Nutrition for Anxiety

Anxiety can range from mild periodic symptoms to crippling and constant symptoms. It’s important that you seek help from a mental health specialist if your symptoms are interfering with your daily life; see your local GP to get a referral. At home, you can do everything you can to help deal with anxiety. This involves looking after your diet, lifestyle and using natural herbs and supplements if necessary. I’ll be doing a blog on each of these areas. Today I am focusing on nutrition. Having a healthy wholefood diet is important but there are some nutrients that are particularly important for anxiety. Make sure to read to the end to get your FREE 7 day plant based meal plan for Anxiety.

Iron

Iron deficiency exacerbates anxiety and sleep disturbances. Iron is essential for blood production with about 70% of the iron in your body found in red blood cells (haemoglobin). Haemoglobin transfers oxygen in your blood from the lungs to tissues. When you are deficient in iron, it creates a lack of oxygen available to body tissues which can cause the feelings of anxiety. Common symptoms of iron deficiency that mimic anxiety are palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue and depression.

Make sure you are getting enough iron in your diet. Although it is traditionally thought that only meat is high in iron, there are plenty of plant based sources too. Iron from animal sources is known as haem iron and is easily absorbed. Iron from plant sources is called non-haem iron, and not so readily absorbed in the body. By adding a vitamin C rich food to meals containing iron you can increase the absorption of non-haem iron significantly. Many vegetarian sources of iron exist, such as green leafy veg, dried fruits, legumes, nut, pulses, and tempeh. Combine these with a vitamin C rich fruit or vegetable to maximize benefits. Be careful to avoid tannins and phenols (such as those found in black and green teas) and fibre with iron rich foods as these interfere with iron absorption.

Magnesium

Magnesium is an important nutrient for regulating neurotransmitters and is involved with brain functions that reduce stress and anxiety. Magnesium deficiency not only effects neurotransmitters but also leads to heart arrhythmias and mood and personality changes, all of which mimic and induce anxiety.

Increase foods rich in magnesium, particularly green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds and legumes.

Zinc

Zinc is an important co-factor in the metabolism of neurotransmitters. Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food but it can be found in other sources. In most developed countries the main source of dietary zinc is meat and poultry, however there are many plant based sources such as nuts and seeds (particularly pumpkin seeds), spinach, legumes and oatmeal.

B Vitamins

The B vitamins are essential for many processes in the body and play an important role in the production and synthesis of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) that affect mood and brain function. The B vitamins all work together synergistically so it is important to get a good spread of all of them in your diet. However, the B vitamins that are of particular importance for mental health are B6, Folate and B12.

Some people may have genetic polymorphisms that effect how the body can metabolize and utilize some B vitamins. Having these polymorphisms can increase the risk of suffering from anxiety. I’ll write about that in detail in another blog, but for now it’s enough to say that getting the vitamins naturally from food or from supplements containing the activated form of the B vitamins is the way to go (i.e. NOT folic acid or cyanocobalamin).

Foods that are generally rich in B vitamins are animal foods (especially liver), wholegrains, green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, rice, legumes, cruciferous veg (broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower…).

All the B vitamins are easy to get from plant sources with the exception of B12.

B6 is found in legumes (especially chickpeas), potatoes, peanuts, soybeans, oats, bananas.

Folate is found in dark green leafy veg, legumes, rice, asparagus, brussel sprouts, avocado.

B12 is not too much of an issue for vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy products however for vegans it can be an issue. B12 is found naturally only in animal foods so vegans will need to supplement with this. There are many B12 fortified vegan foods but most of these are highly processed (nutritional yeast is a good choice though) and I would recommend a supplement over consuming these every day. Other foods like some seaweeds and chinese mushrooms contain small amounts of B12 but a lot of it is B12 analogues or pseudo B12, which basically sits in the B12 receptors of the body but exerts a much less potent effect on the body than actual B12.

Choline

Choline is a precursor of brain acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is very important in cognitive and nervous system function. When there is a deficiency in choline, cognitive function may be affected leading to problems with the management of daily tasks and increasing levels of anxiety.

Although the richest source of choline is beef, liver and eggs, it can also be found in high amounts in soy beans, legumes, potatoes, quinoa, cruciferous vegetables and mushrooms.

Tryptophan

Tryptophan is an amino acid and a precursor to serotonin. Deficiencies in this amino acid can impact the creation of serotonin and effect mood, lead to anxiety and sleep issues.

To ensure you get enough protein make sure you are getting adequate protein. Turkey and chicken are the foods most people thin of when it comes to tryptophan but it is also found in good amounts in nuts and seeds, especially peanut butter, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and also tofu and tempeh.

Omega 3

Omega-3 fatty acids have a number of biological effects in the body. The membranes of the brain contain a high proportion of omega 3s, and research suggests that omega-3s deficiency in the brain can induce numerous behavioral and psychiatric disorders including anxiety.

Omega 3 comes in 2 forms –

1. DHA and EPA which is usually from fish and fish oils but algae oil is a fantastic vegan source also.

2. ALA is a plant based form from foods such as walnuts, hempseed, flaxseed oil & chia (this is then converted to DHA and EPA in small amounts).

High dosages for omega 3 have been used in research to significantly reduce anxiety. These doses can usually only be obtained through supplementation with fish oils or the vegan alternative algae oils.

Lysine and Arginine

Lysine is an essential amino acid and arginine is semi-essential. We must get Lysine via the diet and although arginine can usually be created by the body, in some cases such as pre-term infants, it cannot be created and is therefore essential to get from diet in that case. Dietary supplementation with an L-lysine has been shown to reduce chronic anxiety in humans who have a low dietary intake. Additionally a combination of L-lysine and L-arginine was found to normalize hormonal stress responses in those with anxiety.

Lysine and arginine are both found in all protein rich foods. Meat and Soy products are particularly high in lysine whereas arginine is found in large amounts in nuts, seeds, wholegrains and oats.

Low Glycemic Load

Make sure the carbohydrate foods you consume are low glycemic load to prevent insulin spikes and keep blood sugar levels balanced (glycemic load takes the concept of the glycemic index and uses it to assess how a food affects blood sugar based on how it is normally consumed in a meal).

Avoiding foods with a high glycemic index and glycemic load will help to avoid mood changes, jitters and anxiety caused by blood glucose fluctuations.

Antioxidants

There is a correlation between anxiety and a lowered antioxidant status. Therefore it makes sense to include foods rich in the antioxidant vitamins A, C & E, selenium and the carotenoids e.g. beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

Vitamin C and the carotenoids are plentiful in brightly coloured fruit and vegetables, vitamin E can be found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds and Brazil nuts are very rich in selenium.

If you are suffering from anxiety and want to utilize your diet and natural methods to address symptoms book in for a consult.