Shawn Stevenson

But let's start with serotonin.

But let's start with serotonin.

So it's pretty well known. And by the way, there's more serotonin in your gut than there is in your brain. Exactly. Upwards of... 80 to 90% of your body's serotonin is actually located in your gut, produced by your enterochromaffin cells, by the way.

So it's pretty well known. And by the way, there's more serotonin in your gut than there is in your brain. Exactly. Upwards of... 80 to 90% of your body's serotonin is actually located in your gut, produced by your enterochromaffin cells, by the way.

So it's pretty well known. And by the way, there's more serotonin in your gut than there is in your brain. Exactly. Upwards of... 80 to 90% of your body's serotonin is actually located in your gut, produced by your enterochromaffin cells, by the way.

I like that, we're like flipping places, because I would do this for you. So here's what's so interesting is that serotonin, we talked about melatonin being important for our sleep and our circadian rhythm. Serotonin is a precursor or a seed to make melatonin.

I like that, we're like flipping places, because I would do this for you. So here's what's so interesting is that serotonin, we talked about melatonin being important for our sleep and our circadian rhythm. Serotonin is a precursor or a seed to make melatonin.

I like that, we're like flipping places, because I would do this for you. So here's what's so interesting is that serotonin, we talked about melatonin being important for our sleep and our circadian rhythm. Serotonin is a precursor or a seed to make melatonin.

So already right off the bat, your gut environment, these cells in your gut are helping to make this compound that's related to your sleep quality. And with melatonin, this is what I want to liken it to. It's like that manual gear shifter for you to go through your sleep cycles properly and to actually get recovered. You need melatonin to be produced. And we'll come back to that.

So already right off the bat, your gut environment, these cells in your gut are helping to make this compound that's related to your sleep quality. And with melatonin, this is what I want to liken it to. It's like that manual gear shifter for you to go through your sleep cycles properly and to actually get recovered. You need melatonin to be produced. And we'll come back to that.

So already right off the bat, your gut environment, these cells in your gut are helping to make this compound that's related to your sleep quality. And with melatonin, this is what I want to liken it to. It's like that manual gear shifter for you to go through your sleep cycles properly and to actually get recovered. You need melatonin to be produced. And we'll come back to that.

So that's number one, serotonin. And you can't just take melatonin? I'll answer that in a moment. That's tricky. I'll just tell you. I looked around because some of our colleagues would feel that, and this was just a theory, that if you take supplemental melatonin, it's going to reduce your body's ability to produce it itself. I couldn't find that anywhere. There was no evidence of that.

So that's number one, serotonin. And you can't just take melatonin? I'll answer that in a moment. That's tricky. I'll just tell you. I looked around because some of our colleagues would feel that, and this was just a theory, that if you take supplemental melatonin, it's going to reduce your body's ability to produce it itself. I couldn't find that anywhere. There was no evidence of that.

So that's number one, serotonin. And you can't just take melatonin? I'll answer that in a moment. That's tricky. I'll just tell you. I looked around because some of our colleagues would feel that, and this was just a theory, that if you take supplemental melatonin, it's going to reduce your body's ability to produce it itself. I couldn't find that anywhere. There was no evidence of that.

What I did find was... taking supplemental melatonin, taking too much or too frequently can down-regulate receptor sites for melatonin. So your body can still produce it, but the receptor sites that actually do something with the melatonin can get down-regulated.

What I did find was... taking supplemental melatonin, taking too much or too frequently can down-regulate receptor sites for melatonin. So your body can still produce it, but the receptor sites that actually do something with the melatonin can get down-regulated.

What I did find was... taking supplemental melatonin, taking too much or too frequently can down-regulate receptor sites for melatonin. So your body can still produce it, but the receptor sites that actually do something with the melatonin can get down-regulated.

So we do need to be mindful of that, and we can come back and talk about that. But here's the biggest... probably aha moment hopefully of this episode is that it's not just serotonin that's producing the gut. And so check this out. And I just came across this. I'm gonna share this with you today. This was in the World Journal of Gastroenterology. Listen to this.

So we do need to be mindful of that, and we can come back and talk about that. But here's the biggest... probably aha moment hopefully of this episode is that it's not just serotonin that's producing the gut. And so check this out. And I just came across this. I'm gonna share this with you today. This was in the World Journal of Gastroenterology. Listen to this.

So we do need to be mindful of that, and we can come back and talk about that. But here's the biggest... probably aha moment hopefully of this episode is that it's not just serotonin that's producing the gut. And so check this out. And I just came across this. I'm gonna share this with you today. This was in the World Journal of Gastroenterology. Listen to this.