By Dr. Uma Naidoo, MD, Harvard-trained Psychiatrist, Professional Chef and Nutrition Biologist
Are you looking to reduce your anxiety? The power to do so may be just at the end of your fork! While stress is a normal and healthy reaction to challenges throughout life (we call this good stress eustress), it can become unhealthy when stress becomes chronic and excessive. Regularly having extreme feelings of fear or worry that lead to the avoidance of situations or unhealthy habits is considered anxiety that warrants attention. In Nutritional Psychiatry, addressing symptoms of anxiety through evidence-based food choices is key for improving gut health and calming the mind. Therefore, the foods we eat play a key role in reducing or exacerbating anxiety via the gut brain connection.
The gut brain connection highlights the interconnectivity of these two organs, indicating that the gut and the brain are in constant two-way communication, and the health of one directly influences the health of the other. The gut microbes, specifically, are a key determinant of anxiety symptoms. When inflammation is present in the gut, over time, this leads to inflammation in the brain, called neuroinflammation. Evidence tells us that neuroinflammation is increased in those with anxiety, so I recommend that those looking to reduce symptoms of stress need to avoid anxiety inducing foods.
These are foods I recommend lowering for reduced symptoms of anxiety.
- Processed Foods: Processed packaged foods are the items that we find on grocery store shelves with lengthy ingredient lists and expiration dates that are typically packed with processed additives like sugar and omega-6 fatty acids, which both feed the bad microbes in the gut for worsened inflammation and, therefore, more stress. These foods also lack brain boosting vitamins, minerals, and fiber. I always recommend that individuals “shop the perimeter” of the grocery store and reach for nutrient dense whole foods like fresh or frozen vegetables and clean proteins before these items. The center aisles are great for budget friendly dried beans, lentils, legumes, canned wild salmon, oysters or mussels, organic beans, and chickpeas.
- Added & Refined Sugars: There are many other names for the sneaky sugars found in food items today. While you expect these to be found in cakes, pastries and baked goods, boxed cereals, and granola bars, you don’t think of sugar in ketchup, salad dressings or even pasta sauce. Sugars can even be found in savory items like fast food French fries! The hyper palatability of these foods may initially please taste buds, Still, they ultimately wreak havoc on gut health, exacerbate inflammation, and overwhelm the body with more sugar than it needs, which can then increase anxiety and worsen mood. Because sugar is a substance that has an addictive effect, the less we eat over time, the less we will crave. However, for those looking for a sweet, I recommend reaching for a handful of blueberries or a square of extra dark natural chocolate!
- Industrial Oils: the industrialization of the food industry has led to the development of highly processed, inexpensive oils created from the byproduct of the system’s most abundantly grown crops. These include corn, grapeseed, soybean, sunflower, and palm oil. Through processing, these oils become incredibly high in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids and ultimately devoid of anti-inflammatory omega-3. Excess omega-6 fatty acids in the diet contribute to excess inflammatory molecules throughout the body, especially in the gut and brain. These oils can be avoided by reducing one’s intake of packaged foods and fast foods and choosing anti-inflammatory alternatives like extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings or avocado oil when cooking.
- Artificial sweeteners are added to foods and beverages and marketed as low or sugar free options that many may regard as “healthier options,” but a study showed that people who consume artificial sweeteners, mostly via diet drinks, are more depressed than those who don’t consume such beverages. Also, several studies have demonstrated that artificial sweeteners can be toxic to the brain, altering brain concentrations of mood-regulating neurotransmitters.
- Alcohol: Alcohol is not best for the brain, but in reality, more people consume alcohol than do not. I therefore prefer to offer some guidance on how to drink alcohol mindfully. While alcohol can worsen anxiety, it does not have the same effect on everyone. A general guidance here is if you consume alcohol, do so in moderation and pay attention to how alcohol makes you feel (body intelligence). If you feel jittery or anxious, then alcohol is not for you. Be aware that alcohol has other impacts on your physical health. If you consume alcohol,drink clean cocktails with no added syrup, sugar, juices, or liqueurs.
- Caffeine: Coffee can worsen anxiety, so this is a matter of preference and how coffee makes you feel. Again, paying attention to body intelligence is key. If you enjoy coffee, drink it with minimal added ingredients like ultra-processed creamers, added sugars, and artificial sweeteners.
Regarding anxiety triggering foods, ‘Follow Your Body Intelligence’!
One of my Pillars of Nutritional Psychiatry is to Follow Your Body’s Intelligence when it comes to these anxiety inducing foods. Because each person’s microbiome is unique, no two people react to foods exactly the same. Therefore, foods that may induce anxiety for some may not have such stressful effects on others. While the above foods are all linked to inflammation of the gut and brain, the extent to which individuals will experience symptoms varies. I encourage individuals to be mindful of eating, acknowledge how different foods make them feel, and choose accordingly. Pay attention to your mental health symptoms in response to various foods and use this body intelligence to guide you.
Focusing the diet on wholesome, fiber and nutrient rich plant foods with plenty of healthy fats and clean proteins reduces inflammation and stress levels.. Fiber is your friend when it comes to anxiety. Fiber, a vital nutrient for the gut microbes, also comes from filling foods like vegetables, lentils, nuts, and seeds that digest more slowly and help to keep your emotions on an even keel as your blood sugars are more even. Empowerment with this knowledge and careful consideration of one’s body intelligence is key tor avoiding foods that may worsen symptoms of anxiety.
Uma Naidoo, MD is is the MoodFoodMD, a Harvard trained nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef and nutritional biologist & author of “Calm Your Mind with Food”, and the national & international bestseller: “This is Your Brain on Food.” Buy it here on Amazon!
Featured in the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Harvard Health Press, Goop, and many other publications, Dr. Uma Naidoo has a special interest on the impact of food on mood and other mental health conditions. In her role as a Clinical Scientist, Dr. Naidoo founded and currently directs the first hospital-based clinical service in Nutritional Psychiatry in the USA. She is the Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) & Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital Academy while serving on the faculty at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Naidoo graduated from the Harvard-Longwood Psychiatry Residency Training Program in Boston. She maintains a private practice in Cambridge, MA and teaches at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. Next year, she will be embarking on a press tour for her new book, Calm Your Mind with Food, on shelves now.
Uma Naidoo, MD website
