What You Should Eat to Help Reduce Anxiety and Depression
Chester Suerte
While anxiety and depression need professional help and medical care, proper food intake can still widely help in addressing such mental conditions.
Studies have shown that proper nutrition plays a significant role in maintaining not just good physical health, but also mental health. Food intake is one of the most overlooked aspects in nurturing a healthy mind. While counseling and in some cases prescription medicines are important, your daily nutrition can also help in producing hormones that can help you balance your mental health. Here are some accessible and easy food options that can help you improve your mental well-being:
1. Nuts
If you are a constant snacker and always looking for something to munch on, you’ll be pleased to hear that eating nuts can be a therapeutic way of scaling down anxiety and depression. According to studies, nuts and other legumes such as walnuts, Brazil nuts, and cashews contain a high amount of antioxidant called selenium. Selenium is a trace mineral that can reduce inflammation, which has been attributed to harnessing anxiety and depression.
According to a study conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the United States, individuals who consume nuts daily, especially Brazil nuts, are found to display a heightened amount of positive energy, a brighter mood, and a general feeling of happiness and optimism.
2. Eggs
Eggs are versatile and easy-to-cook superfood packed with nutrients that help combat anxiety and depression. They contain a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, proteins and amino acids– including the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential part of the production of serotonin in the body, which is a chemical messenger that acts as a mood stabilizer that reduces anxiety and depression.
3. Dark Chocolate
Chocolates are known worldwide as sweet and delectable treats that everyone loves. But did you know that chocolates, especially dark chocolates, have been shown to help minimize bouts of anxiety and depression?
Flavanols in dark chocolates help improve an individual’s mood. While acylethanolamines and phenylethylamine are psychoactive ingredients in dark chocolates that stimulate and relax neural pathways in the brain that induce a calm, happy and relaxed feeling.
4. Avocado
Avocado is another versatile superfood that contains tryptophan, and also omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin B6, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. These vitamins and minerals help counter neuroinflammation in the brain. This tropical fruit also helps produce serotonin, a chemical responsible for influencing good mood.
5. Tea
Tea is a natural relaxant that has been shown to diminish stress and anxiety. Research has proven that drinking tea lowers the level of stress hormones in your body called cortisol, which are the ones responsible for producing depression. Plus tea helps in the production of feel-good hormones called serotonin, the vital hormones that modulate our mood and happiness.
6. Fatty fish
Fatty fish such as milkfish, salmon, sardines, trout and mackerel are rich in protein and omega 3 fatty acids. They are known to have anti-anxiety and anti-depressive properties.
Omega 3 fatty acids contain alpha-linolenic acid, which forms the base of two other fatty acids: docosahexaenoic acid and eicosatetraenoic acid. They help stimulate the brain’s neurotransmitters that lessen inflammation, which then decrease the level of anxiety and depression.
7. Yogurt
I am obsessed with yogurt-based beverages and desserts! Research say that yogurt contains healthy bacteria, mainly Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus. These microorganisms are said to have positive effects on one’s brain and neuropathways that help lower the level of inflammation related to anxiety and depression.
8. Blueberries
When we’re stressed or anxious, our body naturally craves vitamins C and sugars so that they would protect and repair our cells. And blueberries are naturally packed with both. Blueberries also contain antioxidants which have been proven to address anxiety and depression.
9. Turkey
Turkey is one of the most tryptophan-rich meats that is rich in vitamin B, which helps in enhancing one’s mood. Vitamin B is an essential part of the production of serotonin in the body, as well as another essential amino acid called folic acid, which helps ward off the effects of anxiety and depression.
10. Milk
Having a tall warm glass of milk is synonymous with cultivating relaxation and relieving anxiety before going to sleep at night. But why is that? Why does milk make us feel relaxed and anxiety-free?
This is because milk contains minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium that help lower cortisol levels in the body that cause stress, anxiety, and depression. Magnesium, in particular, has been proven to be effective in lowering anxiety levels in individuals.
Milk also contains high amounts of tryptophan, an amino acid that plays a vital role in the production of the feel-good hormone serotonin, plus melatonin which helps regulate sleep patterns. These two hormones reduce the effects of anxiety and depression in our bodies.
Most of these food options are quite accessible. And if you make good decisions when it comes to your everyday nutrition, you can have the power to improve your mental health.
If you believe you need further professional help, you should contact mental health experts or clinics, such as Better Steps Psychology. You may contact this clinic thru +639178943988.
