10 Foods that Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Anxiety is slightly different from stress. Stress is a reaction to physical or emotional demands or to a threat (real or perceived). With stress, it’s important to understand that there is a physiological response that happens in the body. Cortisol is released from the adrenal glands in response to something. Then our fight-or-flight (sympathetic nervous system) kicks in so we can make sure we’re safe.
Anxiety can occur as a result of stress. Anxiety is feelings of fear, worry or unease, but there is also a physical connection to anxiety. Anxiety is like a siren that your body turns on to let you know something needs to be looked at or something’s not quite right. Meaning anxiety can also be a symptom of either a hormonal imbalance or nutrient deficiency. Maybe we’re not eating enough of something or our body isn’t absorbing our nutrients the best it can. Genetics also plays a role in this. Healing anxiety doesn’t mean to make it go away forever, it just means that we can learn to work with it, to ease episodes or attacks caused by the anxiety. There many foods that reduce stress and anxiety by supporting hormones and possibly nutrient deficiencies.
Here are 10 foods that reduce stress and anxiety:
1. Almonds
Almonds are one of the foods that reduce stress and anxiety. Almonds are high in magnesium, which has been provided in a meta-analysis of 18 studies that magnesium has evidence to support lowering symptoms associated with anxiety. Magnesium is one of the minerals to aid in brain function and regulation of neurotransmitters, so this poses a mechanism for aiding in anxiety. Additionally, a systematic review shows that magnesium has been shown to be an effective treatment for depression. Depression can be the result of having chronic anxiety and stress, so this shows that almonds are one of the foods that reduce stress and anxiety.
2. Pumpkin seeds
Another one of the foods that reduce stress and anxiety is pumpkin seeds. These seeds contain zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6 to aid in reducing stress and anxiety. A randomized trial showed that with increased zinc serum levels, school-aged kids had decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression. This effect is proven by another study that found that zinc has an inhibitory effect on cortisol secretion. Vitamin B6 is also an active contributor in reducing the stress response. Homocysteine is an amino acid that you produce in the body that, at high levels, can increase the risk of heart disease. It is produced during a process called methionine metabolism and needs to be reconverted back to methionine in order to maintain DNA functionality, as well as other chemical processes to function. This homocysteine at high levels is significantly related to high stress and oxidative stress. When you consume vitamin B6 and other B vitamins, it helps to convert the homocysteine back to methionine.
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3. Salmon
Salmon contains a high amount of omega 3s, which makes salmon one of the foods that reduce stress and anxiety. Omega 3s have been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, which helps to eliminate free radicals which are the component that lead to oxidative stress. A study has found in a randomized controlled study that the experimental group had a significant reduction in stress after 6 weeks of supplementing with omega 3s compared to the placebo. Though using omega 3s as a preventive method for anxiety and stress is not well documented, a large host of studies have provided that omega 3s have a great role in reducing anxiety as a treatment. The mechanism for this is similar to magnesium, that omega 3s have a beneficial role in the brain and the neurotransmitter regulation.
4. Coconut yogurt
Coconut yogurt is a non-dairy yogurt that contains probiotics. It has been shown that probiotics are a component in foods that reduce stress and anxiety. Many individuals have a sensitivity to dairy, meaning that when consumed some people can have an inflammatory response to the casein protein which increases stress. So this is why a coconut yogurt is a beneficial alternative to still get probiotics. Probiotics are live bacteria that are in the food that adds to the gut microbiota diversity in your large intestine. A large systematic review found that probiotics are beneficial in reducing depressive symptoms, and reducing negative mood responses. This is rationalized because there is a connection between the gut and brain, through the vagus nerve. When the gut is in distress, it can send signals to the brain which evoke stress, anxiety, or depression. The gut also produces many of the same neurotransmitters that the brain does that contribute to mood like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA.
Source: 31263542, Harvard Health
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5. Avocado
Avocado is another one of the foods that reduce stress and anxiety. Avocados contain a high amount of healthy fats which are unsaturated fats, meaning that they contain double bonds and fewer hydrogen bonds. Healthy fats are very beneficial for blood sugar control and balance. When you consume a carbohydrate-rich food in combination with healthy fats, you can slow down the absorption of the glucose and therefore maintain a steady increase in blood sugar and blood insulin. This is important because unstable blood sugar can trigger a high cortisol response because when blood sugar isn’t balanced, you have increased hunger, less glucose utilization for energy, and insulin is inefficient.
6. Leafy Greens
Leafy greens like kale, spinach, arugula, and romaine, are another one of the foods that reduce stress and anxiety. This is because these greens contain calcium and magnesium. Mention of magnesium and its benefit on mood and anxiety was noted previously. Data from a study showed the top-scoring plant foods to have the most amount of antidepressant nutrients were leafy greens. In the body, calcium operates as a neurotransmitter which can pose an explanation for how it can help with reducing stress and anxiety. A study found that participants who took a multivitamin that contained high amounts of calcium along with magnesium found a significant decrease in psychological distress after 28 days.
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7. 70% dark chocolate
70% dark chocolate is also one of the foods that reduce stress and anxiety. 70% tells you that 70% of the chocolate by weight is actual chocolate. Dark chocolate contains a high amount of magnesium which helps to improve neurotransmitter function. Additionally, a study found that females who consumed 40g dark chocolate every day for 2 weeks had an effective reduction in perceived stress.
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8. Organic Meat
Organic meat is beneficial as one of the foods that reduce stress and anxiety because of the quality amino acid content. Amino acids are the building blocks in our body that aid in the production of neurotransmitters. Anti-inflammatory molecules, and our hormones. Specifically, tryptophan is an amino acid abundant in organic meat that is used in serotonin production, one of our feel-good hormones. Consuming organic meat over conventional meat is important because the organic meat will not contain any antibiotics or excess estrogens which can lead to inflammation and hormone imbalances thus increasing cortisol production.
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9. Holy Basil Tea
Holy basil tea or tulsi is another one of the foods that reduce stress and anxiety. This tea has calming effects and has been proven by the research to also have adaptogenic properties that help aid in reducing psychological and physical stresses. Eugenol, one of the bioactive chemicals in the basil leaf, has been shown to aid in reducing stress because of its effect on lowering blood sugar levels.
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10. Turmeric
Turmeric is an herb that is another one of the foods that reduce stress and anxiety. The bioactive component in turmeric called curcumin is best known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It helps to reduce inflammation and scavenges free radicals that can damage cells. The antioxidant effects are beneficial to reduce the internal stress response which can balance out hormones like progesterone and estrogen.
Curcumin is not absorbed well in the bloodstream. Combining turmeric with black pepper or looking for curcumin supplement formation with black pepper or piperine can enhance the absorption of curcumin. Piperine is the bioactive compound found in black pepper that has been shown to increase the absorption of curcumin.
