Discover natural methods to balance norepinephrine levels. Tips to boost mood and focus. Enhance mental well-being with simple lifestyle changes.
As a stress hormone and neurotransmitter, norepinephrine plays a key role in many mental disorders. It’s vital to keep your norepinephrine level balanced.
As a stress hormone, norepinephrine gets much less attention than the other main stress hormone, cortisol.
Cortisol is well known for the damage it causes.
But norepinephrine is also a neurotransmitter that can play a role in depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other mental health conditions.
Let’s explore its role a little more, then see what you can do to balance your level of norepinephrine naturally.
What Is Norepinephrine? What Does It Do?
Norepinephrine is a dual-purpose chemical messenger that acts as both a stress hormone and a neurotransmitter.
It’s sometimes called noradrenaline, especially in the United Kingdom, but here in the US, norepinephrine is the preferred term.
Norepinephrine is made in the brain, the central nervous system, and in the adrenal glands.
Its name literally means “near the kidneys,” referring to its synthesis in the adrenal glands atop the kidneys.
Norepinephrine, along with epinephrine (also known as adrenaline), triggers our fight-or-flight response in the face of danger or extreme stress.
It helps us think and move fast in an emergency.
It increases heart rate and blood pressure, directs blood flow away from skin and into muscles, and triggers the release of glucose into the bloodstream.
Norepinephrine differs from cortisol in that it’s created on an as-needed basis and dissipates quickly after a perceived danger or stressful situation is over.
Cortisol, on the other hand, lingers in the body where it accumulates, contributing to diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
The Link Between Norepinephrine and Depression
No one, including experts, fully understands the biochemical causes of depression.
It is known, however, that norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine — neurotransmitters that belong to a group of compounds known as monoamines — play a role in mood regulation.
“ With any neurotransmitter, your levels can be either too high or too low, but with none is balance more critical than norepinephrine.
The most popular theory of depression is that it happens because of low serotonin levels.
This is why the most popular pharmaceutical antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which aim to increase serotonin levels.
Other theories suggest that depression may be caused by brain inflammation, low dopamine, or low norepinephrine.
The main symptoms of low norepinephrine-based depression are feelings of lethargy, brain fog, and lack of zest for life.
These symptoms closely resemble depression associated with low dopamine levels.
This makes sense since these two compounds are extremely similar in structure and function.
Both are formed from the same amino acid precursors, tyrosine and phenylalanine, and both are essential for maintaining alertness, focus, and motivation.
The biggest differences between dopamine and norepinephrine are that they originate in different areas of the brain and interact with different receptors.
Effects of Antidepressants on Key Neurotransmitters
Most prescription antidepressants work by increasing serotonin levels, but a few work on dopamine or norepinephrine, or a combination thereof instead.
Wellbutrin, for example, blocks the reabsorption of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
Cymbalta is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) that works by increasing both norepinephrine and serotonin.
Tricyclics, some of the oldest antidepressants, work by increasing both serotonin and norepinephrine, while blocking the action of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter of memory and learning.
The complexity of prescribing antidepressants and the fact that no single prescription antidepressant works for everyone make it easy to understand.
Norepinephrine Deficiency and ADHD
Another common disorder linked to norepinephrine is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The conventional treatment for ADHD is a prescription stimulant like Ritalin or Adderall, possibly accompanied by behavioral therapy.
Most ADHD medications are based on the assumption that those with attention disorders are deficient in dopamine or norepinephrine.
When you can’t focus or sit still, taking a stimulant would seem to be counterproductive, but here’s how this works.
These drugs stimulate the release of dopamine and norepinephrine and slow their rate of reabsorption, allowing more of the neurotransmitter to properly bind to its receptors.
This allows better use of available norepinephrine and dopamine.
These drugs can make you feel more alert, focused, and mentally clear — whether you have ADHD or not.
Adderall and Ritalin are sometimes used off-label (and often illegally) as smart drugs by college students and those in high-pressure occupations who seek a mental edge.
But you don’t have to rely on drugs to increase norepinephrine to manage ADHD.
John Ratey, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and bestselling author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, has spent decades studying the effects of physical exercise on the brain.
He’s found that exercise effectively mitigates ADHD symptoms by raising both norepinephrine and dopamine, thereby regulating the attention system.
Norepinephrine Imbalance and Other Mental Disorders
Norepinephrine has substantial number of mental health disorders.
With any neurotransmitter, your levels can be either too high or too low, but with none is balance more critical than norepinephrine.
When you have too high a level of norepinephrine, you’ll tend towards anxiety and insomnia.
A sudden burst can even trigger a panic attack.
Conversely, a norepinephrine deficiency can leave you fatigued and depressed, with little interest in life.
People with either fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome often have low norepinephrine levels.
Excessive mood swings characterize bipolar disorder, which is due to an imbalance of norepinephrine.
Debilitating migraine headaches may also be a norepinephrine-related disorder that is triggered when the sympathetic nervous system’s stores of norepinephrine are depleted.
Parkinson’s, a motor control disease, usually occurs with the death of neurons in the area of the brain that produces dopamine.
But there is evidence that the problem may be related to norepinephrine as well.
The loss of norepinephrine may explain some of the non-movement symptoms of this disease, such as fatigue and irregular blood pressure.
Norepinephrine deficiency may also be a contributing factor in Alzheimer’s disease.
Normally, norepinephrine suppresses brain inflammation which is a suspected underlying cause of Alzheimer’s.
But Alzheimer’s patients experience minimal anti-inflammatory benefit from norepinephrine since, in their case, up to 70% of the cells that produce norepinephrine have been lost.
Balance Norepinephrine Naturally With Foods, Supplements, and More
Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may suggest a norepinephrine-altering drug like an SNRI, Wellbutrin, or Adderall.
But finding the right cocktail is hit-or-miss and these medications often have side effects.
Here are some ways to balance norepinephrine levels naturally.
Norepinephrine-Boosting Foods
The amino acid tyrosine is the basic building block of norepinephrine.
You can eat foods that contain either tyrosine or phenylalanine, an amino acid that converts into tyrosine.
Virtually all animal products are good sources of both tyrosine and phenylalanine.
The foods that increase norepinephrine will be very similar to those that increase dopamine.
Here are some foods which specifically increase norepinephrine:
- bananas
- beans and legumes
- cheese
- chicken
- chocolate
- eggs
- fish and seafood
- meat
- oatmeal
Norepinephrine-Enhancing Supplements
Norepinephrine is not available in pill form as either a supplement or a drug.
Medically, intravenous norepinephrine is used to raise dangerously low blood pressure in emergency situations such as when a patient is in shock or having a heart attack.
But you can take supplements that encourage the synthesis of norepinephrine instead.
1. Tyrosine
L-tyrosine, a precursor of both norepinephrine and dopamine, is a good natural option to consider if you have norepinephrine-related depression, and it can work surprisingly fast.
Human studies have repeatedly shown that tyrosine excels at countering the effects of extreme physical and psychological stress.
2. Phenylalanine
Phenylalanine serves as a master precursor, converting into norepinephrine, tyrosine, dopamine, and epinephrine.
These supplements are available in the “d” form or the “l” form.
L-phenylalanine occurs naturally, while d-phenylalanine is synthesized in a laboratory.
Some supplements combine both and are known as d,l-phenylalanine or DLPA.
3. L-Carnitine
Another amino acid, l-carnitine, is an excellent brain function booster and natural antidepressant that works by increasing levels of both norepinephrine and serotonin.
If you decide to give it a try, be sure to use acetyl-l-carnitine (ALCAR), a highly bioavailable form of l-carnitine that readily enters the brain.
4. Arctic Root
Arctic root (Rhodiola rosea) is a popular adaptogenic herb that can alleviate depression symptoms as well as antidepressant medications.
It works by decreasing cortisol levels while increasing levels of norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine.
5. Velvet Bean
Velvet bean or cowhage (Mucuna pruriens) is an herbal remedy that contains l-dopa, a dopamine precursor.
It’s useful for treating Parkinson’s; one study found that it was as effective as typical medications and it worked faster, with fewer side effects.
Velvet bean seeds are also a rich source of both norepinephrine and epinephrine.
Do not take velvet bean if you have low blood pressure or take hypertension medications as it can cause blood pressure to drop too low.
6. Asian Ginseng
Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) is one of the world’s most powerful natural remedies.
For thousands of years, people in Asia have widely used it as a tonic, claiming it bestows long life, strength, and wisdom.
We now understand how it works.
It reduces the stress hormone cortisol while strengthening the adrenal glands.
Compounds unique to ginseng, ginsenosides, increase both norepinephrine and dopamine concentrations in the brain.
7. Nicotine
While I would never recommend smoking to ingest nicotine, researchers have found that low-dose nicotine patches stimulate the release of norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine, alleviating symptoms of depression even in non-smokers.
Many college students, biohackers, and older people are already self-medicating with this isolated form of nicotine to improve mental performance.
Nicotine turns out to be a surprisingly safe brain enhancer that shows promise in treating numerous brain disorders, including ADHD, depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s.
Before using nicotine in any form for any of these disorders, talk to your doctor first.
Other Tips for Increasing Norepinephrine
Besides food and supplements, here are a few more norepinephrine-boosting tips.
We’ve already noted how exercise increases the feel-good brain chemicals.
If you’re game, you can enhance the effects of your exercise by finishing up with a cold water plunge.
Jumping into cold water increases norepinephrine levels by two to three times within minutes.
If extreme cold doesn’t sound appealing, take a sauna instead.
Sitting in a sauna significantly increases norepinephrine, up to three-fold.
Supplements to Decrease High Norepinephrine Levels
The majority of neurotransmitter imbalances are on the low side, but that’s not always the case.
If you are among those with a high level of norepinephrine, it can strongly impact your life.
Signs of a high norepinephrine level include racing thoughts, anxiety, and high blood pressure.
If your friends have ever referred to you as an adrenaline junkie or drama queen, or you are prone to addictions, you may have a high norepinephrine level along with elevated dopamine.
While there aren’t many natural remedies that decrease norepinephrine, here are some options that use common natural remedies in unexpected ways.
5-HTP
5-HTP is a popular supplement for depression, insomnia, and anxiety.
It works mainly by boosting serotonin, but it also deplete some other neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine.
You can use this “side effect” to your advantage to lower your norepinephrine level.
Melatonin
Melatonin is your body’s natural sleep hormone and a common sleep supplement.
A reliable decrease in norepinephrine occurs after taking melatonin, but oddly this occurs only if you take it and then lie down.
Simply standing up and moving around causes norepinephrine levels to go back up.
Sodium Bicarbonate
One of the most unusual tips I’ve come across for reducing norepinephrine is the use of sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda.
While this may sound like an unsubstantiated old wives’ tale, this tip is in the US National Library of Medicine’s online database.
Research shows that taking baking soda after exercising can reduce norepinephrine levels by as much as 30%.
Recommended: Upgrading brain health is key to making your brain work better.
Brain supplement can help you:
- Improve your mental clarity and focus.
- Boost your memory and your ability to learn.
- Increase your capacity to think critically, solve problems, and make decisions.
P.S. Like what you’ve read on this page? Get more like this — Sign up for our emails.
Also read our blog on Melatonin Supplements
