Nutrition and Brain Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters are the chemical language with which different neurons communicate and with which the brain and the environment communicate with one another. Nutrition is one of the environmental factors that mutually affect and are affected by neurotransmitters. In this chapter, we define the main classes of neurotransmitters, each with distinct basic structures, biosynthesis, and metabolism pathways. After that, we define the relationship between dietary guidelines and healthy levels of neurotransmitters. We also define the neurotransmitters that are derived from food and discuss which food sources each neurotransmitter is derived from based on available literature. Finally, we discuss the effects of protein malnutrition, carbohydrate malnutrition, and lipid malnutrition on neurotransmitters, and the subsequent effects on behavior and cognitive functions. Despite the availability of vast amounts of literature in this domain, much remains to be understood on the relationship between nutrition and neurotransmitters. Deepening this knowledge can be of therapeutic benefit for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases.