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| 6 Best 'Anxiety Superfoods' To Eat When You're Feeling Stressed |
When you're grappling with stress, your first instinct might be to turn to traditional calming methods like deep breathing, guided meditation, yoga, or a relaxing bubble bath. However, it might surprise you to learn that certain foods can also play a vital role in alleviating anxiety and reducing stress. In a conversation with Dr. Uma Naidoo, a Harvard-trained nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, nutritional biologist, and author of "This is Your Brain on Food" and the upcoming "Calm Your Mind With Food," we explore the world of anxiety superfoods that can make a significant difference in your quest for tranquility.
What Are Anxiety Superfoods?
"Anxiety superfoods" might pique your interest, and for good reason. But what exactly qualifies a food as an "anxiety superfood"? These are healthy, nutrient-rich foods known to possess stress-reducing properties.
Our bodies have numerous pathways involved in stress and anxiety management, and specific nutrients found in foods can influence these mechanisms. For example, the gut's health is closely linked to mental and brain health through the gut-brain axis. Ensuring a balanced gut microbiome, filled with beneficial bacteria, can aid in anxiety reduction. To support microbiome health and manage anxiety effectively, it's crucial to consume foods rich in prebiotic fiber and probiotics.
Minerals also play a pivotal role in regulating anxiety, with iron being a prime example. Iron is essential for neurotransmitter metabolism in the brain and influences the availability of serotonin, dopamine (the "happy hormones"), and GABA, a neurotransmitter that calms nerve cell hyperactivity associated with anxiety.
Dr. Naidoo notes that iron is a common nutritional deficiency globally, highlighting the importance of incorporating iron-rich foods into your diet. While red meat is often considered a good source of iron, Dr. Naidoo points out that cacao is the best-known plant-based source of iron, boasting three times the iron density of red meat. She emphasizes that iron from plant sources is non-heme iron and requires vitamin C for maximum absorption, making a combination of dark chocolate and citrus fruits like clementines an excellent choice to optimize your iron intake.
The Best Anxiety Superfoods to Reduce Stress
If you're eager to explore the realm of anxiety superfoods, here are Dr. Naidoo's top choices to include in your diet when you're feeling stressed:
1. Green or Black Tea
Dr. Naidoo recommends green tea for enhancing brain health and managing anxiety. Green tea is rich in polyphenols and a catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the risk of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, green tea contains the amino acid L-theanine, known for reducing stress and anxiety levels.
2. Unsweetened Kefir
Fermented foods like unsweetened kefir, made from whole milk, promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, leading to decreased inflammation and the production of essential chemicals that support brain function.
3. Berries
Berries are abundant in fiber and natural antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E. They also provide essential micronutrients like calcium, folic acid, selenium, lutein, and alpha and beta carotene. Research indicates that dietary interventions, such as consuming blueberries, can significantly enhance mood and help prevent depression.
4. Avocados
Avocados are an excellent source of magnesium, a mineral crucial for regulating various biochemical reactions in the body. Magnesium plays a key role in mood regulation, and deficiencies have been linked to anxiety, fatigue, and irritability. Adding magnesium to your diet can improve sleep quality, hydration, muscle growth, and recovery, all of which are closely tied to mental health, particularly anxiety and depression symptoms.
5. Egg Yolks
Egg yolks are rich in vitamin D, with one large yolk offering 37 IU of vitamin D. Research highlights the significance of vitamin D in alleviating depression and anxiety symptoms. Vitamin D acts as a neuro-steroid in the brain, protecting against depression and anxiety disorders, making it a crucial factor in regulating stress responses.
6. Leafy Greens
Leafy greens are an outstanding source of fiber, carotenoids, and folate (vitamin B9). They also contain essential vitamins, including C, K, and calcium. Folate supports neurotransmitter function in the brain, governing mood and cognition, including anxiety and stress management. Consider adding leafy greens like spinach and kale to your diet for these benefits, and don't discard beet greens – they are nutrient-rich, containing stress-reducing compounds.
Incorporating these anxiety superfoods into your diet can make a substantial difference in reducing stress and improving your overall mood. So, why not give them a try and embark on a journey to a calmer, happier you?
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