Endorphins and BDNF

The study of positive psychology is encouraging more researchers to study the proactive prevention of illness by identifying attitudes and personality traits that contribute to positive mood and increase quality of life. For example, happy people, as compared with less happy people, tend to have greater immune system function, a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and report greater marriage and job satisfaction. It is therefore valuable to develop a deeper understanding of the positive affect by investigating its biological basis. Several studies have begun to investigate potential biological markers of positive affect.

Research investigating the association between potential biological markers indicates depressed individuals have a lower concentration of prolactin. Most people associate prolactin with enabling women to produce milk, however, it is influential over a large number of functions. Prolactin plays an essential role in metabolism, regulation of the immune system, and pancreatic development. In humans, prolactin is produced in the pituitary, uterus, breast, lymphocytes, leukocytes, and prostate. As prolactin response increases, so do the positive effects associated with happiness, and this correlates with cognition and neural connectivity affecting our ability to perceive, remember, and reinforce existing neural connections.

To protect the brain from stress, it releases a protein called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a neurotrophin which translates activity into synaptic and cognitive plasticity in the adult animal. This BDNF has a protective and also a reparative element to memory neurons and acts as a reset switch. That’s why we often feel so at ease and see things so clearly after moments of stress.

At the same time, endorphins, another chemical to fight stress, are released from the brain. The main purpose of endorphins is to minimize discomfort and block the feeling of pain by stimulating pleasure centers, many of which even lead to euphoria.

BDNF and endorphins are the reasons exercise makes us feel so good. The somewhat scary part is that they are associated with very similar addictive behaviors to morphine, heroine or nicotine users. The only difference? Well, it’s actually good for us.

Endorphins are chemicals that are able to cross through the gaps between neurons in order to pass along a message from one to the next. There are many different kinds, and much remains to be learned about their different purposes and functions, but endorphins can be released with many different types of activities.

Endorphins act as both a painkiller and as the pay-off for your body’s reward system. When you hurt yourself (or eat a hot chili pepper), you may get a big dose of endorphins to ease the pain. You may also get an endorphin blast from talking to a stranger, eating a satisfying meal or being exposed to ultraviolet light. (Everyone has different amounts of endorphins, and what may trigger an endorphin rush for one person could very well produce a dud for someone else.) The pay-off in the form of your body tapping into its own stash of “opiates” is to let you know you’ve had enough — and convince you to do it again sometime soon.

Overall, the net benefit of cells undergoing all the above changes leads to:

• Stimulating the growth of nerve connections.
• Improving cognition by increasing mental productivity.
• Improving our ability to analyze and think.
• Enhancing our view of our surroundings.
• Increasing attentiveness.
• Even more happy thoughts.