notes: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-118-the-truth-about-serotonin-and-ssris-why-serotonin-is-not-the-happy-hormone

 

Timestamps:
0:00 – intro
0:58 – the research showing that serotonin is not the “happy hormone”
4:56 – serotonin’s role in driving the stress state that leads to depression
8:26 – the overlap between anxiety and depression and why they are both characterized by elevated serotonin levels
10:27 – the origins of the idea that serotonin is the “happy hormone” and how serotonin became a marketing tool for pharmaceutical companies
14:49 – serotonin is increased during fasting and starvation and why increasing serotonin should not be our goal
20:16 – serotonin is increased during stress, shock, and infection and leads to learned helplessness
29:04 –SSRIs use in neonates causes depression in adulthood
31:35 – the serotonergic system as an adaptive stress response to a lack of energy
39:09 – serotonin’s role in energy redistribution under stress
43:15 – how SSRIs inhibit mitochondrial respiration, glucose metabolism, and energy production in the brain and liver
47:13 – how SSRIs can reduce symptoms and how the brain responds to SSRIs
52:42 – the true drivers of depression and anxiety
1:01:30 – how serotonin relates to stress hormones, including cortisol, and energy balance