A disorder characterized by constant feelings of nervousness and worry anxiety is a common mental health issue that affects many people. Anxiety, if bad enough, can negatively affect a person’s quality of life, and can hold them back from truly living their life. Even though having a sound support system, going to a therapist, exercising, and taking your medication as prescribed can help keep your anxiety at bay, there’s more to it. Another factor that most people don’t take into consideration is their diet. Tweaking your diet and filling it with foods good for anxiety can go a long way in your fight against stress and anxious feelings.
The food that we eat does have an impact on the brain, so if you want to help keep your feelings of anxiousness at bay, fill your diet with these foods good for anxiety.
Dark Chocolate– Dark chocolate isn’t just delicious. Dark chocolate can also be calming and help improve your mood. Due to the high magnesium and flavonoid content that can help stimulate blood flow to the brain and reduce neuroinflammation, dark chocolate may also help reduce stress and anxiety.
Turmeric– This potent spice contains curcumin, which studies suggest produces significant anti-anxiety effects due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This is due to the compound curcumin that’s contained in turmeric, which has been studied for its role in preventing anxiety and improving brain health.
Yogurt/Full-Fat Kefir– Both yogurt and kefir can help benefit the gut-brain connection, especially since gut imbalances can alter brain chemistry. The link between probiotics and anxiety reduction has been discovered, and research shows that probiotics can help improve your mental health and reduce anxiety and stress.
Oysters– This superfood of the sea can help reduce your stress levels. Oysters are packed with iron and zinc. If your trace mineral ratio is off, it can lead to an imbalance of zinc, which research found can increase the symptoms of anxiety. A correlation between low iron levels and an increase in depression and anxiety was also discovered.
Cherries– This delicious fruit is not only good for topping off your favorite dessert, but they also help promote feelings of calmness due to the antioxidants contained within cherries. Cherries are not the only antioxidant-rich fruit, as blueberries, blackberries, currant, strawberries, and acai berry are also good choices for the anti-anxiety diet.
Green Tea– A popular drink, green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant that can help promote brain health and reduce symptoms by increasing GABA in the brain. In addition, the amino acid L-theanine is also present in green tea. Studies found that L-theanine can help improve brain health, reduce psychological stress responses, and anxiety reduction.
