Want to know what are the top foods to help reduce depression and anxiety? Today we’ll take a look at all the food and the research which suggests their benefits.
You might have heard about the gut-to-brain link, and today we’ll take a deep dive into that. Here is the research I completed to help with my recovery.
We are going to learn the top foods that help reduce depression and anxiety.
Top Foods that Help Reduce Depression and Anxiety.
Whilst searching for ways to handle my anxiety, I stumbled on the fact that food can actually affect your anxiety and your mood. I dived deep into research on how what you eat can affect your gut, which in turn affects your mood. Did you know that a whopping 95% of your serotonin (happiness hormone) is created in your gut? So if your gut isn’t functioning like it should or you eat something to affect it, this can cause you to feel different moods. They call it the brain-stomach link.
(Note/Disclaimer: This is just research completed by me and what I used to help myself, I do not have any medical qualifications and recommend you talk with your doctor)
After doing so much research it caused me to think about how we treat animals. The animals that we look after or the ones we find in nature, we feed natural foods. We don’t give them cake or chocolate or noodles from a packet. Why? Because we know it’s not good for them. Isn’t it a little strange though, that we find it perfectly acceptable to feed ourselves that? I mean sure, we don’t have an allergic reaction to these things (unless you have an intolerance) and there’s no physical evidence it’s doing harm to us, but actually, we can’t see what’s happening on the inside.
High-sugar and highly refined grain foods can actually cause harm to the body and promote stress, which is why we don’t feed our animals this. Whereas more natural whole foods can help keep the body in balance.
I discovered through research there are foods which can increase anxiety and foods which can help ease anxiety. Let’s get into it…
First up …
Avocado
Avocado contains B vitamins, B6, in particular, has a role in the production of serotonin. We can also find magnesium in avocado. Magnesium is involved in many physiological processes which all help to prevent feelings of anxiety and stress.
This little guy also contains vitamin E and omega 3 fats which help with oxidative stress and inflammation (this can influence many health issues, and issues related to the mind). The fats in avocado can help to regulate blood sugar levels and reduce blood sugar spikes which also can create feelings of anxiety.
Blueberries
Contain vitamin C and antioxidants (in fact most berries can help protect you from oxidative stress because of antioxidants). A study was also completed looking at students, their stress levels and the effect vitamin C had.
Apples.
An apple a day keeps every doctor away (even the mental health doctor!). Apples contain Vitamin B which is suggested to have anti-anxiety effects (note: there is not yet enough evidence so it might be a placebo effect, but any effect is good enough for me!). Vitamins and potassium both help our neurotransmitters run smoothly (not enough potassium has been suggested to affect mental fatigue and anxiety).
Pineapples.
Contain magnesium, many of these foods contain the same important nutrients, so to spare you time I won’t keep writing about the importance of them over and over again.
Strawberries.
We’ve covered how berries contain antioxidants and the strawberry helps to boost the production of serotonin in our bodies.
Bananas.
Bananas have a secret trick up their sleeve that can help if you are about to experience an event which could cause you to feel anxious. They are known as beta-blockers which prevent adrenaline binding, therefore, keeping our blood pressure and heart rate in check. They should be eaten 30 minutes before the event to help us out though!
Oranges.
Contain a lot of vitamin C. Remember those students and their stress levels study?
Citrus fruit.
Citrus fruits like orange and lemon contain vitamin C which can help stabilise blood sugar levels and cortisol levels to help reduce stress.
Salmon.
Contains vitamin D and Omega-3.
It’s been noted that people who are experiencing anxiety and depression tend to have a vitamin D deficiency and salmon can help us out a little in this area.
Omega-3 helps to regulate dopamine and serotonin. A lack of omega-3 can also lead to a vitamin D deficiency so salmon is super helpful. Salmon has also been shown to help tackle cortisol levels (cortisol is the hormone in charge of the stress in the body)
It’s recommended to get yourself 2 meals of omega-3 a week.
Eggs.
Eggs contain amino acids like tryptophan, which is used in the production of serotonin. (That happiness hormone). They also contain vitamin D, folic acid and B vitamins which help brain chemicals keep better regulation over our feelings.
Turkey.
Turkey is also a great source of tryptophan, but make sure to keep it a free-range turkey! Remember we want to keep any added chemicals out of our bodies.
Bananas are another source of tryptophan.
Turmeric.
Turmeric contains Curcumin which was found in a study to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-anxiety effects.
You can have turmeric in many forms in your food, or how I liked it in tea. It has a pretty powerful punch for flavour but with a spoonful of honey, it goes down quite well.
Green tea.
I generally only talk about things I have tried and tested, but I have to admit green tea is not a supplement I added to my diet when dealing with anxiety. Purely because I was scared of the flavour, really I should have tried it but I was drinking so many other teas this one was put on the sidelines.
A study looked at the effects of L theanine and found it helped to create a feeling of calm at the same time as helping the brain focus because of the caffeine. So don’t count it out just because I did.
Chamomile tea.
Aahhhhhhh, bliss. I now love camomile tea, I can drink it without any extra flavourings but as always, if you struggle try adding a spoon of honey for flavour. Chamomile extract has been shown to help reduce the symptoms of anxiety (this is the extract not the tea though). However, this tea for me is a godsend.
Almonds.
Almonds contain vitamin E, omega-3, zinc and magnesium. We have already discussed the benefits towards helping brain health and anxiety, they also help to regulate blood sugar levels.
Honestly, the first time I started to eat almonds I really didn’t enjoy them, they tasted very bland to me and I wasn’t the biggest fan. However, after a while of eating them, I came to like them and now almonds are a staple in my diet. Make sure to keep the almonds raw and unsweetened or salted.
Cashews.
Up next in the nut family are cashews which help with serotonin, and help prevent mental decline linked to ageing but also help with our sleep as they contain melatonin (and we all need a good night’s sleep to help fight off that stress). Wow, they do a lot!
Brazilian nuts.
Don’t forget Brazilian nuts which contain vitamin E and help reduce inflammation (don’t have too many a day though because of selenium, 3 or 4 should be enough).
Chia seeds.
Chia seeds contain an array of different nutrients all of which we have discussed today to help with anxiety. They are a tiny powerhouse and you will often hear people refer to them as a superfood.
A great pairing to go with Chia seeds is…
Oats.
Oats help the production of serotonin, try creating overnight oats for breakfast by combining chia seeds, oats and milk (unsweetened almond milk preferably) to make an easy breakfast.
Asparagus.
In anxiety and depression, it has been observed that there is a deficiency in the body’s folate levels and asparagus can help us to naturally get enough folate in our bodies. Folate can also be found in avocados.
Yogurt, kefir, kimchi and kombucha.
The fermented foods group.
While researching all the ways to help with your mental health, I discovered the importance of gut health. There is said to be a link between the gut and the rest of the body, especially the brain. We’ve already talked about the gut controlling 95% of our serotonin levels. If your gut isn’t in optimal condition it can cause a lot of damage in our lives. To help the good gut bacteria help us that’s where the probiotics and fermented food come in.
Pumpkin seeds.
Again, I’ll put my hands up and say these aren’t a snack I tried while battling anxiety. However, they are a great source of magnesium and we already know what that can do. Again, keep the pumpkin seeds raw and unsweetened.
Leafy greens.
Spinach /Swish chard.
Leafy greens contain a range of multivitamins. They also help the body tackle stress helping with the normal function of the body.
Dark chocolate.
Ahhh, I had two pieces (or squares) of dark chocolate each day and it really made me feel great. One, because we’ve really reduced our sugar intake to help with anxiety and it can feel like all the tasty treats are gone. And two because I paired it with a tea. Together it felt like a little calming ritual which I loved.
Milk chocolate has many additives where the negatives of these out way the benefits of chocolate. However (70% true) dark chocolate contains magnesium and l theanine (the calm feeling). It also contains polyphenols and flavonoids that help with oxidative metabolism and stress, which has been shown to have a link with anxiety disorders.
These are just a few foods to introduce into your diet to help you on your way to feeling better. In future blogs, I’ll be sharing some recipes using these foods so come back later or subscribe to my email list for when it is released.
Another idea is to take a look at foods you may have an intolerance to and start to eliminate these foods. This is because if the gut is struggling, we will struggle.
This post was all about the top foods that help reduce depression and anxiety.
I hope this helps you like it helped me, if even it’s just a little.
(Side note, I also took Omega-3 supplements and Vitamin C tablets to help, a blog on this will be available later).
Don’t forget to reach out if you need someone!
Speak soon
Bianca
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Related posts:
4 Foods that Increase Anxiety.
