“Anti-anxiety diets can be a very powerful tool for improving our mental health,” he said. Uma Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist and director of the Division of Nutrition and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. “This is one of the many ways he calms down.”
In her new book, “Calming Your Mind with Food: A Revolutionary Guide to Controlling Anxiety” Naidoo explores the relationship between the gut and the brain. She said patients sometimes find it hard to believe that the gut, which is so far in the body from the brain, could play a role in mental health. But your gut and brain are constantly having conversations about digestion, appetite, and even mood.
Scientists have long known This strong connection is so important that some people even refer to the gut as a “second brain,” Naidoo said. The vagus nerve, which starts in the brain and extends through the abdomen and intestines, helps explain why we often feel anxious in our stomachs. Another connection between the gut and the brain is serotonin, an important neurotransmitter that affects mood and is primarily produced. in the intestines.
Recently, the gut-brain axis, the communication network between the central nervous system and gut microbes, has become a focus for researchers studying the relationship between mental health and the microbiome. Imbalances in our gut bacteria are associated with anxiety and depression.
The food we eat can have a huge impact on our microbiome, and Naidoo believes choosing the right foods and cutting back on the harmful ones can improve our mental health. The basics are not surprising. Naidoo recommends eating a diet rich in whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, and unprocessed grains. She advises people to avoid refined carbohydrates, such as refined flour. Foods that are high in sugar or contain artificial sweeteners. Unhealthy fats often found in packaged snacks and fried foods.
She also recommends an anti-anxiety diet, or eating certain foods that boost mental health and calm your mind. If someone is already receiving treatment for anxiety, this is intended to be used as a complementary strategy to combat anxiety, Naidu said.
We spoke to Naidoo about some of the foods that make up your diet. Here we will introduce seven of them.
Naidoo recommends eating two or three small squares of extra dark chocolate every other day. It’s even better when combined with citrus fruits such as clementines or orange slices. Extra dark chocolate is rich in iron. Polyphenol — A plant compound associated with several health benefits.What we learned from the research association Between iron deficiency and anxiety, cocoa has been shown to help: boost mood. Citrus fruits contain vitamin C, which has been shown to help absorb iron.
Look for natural chocolate with at least 75 percent cocoa. “This is not a candy bar,” Naidoo said. She added that the added sugar in milk chocolate outweighs the benefits.
Naidoo says leafy greens are rich in fiber, folate, iron and other micronutrients, as well as the antioxidant lutein. research has shown Can reduce depression in mice. Naidoo recommends adding a variety of colored leafy vegetables to your salads. You can also steam spinach to stir-fry leafy greens or add it to soups.
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage are essential to an anti-anxiety diet, Naidu said.Rich in sulforaphane, This powerful phytochemical “helps reduce the inflammation that we’re trying to protect against in our gut,” she said.
Chopping broccoli before cooking helps maintain sulforaphane levels, she said. After chopping, let it stand for 30-60 minutes and then put it in the refrigerator. If you’re making broccoli for dinner, “cut it up in the morning, clean it, and store it in a clean bag in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it,” she said.
Avocados are rich in dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin E, and magnesium. If your intake of magnesium is low, related to depressionthere are some studies showing that it contains magnesium. Can improve anxiety symptomsalthough the evidence is not strong.
“Although results have been somewhat mixed, given the importance of magnesium in so many anxiety-related situations, we strongly recommend consuming sufficient magnesium-rich foods,” Naidoo writes in her book. I’m writing this.
She recommends eating a small avocado in quarters or halves several times a week. Includes guacamole, sliced avocado and scrambled eggs, or avocado toast on sourdough bread. “This is a powerful food because you get the amount you need and so many micronutrients and macronutrients in small amounts,” Naidu said.
Drinking green tea during the day can have a calming effect, Naidu says. There’s a scientific reason for this, and it goes beyond the fact that drinking a hot drink instantly makes you feel relaxed.
“Green tea contains two very powerful antioxidants. EGCG [epigallocatechin gallate] And L-theanine,” Naidoo said.in Randomized Placebo Controlled TrialJapanese researchers found that L-theanine supplements reduced stress-related symptoms such as depression and anxiety.
Green tea also contains caffeine, which can increase anxiety when consumed in large amounts, so keeping caffeine intake to less than 400 milligrams a day is tolerable for people with anxiety, says Naidu. he said. An 8-ounce cup of green tea contains about 30 to 50 mg, so unless you’re drinking other caffeinated beverages, you’re unlikely to exceed that threshold.
“Don’t drink it too late; if it starts to affect your sleep, that’s a problem,” says Naidu.
Fatty fish, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and walnuts are good sources of omega-3s, which are essential for brain health and development.
Supplements containing omega-3 are popular, but recent research suggests marketers are exaggerating their cardiovascular benefits. In many studies, dietary omega-3s have shown better results, Naidoo writes.
For those who eat fish, Naidoo recommends incorporating salmon into your diet. For those following a plant-based diet, she recommends eating 1/4 cup of seeds each day. Try adding a tablespoon of chia and flaxseed to salads, smoothies, or mixed into oatmeal.