Serotonin content of foods: effect on urinary excretion of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid

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Abstract
Using a highly specific radioenzymatic assay we determined the serotonin concentration in 80 types of foods. The following fruits had a high serotonin concentration (mean ± SEM) expressed in µg/g weight: plantain 30.3 ± 7.5; pineapple 17.0 ± 5.1; banana 15.0 ± 2.4; Kiwi fruit 5.8 ± 0.9; plums 4.7 ± 0.8; and tomatoes 3.2 ± 0.6. Only nuts in the walnut or hickory family had a high serotonin concentration expressed in µg/g weight: butternuts 398 ± 90; black walnuts 304 ± 46; English walnuts 87 ± 20; shagbark hickory nuts 143 ± 23; mockemut hickory nuts 67 ± 13; pecans 29 ± 4; and sweet pignuts 25 ± 8. Ingestion of these fruits and nuts resulted in an increase in urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid excretion with no change in platelet serotonin concentration. The above foods should not be eaten while a urine is being collected for 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid analysis.