The Impact of Endorphins: The Body’s Natural Opioids

Endorphins are part of a group of chemicals naturally produced in the body called neuropeptides. Neuropeptides are short chains of amino acids released at the end of nerves that deliver messages to your brain, as well as throughout your body. Because endorphins are released in one place in the body, but have an effect in another location, they are technically hormones. Although there are at least 20 different endorphins, beta-endorphins are the most well-studied.

Endorphins are primarily synthesised and stored in the pituitary gland in the brain, although they are also produced by some immune cells (like T- and B-lymphocytes), which have been shown to contain endorphins during inflammation.¹ After they are released, the endorphins travel throughout the nervous system.

What is the impact of endorphins on your body?

The name endorphin derives from “endo” – meaning created within the body – and orphin ‒ from the word morphine. Endorphins are often referred to as nature’s morphine because they are natural painkillers. They are released from the pituitary gland in a burst in response to pain and attach to opioid receptors in the body where they stimulate the release of another feel-good chemical, the neurotransmitter dopamine.

Although endorphins are primarily released in response to physical stressors like pain and act as natural painkillers, they are also released in response to pleasurable experiences, like having sex or eating chocolate.

Endorphins exert numerous activities in the body including:

• Pain support
• Modulation of the stress response
• Mood and anxiety support
• Inflammation support
• Immune support
• Memory and general cognitive performance
• And even self-esteem

What if your body doesn’t produce sufficient endorphins?

The impact of endorphins can also be felt when endorphin levels are low. Low endorphin levels usually result in low dopamine, which can lead to depression.

Other symptoms of low endorphin levels may include:²

• Poor impulse control
• Body aches – fibromyalgia 
• Anxiety
• Sleep issues
• Tendency toward addictions

How can you increase the beneficial impact of endorphins?

Although several things are known to boost endorphins, probably the most well-known and researched is exercise. Other ways to boost endorphin levels include getting acupuncture treatments, meditating, eating dark chocolate, drinking wine, eating hot spicy foods, and engaging in pleasurable experiences like belly laughing, dancing, listening to music, and having sex. Let’s take a closer look at some of these.

Exercise. Although all types of exercise have the potential to increase endorphins, the more intense the exercise, the greater the likelihood of getting that happiness rush. Stimulation of endorphin release is in response to the pain you might be feeling – such as from lactic acid buildup. In this case, it actually might be a matter of “no pain, no gain.”

Some research indicates that an hour of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) contributes more dramatically to endorphin release than the same amount of moderate-intensity exercise (fast walking, playing tennis).³  Resistance training also stimulates endorphin release. One study that compared a more intense routine (10 reps with 1-minute rest periods) with a less intense routine (5 reps with 3-minute rest periods), found the higher intensity routine more significantly increased endorphin release, which mirrored the lactic acid release.⁴ So, it seems that endorphins are released to come to the rescue when you’re feeling the burn.

Chocolate. It’s long been known that chocolate can boost your spirits – it gets you in a good mood. Research in recent years has discovered that it’s not just because we love the taste of chocolate ‒ chocolate contains mood-enhancing ingredients, AND it can boost the release of your own feel-good chemicals. In addition to the flavanols and other polyphenols in chocolate that can benefit your mood, chocolate stimulates endorphin release – and it seems that palatability matters. Research has found that more palatable chocolate boosts mood more significantly than less palatable chocolate – a phenomenon believed by the researchers to be mediated by endorphin release.⁵ And you might not even have to eat the chocolate to get the endorphin high, because in some individuals, having a food craving is enough to boost their endorphin levels.

Alcoholic beverages. Most of us have experienced the feelings of relaxation or a general sense of well-being a nice glass of wine can bring. Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco performed PET scans on the brains of volunteers before and after consuming alcohol and were able to identify specific areas of the brain where endorphins were released.⁶ In both 13 heavy drinkers and 12 non-heavy drinkers, endorphins were secreted from the nucleus accumbens in the brain – and the more endorphins, the greater the feelings of euphoria. In addition, in the heavy drinkers, but not in the moderate drinkers, endorphin release from the orbitofrontal cortex was associated with greater feelings of intoxication. The researchers theorised that the brains of heavy drinkers changed in such a way that drinking alcohol had a more profoundly pleasing effect on this group, making alcohol more addictive.

Spicy food. Just like exercise up-regulates the release of endorphins when you feel the burn – so can eating hot spicy foods. For example, endorphins are released in response to the burning sensation in your mouth produced by the capsaicin content of hot peppers.

Vitamin C. Vitamin C offers natural relief from soreness and discomfort. This might be because vitamin C is a cofactor in the synthesis of numerous neurotransmitters and even appears to enhance the synthesis of endorphins. Because of vitamin C’s ability to bind to opioid receptors, it has been researched as an aide in relieving opioid use disorder, appearing to attenuate the need for opioids.⁷

The takeaway

So, whether you choose to boost your endorphin levels with a heavy dose of exercise, a bit of dark chocolate, some vitamin C with bioflavonoids – or all three – they all have health benefits that extend beyond the feel-good endorphin rush.