What is the dopamine diet?

Most versions of the diet recommend avoiding alcohol, caffeine and processed sugar, while some also recommend cutting out or severely restricting starchy carbohydrates.

Discover our full range of health benefit guides and read more about popular diets such as the sirtfood diet and detox diet. Also check out our delicious dopamine diet recipes for more inspiration.

So what is the science behind the dopamine diet? Dietitian Emer Delaney explains…

What is dopamine and how does food affect it?

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter - a chemical that is responsible for transmitting signals between nerve cells in the brain. Dopamine directly affects the reward and pleasure centres in the brain, which in turn affects mood. Its activation occurs for a number of reasons, including the sudden availability of food.

There is emerging evidence to show that people who are overweight may have impairments in dopamine pathways which could have been blunted through constant exposure to highly palatable (sugary and fatty) foods. This blunted response could potentially lead to increased reward seeking behaviour, including over-eating - however, this is an area that needs more research. Currently, we do know that all eating increases dopamine, especially the intake of high fat and sugar foods, both off which can lead to an increase in appetite, overeating and weight gain in the long term.

So how can you boost your dopamine without resorting to high fat and sugar foods?

Protein foods are made from the building blocks of amino acids (including tyrosine), which are essential to the production of dopamine. It has therefore been suggested that upping protein intake may also boost dopamine production without increasing appetite. A recent study looked at this theory and concluded that eating a high protein breakfast including eggs, lean meats and dairy was best at reducing mid-morning cravings whilst increasing dopamine levels.

Dietitian Emer Delaney’s top tips…

- Eat regular meals. This will prevent a sudden swing in hormones and help to regulate your appetite. It also reduces the chance of overeating in the evening.

- Try eating more lean protein at breakfast such as eggs, smoked salmon, mackerel, or a high-protein yogurt with added nuts, seeds or fruit. Try our high-protein recipe collection for breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes.

- Some versions of this diet ask you to completely restrict starchy carbohydrates, which I wouldn’t recommend. Carbohydrates are important components of the diet, so ensure you include some at every meal. Aim for low-GI carbohydrates such as rye bread or porridge. Both will encourage blood glucose levels to remain steady, which will have a positive effect on appetite.

- Choose healthy fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive, safflower, sesame or rapeseed oils in addition to avocado, walnuts, flaxseeds and oily fish such as herring, fresh tuna and trout.

- Include lean protein foods at lunch and dinner by eating chicken, lentils, pulses, fish, or lean beef.

- Increase activities such as yoga as we know this can also increase dopamine levels.

- Keep things simple and look at the quality of foods you eat, reduce processed salty foods, keep sugary treats to a minimum and make sure you’re eating your five-a-day.

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This article was last reviewed on 31st August 2018 by Kerry Torrens.

Emer Delaney BSc (Hons), RD has an honours degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Ulster. She has worked as a dietitian in some of London's top teaching hospitals and is currently based in Chelsea.

A registered nutritionist, Kerry Torrens is a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including BBC Good Food magazine. Kerry is a member of the Royal Society of Medicine, the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), and the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT).

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