It is no surprise that the food we eat affects our mood. That’s not just because consuming favorite comfort foods makes us happy, it’s because the brain and the digestive system are in close communication with one another, exchanging messages via the vagus nerve, which extends from the brainstem through the neck to the abdomen.
What you may not know: The foods we choose can impact our anxiety levels. The neurotransmitter serotonin, sometimes called the body’s happiness hormone, plays a central role in regulating anxiety and overall mood—and between 90% and 95% of our serotonin receptors are in our gut.
Bottom Line Personal asked leading nutritional psychiatrist Uma Naidoo, MD, author of Calm Your Mind with Food, how to choose the right foods to reduce anxiety…
Start with the Mediterranean diet. The much-acclaimed Mediterranean diet is best known for its ability to lower risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers—but the foods it features also happen to be excellent choices to help reduce anxiety. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes foods that are high in fiber and healthy fat, especially vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, extra-virgin olive oil and seafood, particularly salmon or mackerel, both rich in omega-3 fatty acids. If you’re looking for a straightforward strategy for low-anxiety eating, following the Mediterranean diet is an excellent option.
But this diet may not be ideal for everyone—if you dislike Mediterranean food or if this diet is very different from the way you currently eat, there’s a good chance you won’t stick with it. If that is the case, here are more ways to replace anxiety-triggering foods and ingredients with anxiety-reducing ones.
Calm the inflammation-anxiety connection. You might already know that certain foods—including sugar-laden, heavily processed, and deep-fried foods—can cause increased inflammation in the gut. Chronic inflammation is linked to a range of health problems, including inflammatory bowel disease, certain cancers, arthritis, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Less well-known: Chronic inflammation doesn’t just affect the body…it also affects the mind. Numerous studies, including a 2018 meta-analysis of 41 earlier studies by researchers at Columbia University and in Scandinavia, found a strong link between inflammation and anxiety. Consuming foods that promote inflammation appears to play a role in this. A 2022 review of 17 earlier studies by researchers at China’s Hebei Medical University concluded that consuming a highly inflammatory diet was associated with 80% higher risk for anxiety among women.
Phasing inflammatory foods out of a diet is only half the equation…the other half is adding anti-inflammatory foods, such as tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, omega-3-rich fish, nuts and a range of fruits and berries. Not surprisingly, those anti-inflammatory foods also are prominent in the Mediterranean diet. Warning: The oil you choose to cook with can significantly affect whether your meals are inflammatory or anti-inflammatory. Highly refined “seed” oils, such as corn, soy and canola oils are inflammatory…while olive oil and avocado oil are anti-inflammatory. Cooking in butter actually is a reasonably healthful option if done in moderation.
Reduce oxidative stress to lower psychological stress. Oxygen-containing molecules with uneven numbers of electrons are known as free radicals. The “oxidative stress” that free radicals can cause in the body is linked to a range of health issues, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and Alzheimer’s.
What’s less well known, though, is that oxidative stress also is linked to anxiety, according to several studies, including a paper by researchers at France’s Université Paul Verlaine de Metz. Fortunately, there’s a dietary solution—consuming antioxidant-rich foods can balance out those free radicals and greatly reduce oxidative stress, reducing psychological stress in the process. Foods especially high in antioxidants include tea, coffee, red wine and dark chocolate, as well as many of the foods featured in the Mediterranean diet, including anti-inflammatory foods such as fruits, berries, green leafy vegetables, nuts and legumes.
Spice it up. Spices are overlooked anxiety-reduction tools. Eating foods that contain the spice turmeric can reduce both anxiety and depression, for example—it is particularly effective when consumed together with a small amount of black pepper. This makes sense since turmeric has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The evidence for turmeric’s anxiety-fighting powers is very strong and includes a 2021 paper by Brazilian researchers who reviewed 10 earlier clinical trials. There’s also a reasonable amount of evidence that saffron reduces anxiety and depression, including a 2019 analysis by Australian researchers that reviewed 23 earlier studies.
Wake up to water. Dehydration has been linked to increased anxiety levels and low overall moods. People often are dehydrated first thing in the morning, when they likely haven’t had anything to drink for at least eight hours. Downing a glass of water before taking your morning shower can be an effective anxiety reducer. Related: Avoid sodas and fruit juices—those might help you overcome dehydration, but they contain large amounts of added sugars and/or artificial sweeteners that could promote anxiety-triggering inflammation. If you prefer more flavorful beverages than plain water, try infusing water with citrus or berries. Tea is another smart option.
Consider taking ashwagandha supplements. The herb ashwagandha, sometimes called “Indian ginseng,” has long been used for anxiety reduction in India. It has been subjected to multiple studies, and the results are encouraging—a 2022 paper by Iranian academics reviewed 13 earlier studies and concluded that ashwagandha significantly reduces anxiety and stress levels compared with a placebo. Ashwagandha is very bitter, however, so taking it in supplement form makes more sense than trying to use this herb as an ingredient in food.
Check your levels of iron, magnesium and vitamin D. Low levels of iron, magnesium and vitamin D can lead to anxiety and, in some cases, depression. Many people are deficient in one or more of these without realizing it. That doesn’t mean everyone should rush to add them to their diet—but it is worth getting your iron, magnesium and vitamin D levels tested by your doctor, particularly if you’ve been struggling with anxiety or depression. Increase your consumption of foods rich in these only if your doctor tells you that your levels are low. High-iron foods include meat, eggs and green leafy vegetables. High-magnesium foods include legumes, seeds, nuts, leafy greens and dark chocolate. High-vitamin-D foods include fatty fish, mushrooms and egg yolks. Also, spending as little as 10 minutes in the sun each day without sunscreen can provide a vitamin D boost.
Don’t turn low-anxiety eating into a source of high anxiety. Start slow—make just one positive change to your daily diet, such as replacing your usual sugary dessert with a bowl of berries. Make additional changes as time passes, but don’t strive for perfection—set a goal of eating a healthy, high-fiber, anxiety-reducing diet about 80% of the time, while allowing yourself to enjoy your favorite foods the other 20%. That should be sufficient to reduce anxiety without making you feel deprived. Most people start to experience the anxiety-reducing benefits within a few weeks.
