An article in The New York Times on November 27, 2008, reported that serotonin may affect osteoporosis. Researchers found that serotonin is manufactured in the gut. People who suffer from osteoporosis have normal levels of serotonin and people who have dense bones were found to have low levels of serotonin.

However a Wikipedia discussion of serotonin shows that it is a substance that is necessary for the human body. It is a neurotransmitter that can affect mood and other bodily processes.

I am not surprised that serotonin is manufactured in the gut when you consider serotonin is found in mushrooms and plants, including fruits and vegetables.  Obviously the body derives the serotonin from the food we eat.

After reading the article several times I noticed one sentence that helped draw my conclusion, “Osteoporosis patients, though, tend to have normal serotonin levels,…” My gut reaction, and excuse my pun, is that serotonin’s contribution  is just part of the equation.  There was no mention that people not suffering from osteoporosis may have normal levels of serotonin. The body is a delicate piece of machinery in a state of equilibrium that for some reason or another can go off track.

However, the article did mention that mice shut off from serotonin developed incredible bone growth. However there was no mention in the article about the mental health of the mice. Did serotonin deprivation cause other problems? Were the mice normal?

I believe that more research needs to be done before people start depriving themselves of food that creates serotonin. By the way tryptophan is a precursor of serotonin. Tryptophan is known to contribute to a sense of well being. One of the biggest food sources of tryptophan is turkey.

I believe that serotonin may be an indication or sympton of osteoporosis. Perhaps there is another unknown factor that misdirects serotonin to inhibit bone growth. Time and research will hopefully answer this question.

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