Anxiety is one of the most common and rapidly increasing issues around worldwide. More and more people live in a constant state of worry, which can cause mental health problems in the long run.
People with anxiety disorders often find simple activities to be difficult. They may worry about work, family, school, and other activities. It can cause physical symptoms such as a rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, headaches, and trouble sleeping.
The food we eat plays an important role in enhancing our health to a great level. Studies have shown that junk or dead food and an unhealthy lifestyle are the leading reasons for stress and anxiety in your body. They can also lead to different problems like cholesterol, high blood pressure, bad functioning of the liver, sleeping issues, etc.
In this post, we will be looking over 10 best foods for anxiety.
10 Foods For Anxiety
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is a powerful herb or plant used to relieve stress and anxiety for over 3000 years. The root and berry of this herb are used in medicines for several reasons.
It helps in boosting brain function, lowering blood sugar, balancing asthma. It helps control cortisol(stress hormone that worsens anxiety) levels in the body and is one of the best foods for anxiety.
Other benefits:
- improves thyroid function
- has anti-cancer properties
- increase testosterone and fertility in men
- boost immune system
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate contains rich nutrients that can positively affect our health in many ways. It is made from cocoa trees and is one of the best anti-anxiety foods found on the planet.
It has the potential to make you happy, not only because of its rich taste but also because it contains Tryptophan, an amino acid that is used in the brain to make serotonin(Happy hormone).
People with depression, stress, and anxiety have a low amount of serotonin, so dark chocolate helps to produce this chemical in our bodies.
Other benefits:
- elevates your mood
- boost your brain
- lower the risk of heart disease by 50%
- great for your skin and protects from sunburn
- good for digestive system
Blueberries
You should start adding blueberries to your diet. It contains high levels of antioxidants and vitamin C, which are extremely useful in reducing the anxiety levels in your body. They are also rich in fibre that helps in improving our digestion system.
Other benefits:
- helps to lower bad cholesterol levels
- fight urinary tract infection
- also helps to fight cancer due to anti-cancerous properties
Kiwi
Kiwi is rich in vitamin C, E, and some studies have shown that they may help to reduce oxidative stress in our body. They also help promote the serotonin hormone in our brain, a chemical that helps us improve our mood.
Other benefits:
- promote healthy skin and hair
- boost our immune system
- improves our digestion system
- prevent chronic diseases
Salmon
Salmon help in reducing stress and anxiety due to the presence of omega-3 fatty acids in them. Omega-3 fatty acids are also good at reducing the cortisol levels in our bodies.
A small daily amount of salmon intake is quite enough to reduce anxiety. It also helps increase the level of dopamine, a type of neurotransmitter connected with the pleasure system of our body.
Other benefits:
- improves heart rate
- great source of protein
- help in weight control
- improves and protects brain health
Chamomile
Chamomile herb is another great product for us by nature. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, and relaxant properties.
According to a recent study, chamomile reduces anxiety symptoms in people who consistently consume this herb.
Many people use this herb as chamomile tea to get benefits from it.
If you are not a fan of chamomile tea, you can go for rooibos tea instead, a tea that originated from Africa and has been used for many years to reduce anxiety and improve mental health.
Other benefits:
- improves skin and heart health
- pain-reducing abilities
- help better immune function
- helps to sleep better
Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the most powerful herbs and one of the top foods for anxiety. For thousands of years, it has been used in Asian and Indian cuisines and the Ayurvedic medical system.
It has many amazing healing properties with the capabilities of preventing and treating cancer.
According to a study of a clinical trial, It has found that turmeric can be an effective treatment for depression and anxiety. The curcumin, a compound found in the turmeric root, is linked to treating anxiety as it boosts our body’s level of serotonin and domain.
Other benefits:
- control blood sugar
- supports brain health
- alleviation joint points
- boost your immunity
Related: Top 7 Benefits of Turmeric for Men
Avocado
Avocado is a fruit that has incredible effects on our bodies. It has anti-bacterial and antioxidant flavonoids, which kill bacteria in our mouths and make our breath fresh. It is also packed with vitamin B6 and magnesium, which help produce serotonin in our brains, and you already know what serotonin does.
Include this fruit in your daily diet for at least a month and see its amazing returns.
Other benefits:
- decrease your cholesterol levels
- make the liver function more efficiently
- lower your blood pressure
- improves your vision
- extra protection from cancer
- help in losing weight
Yogurt
We should include plain yogurt in our daily diet. It contains healthy bacteria, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, which have positive effects on brain health. It may help with symptoms of stress and can stabilize our mood.
Studies have found that including probiotic food like yogurt in our daily diet promote mental health and fight free radicals in our brain to relieve anxiety.
Other benefits:
- high in protein
- improve immune system
- promote weight management
- improve heart health
Also read: 5 Disadvantages Of Yogurt You Didn’t Know About
Green tea
The increasing research on green tea has shown that it can provide many beneficial health effects. No tea can magically cure anxiety completely, but green tea is recognizing as super tea to boost healthy living to anxiety sufferers.
Also read: 9 Amazing Health Benefits of Drinking Green Tea
It contains antioxidants and nutrients that can have a positive effect on our bodies.
Green tea contains an amino acid called L-theanine. This amino acid is good for reducing stress, anxiety and promotes relaxation in our bodies. It also increases the dopamine levels in our body and promotes amazing pleasure.
Other benefits:
- promote brain health
- used in fat burning
- may reduce bad breath
- help you lose weight
So these were the 10 best foods to reduce anxiety. You don’t have to include all these foods at once in your diet, but include some of these for at least a month on a daily basis to see which works best for you.
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