Is it true that drinking wine can increase serotonin levels?
Q: Is it true that drinking wine can increase serotonin levels?Joseph, Palm Springs, Calif. Serotonin is a chemical that the body produces to regulate mood, happiness and anxiety, and there has long been thought to be a link between depression and reduced levels of this "feel-good" hormone. According to Dr. Brad Lander, a clinical psychologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, the short-term positive feelings associated with alcohol consumption are a product of the release of serotonin. "Some people drink alcohol and [experience a more powerful] release [of] serotonin than others," Dr. Lander told Wine Spectator. "Each person will feel the alcohol differently."