Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that activates the brain’s reward center during pleasurable activities.
Optimal dopamine function is involved in many aspects of health, including memory, movement, motivation, mood, attention, sleep, arousal, learning, and lactation.
What is dopamine and what are its functions?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (= chemical messenger) that is produced in large concentrations during pleasurable activities such as when eating sugar or junk food, having sex, or participating in fun and enjoyable down-time activities like spending time in nature or engaging in a favorite hobby. Dopamine is released during these times as a reward for engaging in the activities necessary for survival and reproduction such as eating, drinking, and competing.
Inhibitory versus excitatory neurotransmittor:
Dopamine can act as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, which blocks a signal, or it can act as an neurotransmitter, which stimulates a signal. Whether dopamine acts as an inhibitory or excitatory neurotransmitter depends on which types of receptors are present on its target, which might be a neuron, another cell, tissue, or organ.
Dopamine helps people remember pleasurable experiences. Thus, dopamine plays a role in cravings for food, drugs, and nicotine in susceptible individuals. The sharp increase in dopamine that occurs when using some recreational drugs reinforces the brain to remember the experience and all the routines and cues associated with drug use. An example of this is the urge to smoke while driving or after lunch.
Fight-or-Flight stress response:
Dopamine is one of three catecholamines (the other ones are norepinephrine and epinephrine), neurotransmitters that can function as hormones and are involved in the fight-or-flight stress response.
Although norepinephrine has garnered the lion’s share of attention in regards to the stress response, dopamine also plays a role in how the body responds to stress and it can influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. 1,2
Acute stress generally leads to activation of the dopamine system followed by a subsequent decrease in dopamine that can lead to feelings of unhappiness. 1 Researchers find a significant association between everyday stress and cravings for various substances (e.g. cocaine and amphetamine), which activate the dopamine system. 1
How and where is dopamine produced?
Dopamine contains one amino group connected to an aromatic ring by a two-carbon chain. Like all monoamines, dopamine is derived from aromatic amino acids, specifically the biochemical conversion of phenylalanine to tyrosine to dopamine in a series of steps.
Dopamine is then converted to other monoamine neurotransmitters, norepinephrine and then epinephrine.
Dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine are synthesized in the catecholamine pathway. Phenylalanine is the precursor amino acid for the catecholamines. In a series of biochemical steps, phenylalanine is converted to tyrosine, L-DOPA, dopamine, norepinephrine, and finally epinephrine. Cofactors work with enzymes to synthesize the neurotransmitters and break them down.
Where do we find dopamine in the body?
Dopamine is made in the adrenal glands, where it modulates aldosterone and serves as a precursor to norepinephrine. 3 It is most famously produced in the CNS in the midbrain, where it is made in the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra pars compacta. 4
Neurons from these areas give origin to three main pathways, the nigrostriatal, the mesolimbocortical, and the tuberoinfundibular. As central dopamine does not cross the blood-brain barrier, peripheral dopamine is minimal but does circulate in the blood stream where it affects blood flow as a vasodilator. 19 Dopamine receptors are found in the kidneys, pancreas, lungs, and blood vessels outside of the central nervous system. 5 In fact, renal dopamine regulates sodium extraction and electrolyte balance, and renal dopamine production or dopamine receptor function may support healthy blood pressure. 5
What is dopamine's role in the body?
Dopamine is involved in memory, movement, motivation, mood, attention, sleep, arousal, and learning. It plays a role in the stress response. Dopamine is critical to both the ability to learn and motivation. 6 This is a complicated biological process as target cells must be able to differentiate whether increased dopamine is a signal to learn or move. 6
In addition to its role in cognition, dopamine has a number of important physiological actions elsewhere in the body. These include: 3,7
Healthy dopamine levels also support neuromotor coordination and movement.
How does dopamine interact with other hormones?
Dopamine works together with other catecholamines. Optimal dopamine levels are required for the production of norepinephrine, as dopamine is a precursor of this catecholamine. Sex and stress hormones can also interact with dopamine. For example, testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol each impact dopamine neurotransmission in the brains of adolescents and adults and this interaction can therefore affect psychiatric health. 17 Low dopamine levels can increase prolactin. Dopamine promotes growth hormone and reduces thyroid stimulating hormone. Insulin resistance, or high insulin levels, can increase dopamine levels.
How Can We Naturally Support Dopamine?
Dopamine Supplements
Amino acid supplements are an option for people who want to support their dopamine levels. The amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine are used by the body to make dopamine.
In addition, L-theanine, an amino acid derived from green tea, may increase dopamine levels in the brain.
Mucuna pruriens, known also as velvet bean, is a direct source of L-dopa and can be used supplementally to support healthy dopamine levels.
Nutritional supplements containing vitamins and minerals can help to balance levels of dopamine.
The vitamin or mineral cofactors needed to make and remove dopamine from the nervous system include:
Vitamin D may promote the health of dopaminergic neurons and support optimum dopamine levels. 18
Foods and Dopamine:
Eating foods that boost dopamine levels is another strategy.
These foods include:
Almonds, Apples, Avocadoes, Bananas, Beets, Chocolate, Fava beans, Green leafy vegetables, Green tea, Lima beans, Oatmeal, Oranges, Peas, Pumpkin seeds, Sesame, Tomatoes, Turmeric, Watermelon, Wheat germ
Lifestyle:
Enjoyable and relaxing activities can raise dopamine levels.
These types of activities include:
Exercise, Massage, Meditation, Participating in a favorite hobby, Playing with a pet, Reading a book, Walking in nature, Yoga
References:
Your medical lab tests hold vital information about your health. Our tools help you understand what's going on and how to take action.
$15 $5.99/first month
Cancel or upgrade anytime
What happens when dopamine is out of balance?
When dopamine levels are balanced, emotions are more stable. Balanced dopamine leads to a sense of well-being and motivation, alertness, and focus. Conversely, dopamine deficiency can lead to feelings of sadness, lack of concentration, and lack of motivation. Both high and low levels of dopamine can lead to problems in the body.
High dopamine levels are associated with: 3,11
A number of factors can cause dopamine deficiency or excess. These include: 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
Furthermore, recreational drug use can alter the brain’s reward system by damaging dopamine receptors. As a person uses more and more of a recreational drug, the brain’s reward center becomes less sensitive to the point that only the drug is strong enough to elicit enough dopamine to generate a pleasurable response. Previously pleasurable experiences don’t release enough dopamine for a reward response any longer. Therefore, users have to take more just to get the same response.
Anthony
Unlimited Plan Member since 2021
I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
Karin
Advanced Plan Member since 2020
What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
Paul
Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
What happens when dopamine is out of balance?
When dopamine levels are balanced, emotions are more stable. Balanced dopamine leads to a sense of well-being and motivation, alertness, and focus. Conversely, dopamine deficiency can lead to feelings of sadness, lack of concentration, and lack of motivation. Both high and low levels of dopamine can lead to problems in the body.
Low dopamine is linked to: 8, 9, 10, 11
A number of factors can cause dopamine deficiency or excess. These include: 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
Furthermore, recreational drug use can alter the brain’s reward system by damaging dopamine receptors. As a person uses more and more of a recreational drug, the brain’s reward center becomes less sensitive to the point that only the drug is strong enough to elicit enough dopamine to generate a pleasurable response. Previously pleasurable experiences don’t release enough dopamine for a reward response any longer. Therefore, users have to take more just to get the same response.
Guiding our users for 10 years to promptly understand, track, and act on their laboratory results.
$15 $5.99/first month
Cancel your subscription at any time.
$250/once
full premium version
$45/month
track your clients’ labs
Cancel your subscription at any time.
Guiding our users for 10 years to promptly understand, track, and act on their laboratory results.
Personal plans
track personal results
Professional Plan
track multiple client's results
$15 $5.99/first month
$250/once
own it for life
$45/month
for health professionals
Complete Plan
Unlimited Plan
$15 $5.99
$250 full version
Are you a health professional?
Level up your lab report analysis with our Pro plan, built for health practitioners like you.
Health Business Account
$45/month
Cancel your subscription at any time.
Unlock additional Pro plans when you sign up.
Anthony
Unlimited Plan Member since 2021
I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
Karin
Advanced Plan Member since 2020
What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
Paul
Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
Healthmatters is a highly-personalized health dashboard.
Instead of searching for your lab results in different places or tracking them down from different providers, Healthmatters houses, organizes, and interprets them all in one central location.
With a Healthmatters account, you can dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data, anytime, anywhere.
For our professional users, Healthmatters provides intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history.
Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:
You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.
It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.
If you’re on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.
There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."
Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.
For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.
We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.
Our special data entry service makes it easy to add your results to your private dashboard. Just attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and our skilled data entry team will do the work for you. It's all done by humans, ensuring that your data is entered accurately and with personal care for each client.
Depending on your account, the data entry service can be included for free or come at an additional cost of $15 per report.
For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.
Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.
Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.
The Unlimited plan is a one-time purchase for $250, and it covers your account for a lifetime with no additional payments.
For the Complete plan, the cost is $15 per month. You have the flexibility to cancel it anytime through your account settings, ensuring no further payments. To avoid charges, remember to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Once canceled, the subscription remains active until the end of the current billing cycle.
Additionally, you can upgrade to the yearly Advanced plan from within your account. The annual cost is $79, and it comes with a data entry service for five reports.
You can always upgrade to a lifetime version with a prorated price from a monthly or yearly subscription.
Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.
Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.
We’ve crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.
1. Graph View:Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.
2. All Tests ViewExplore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.
3. Table View:For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.
Yes, you can download information from your account. We can compile your labs into a CSV file. To download all your labs, you can go to Account Settings, and at the bottom of the page, you will find a link to download your information.
Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.
Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.
Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.
A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.
The professional account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.
To learn more about Healthmatters Pro, please refer to the professional page.
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.
