Relationship Between Endorphins and Happiness

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Now we move onto the scientific perspective on happiness. As we mentioned before happiness can come in two perspectives. One being the way of life and the other being the scientific attribution and in this case, the endorphins. In the 1960s, nuerochemist Choh Hao Li, from University of California in San Francisco was examining the pituitary gland for substances that helped in the digestion system of fat. It was difficult to get enough of this substance, however, he managed to gather around 500 dried camel pituitaries. However, the camels had none of this fat-metabolizer. Li disengaged another amino acid from the camel pituitary, beta-endorphin.

In 1973, groups in Sweden, Baltimore, and New York found that the mind has unique receptors that connect with sedatives, for example, morphine. Solid sedatives tended to tie preferred to certain destinations over frail ones.

In 1975, John Hughes and Hans Kosterlitz distributed their revelation of a little amino-acid atom in the brains of pigs. They called this atom "encephalin" (meaning "in the head"). It had a portion of the characteristics of morphine, which addressed the topic of why the mind had receptors for morphine. Hughes thought they may have the capacity to utilize encephalin in painkillers that were not as addictive as morphine.

Finally, Li understood that the beta-endorphin he had segregated contained encephalin. At the point when Li infused the substance into the cerebrum, he discovered it was 48 times more effective than morphine; infused in the vein it was 3 times as intense. Furthermore, this examination permitted neuroscientists to infer that the mind has receptors for painkillers which the pituitary discharges under incredible anxiety. In the event that a manufactured painkiller, for example, morphine is given, it possesses a greater amount of the agony receptors in the cerebrum; in any case, less regular painkillers are discharged.

Now that we know how endorphins were discovered, what does this have to do with happiness? Well, according to Tom Scheve, “Endorphins are produced as a response to certain stimuli, especially stress, fear or pain. They originate in various parts of your body -- the pituitary gland, your spinal cord and throughout other parts of your brain and nervous system -- and interact mainly with receptors in cells found in regions of the brain responsible for blocking pain and controlling emotion.” The dominant part of your feelings are prepared by your mind's limbic framework, which incorporates the hypothalamus, the area that handles a scope of capacities from breathing and sexual fulfillment to hunger and enthusiastic reaction. The limbic framework is additionally rich with opioid receptors. So at the point when endorphins come in contact with the opioid receptors, you encounter joy and a feeling of fulfillment. So how does this affect your happiness? Well the endorphins are released when your brain encounters levels of stress and anxiety, and now your brain would tell the body to release the endorphins to relieve the stress and anxiety levels, calming you down and making you feel better. This is supposedly the scientific perspective of “happiness” which is way out of line compared to what we’ve spoken of before. But endorphins are natural bodily made chemicals that help you feel better unlike marijuana or shrooms. There are many ways to as how endorphins can be accelerated throughout your body faster. Some include Exercise which you'll need to work really hard for it. Heavy weightlifting or intense aerobic activity that includes periods of sprinting or increased exertion will trigger the greatest response. Meditation or controlled-breathing exercises such as yoga are believed to trigger endorphins. Childbirth is clearly a subcategory of both pain and stress so endorphins are released double the amount you’d be releasing when exercising. Chili peppers such as Capsaicin, which puts the burn in chilies, also triggers the body to release endorphins due to the body’s stress on heat level.

In culmination, from what we’ve observed, it can be evident to us that we’re all different and really don’t know why we do the things we do. But one thing that we do know is that there’s nothing that can make us who we are than happiness. Happiness is the positivity in our life that pushes us through the obstacles we face. With our self-determination and positivity, there’s no one that can bring you down. Honestly, many things can’t be done in life but if you think just the same way as I said that line then you’re getting nowhere in life. With negativity, it just brings yourself down and lowers your true potential, it brings down the best in you. So just do me one favor and keep that smile on your face, that’s all I ask for.

Bibliography

- David, John, Serge, & Philip. (2016). Channels. Retrieved November 28, 2016, from Lundbeck Institute, http://www.brainexplorer.org/neurological_control/Neurological_Neurotransmitters.shtml

- Melissa, & William. (1996). Endorphins: Natural pain and stress fighters. Retrieved November 28, 2016, from http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=55001

- RICARDO, C. I. (2016). Neurotransmission - Neurologic disorders - Merck manuals professional edition. Retrieved November 28, 2016, from http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec16/ch207/ch207a.html

- WebMD. "Meditation Boosts Mood, Immune System." http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20030818/meditation-boosts-mood-immune-system

- Zimmerberg, Betty. "Synaptic Transmission: A Four Step Process." Multimedia Neuroscience Education Project, Williams College Neuroscience. http://www.williams.edu/imput/introduction_main.html