The Best Foods to Reduce Anxiety

Who has the time to make a meal plan when there are several job deadlines and a complete social schedule? But when it comes to reducing stress levels, your diet can assist.

Anxiety and depression frequently coexist, with roughly half of the depressed people also having anxiety. Only about a third of people who feel anxiety seek counselling, even though some therapies and medications can lessen the stress this condition brings to the body.

However, dietary changes aren’t sufficient to treat anxiety’s root cause. In this case, medication is recommended. At the consultation of your doctor, get a prescription to aid the impact of anxiety better. Contact zolpidemonlineuk to get original medicines at affordable prices.

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The Best Foods to Reduce Anxiety

Numerous more dietary factors can help reduce anxiety, including health recommendations like eating a balanced meal, staying hydrated, and limiting or eliminating alcohol and caffeine. For instance, since they are metabolised more gradually, complex carbohydrates help to maintain a blood sugar level that is more constant, which encourages a calmer mood.

Green Leafy Vegetables

When under pressure, it’s easy to go for a cheeseburger but try eating a salad for lunch instead. Green vegetables like spinach include folate, which helps your body make dopamine, a brain chemical that makes you feel good and enables you to stay calm.

An analysis of nearly 14,500 participants published in the Journal of Affective Disorders in 2022 revealed a substantial negative correlation between depression with increased intakes of selenium, zinc, and B vitamins, especially folate. In other words, more significant consumption of these vitamins and minerals was associated with reduced depression.

Additionally, a 2018 study found that college students often felt calmer, happier, and more energetic when they ate more fruits and vegetables. This study was published in Frontiers in Psychology. The researchers discovered that healthy eating appeared to predict a happy mood the next day, even though it can be challenging to determine which occurred first—positive thinking or healthy eating.

Eggs

An excellent source of vitamin D is egg yolks, particularly those from chickens reared on pasture.

Another excellent protein source is eggs. Since they are complete proteins, they offer all the amino acids the body needs for growth and development.

Another amino acid in eggs, tryptophan, also helps to produce serotonin. Serotonin’s chemical neurotransmitter helps regulate mood, sleep, memory, and behaviour. It is present in the brain, gut, and blood platelets. Serotonin is supposed to enhance mental performance and reduce anxiety. Foods and medications containing serotonin do not directly give serotonin to the brain since it cannot pass the blood-brain barrier. Still, they can cause chemical processes that increase serotonin levels in the brain.

According to several research studies, nutrition and gut bacteria may be necessary for preventing and treating anxiety-related symptoms. However, more investigation is required to determine whether this is feasible.

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are rich in potassium, which helps maintain electrolyte balance and regulate blood pressure. Previous research from 2008 showed that lower levels of potassium and magnesium were associated with more significant amounts of the stress hormone cortisol.

Bananas and pumpkin seeds are two meals high in potassium that may help alleviate the signs and symptoms of stress and anxiety.

Another excellent source of the element zinc is pumpkin seeds. One study on 100 female high school students discovered a negative correlation between blood zinc levels and mood disorders, including anxiety and sadness. These findings imply that increasing zinc levels in the serum may help certain persons with mood problems.

The growth of the nervous system and the brain depend on zinc. The body’s most excellent zinc storage locations are found in the emotional processing areas of the brain.

Dark Chocolate

Experts’ long-held ideas contend that dark chocolate may reduce stress and anxiety.

Some research suggests that cocoa or dark chocolate may improve mood by affecting the gut-brain axis. However, because a large portion of the prior study on this subject was observational, it is essential to use caution when interpreting the results.

Despite the lack of convincing evidence, dark chocolate is a good source of polyphenols, particularly flavonoids, which may help with stress or mood. One study shows flavonoids may increase blood flow while reducing neuroinflammation and brain cell death.

Tryptophan is abundant in chocolate, and the body uses it to make neurotransmitters that elevate mood, like serotonin, in the brain.

Additionally, an excellent source of magnesium is dark chocolate. You can reduce stress and anxiety symptoms by taking supplements or eating a diet high in magnesium.

Instead of relying solely on food sources for magnesium, people with magnesium insufficiency may consider using high-dosage supplements.

Choose dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao. You should consume dark chocolate only in tiny servings of 1-3 grams (g) because it still includes additional sugars and fats.

Turmeric

Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine regularly uses spices like turmeric. Reducing inflammation and oxidative stress are two variables that typically increase in people with mood disorders like anxiety and depression.

Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, may help people with anxiety.

A 2015 study found that people with obesity who took 1 g of curcumin daily felt less anxious. If someone is interested in items with high doses of curcumin, they should talk to their doctor about taking supplements.

According to a different study, increasing the amount of curcumin in the diet boosted DHA and decreased anxiety. It’s simple to include turmeric in dishes. It works nicely in smoothies, curries, and casseroles since it has a mild flavour.

The Takeaway

Consult a healthcare professional if your anxiety symptoms get worse or last for more than two weeks. But even if your doctor advises medicine or counselling for your anxiety, it is always essential to inquire if changing your diet could be helpful. The connection between food, mood, and anxiety is getting more and more attention, even if nutritional psychiatry is not a replacement for other forms of treatment. There is increasing evidence, but more study is required to comprehend nutritional psychiatry’s function completely.