14 Foods That Can Help Reduce Anxiety

Anxiety is a mental health condition that affects nearly 8% of the global population (via Healthline). While the cultural rhetoric surrounding coping with anxiety is varied, many people are awakening to the idea of confronting anxiety from a holistic perspective in tandem with medical treatment approaches. Researchers often tout the benefits of breathing exercises and physical exercise as means to help cope with the myriad and oft-debilitating symptoms of chronic anxiety. It also turns out that many foods, even some that a lot of us consume on a day-to-day basis, can have soothing effects.

Many of the foods that are regarded as "anti-anxiety" earned this label because of the effects they can have on our brains and cognition. Many of these foods contain compounds that can help boost our brain function and thus decrease the symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety is a mental health condition and, in many cases, requires medical intervention to placate. If you are struggling with anxiety, check in with your doctor or another qualified mental health practitioner first, and then with their consultation, you may want to attempt to incorporate the following foods into your diet. The brain-boosting benefits might help you find a healthy and sustainable way to coexist with your anxiety. 

If you are interested in achieving optimal health, it is likely that you are familiar with the many great benefits that consuming fatty fish can have within our bodies. And when it comes to reducing symptoms of anxiety, fatty fish prevails once again. The term "fatty fish" includes salmon, herring, mackerel, trout, and more. While fish can contain both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids are of more interest when it comes to reducing anxiety. In fact, some research has shown that the over-consumption of omega-6 fatty acids may increase the likelihood of developing a mood disorder. 

Omega-3 fatty acids, however, are known to regulate our neurotransmitters, promote healthy brain function, and reduce systemic inflammation. The compounds in them can help with mood regulation, too. Though more research is required to fully understand the link between the specific compounds in omega-3 fatty acids and their influence on anxiety, one study has yielded incredibly promising results (via Journal of Clinical Medicine). It is worth noting that some types of fish also contain vitamin D, which is thought to help regulate mood and decrease the occurrence of depression (per Healthline). 

Perhaps one of the more enticing foods to grace our list of anxiety-taming foods is dark chocolate (via Medical News Today). You know, the kind you salivate over after dinner while you're sipping your glass of red wine, pure decadence. Dark chocolate contains copious amounts of many substances that are thought to positively affect the functioning of our brains and nerves. These compounds include tryptophan, magnesium, and flavonoids. Flavonoids are a type of polyphenol that are thought to aid in neuroinflammation reduction, blood flow, and even reduce brain cell death. The magnesium that dark chocolate contains has long been considered a nutrient that likely lessens the symptoms of depression. 

Beyond the studies regarding these specific compounds, much of the research surrounding dark chocolate and its relationship to mood yielded observational results, so we are advised to interpret the data with caution. When looking to conduct your own, at-home study about the ways dark chocolate can interact with your anxiety, look for products that contain 70% or more dark chocolate for maximal benefits. 

If you have even flirted with health foods, you probably know that turmeric is often touted as a magical spice that can do everything from liven up your food to decrease the inflammation throughout your body (via Healthline). As it turns out, many of turmeric's benefits can positively affect your brain and moods as well.

Curcumin is da real MVP when it comes to turmeric. Curcumin is a compound in the spice that has been targeted as a mood-stabilizing superstar (via Healthline). Research has even led to some bold claims being made about the stuff — including that it might be just as effective as Prozac, but without many of the negative side effects! Scientists assume that this is because curcumin is so adept at boosting serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain. 

Healthline explains that at sprinkling turmeric into your meals might not be enough. But if you are able to consume upwards of 1,000 milligrams a day for six weeks and beyond, you will likely start to notice mental health benefits. 

Though they be but little, they are fierce — pumpkin seeds contain a powerful punch of nutrients, including some that can have a positive influence on your overall headspace. Per Healthline, a one-ounce serving of pumpkin seeds contains around 37% of the recommended daily amount of magnesium, which plays a role in a ton of differently bodily functions. When it comes it our mental health, magnesium is especially helpful because it helps regulate our neurotransmitters to improve our brain function. When our neurotransmitters are properly regulated, they are better able to send signals and messages throughout our brains and bodies. 

Magnesium is presumed to interact with the hypothalamus in the brain (via Healthline). This is the part of the brain that helps control the pituitary and adrenal glands, which are invaluable when it comes to stress regulation. With these glands in a more homeostatic state, your body is less likely to ignite a systemic stress, or fight-or-flight, response.

Much like green tea and turmeric, chamomile has a reputation for being soothing, calming, and consumed by health-conscious folk. Chamomile is an herb that contains both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds (via Healthline). As we know, decreasing inflammation is super valuable when it comes to reducing stress and tension. 

Like many of the other anxiety-reducing compound found in foods, the mechanisms behind how they specifically interact is still being studied. Some of the compounds in chamomile are presumed to interact with many of the neurotransmitters that help to regulate our moods. These neurotransmitters include serotonin and dopamine, two of the most important ones when it comes to our mental health. Beyond this, chamomile is thought to help regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, which is the fancy way of explaining the intersection between the hypothalamus, the pituitary glands, and the adrenal glands (per Neuroscientifically Challenged). The intersection of all of these systems plays a huge role in our bodies' abilities to regulate stress. 

Blueberries have long been touted as an antioxidant-delivering powerhouse, which is one of the reasons that they are also of-note as an anxiety-reducing snack. They also contain copious amounts of vitamin C, which has been linked to reducing the incidences of depression and anxiety (via Psycom). 

When it comes to blueberries, the antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals are important, no doubt, but swapping them in while tagging out a sugary snack might yield even bigger benefits. According to Psycom, opting to eat sugar when you're hungry can actually lead to less-than-stellar brain functioning and performance, which increases your chances of developing symptoms depression and anxiety. Swapping out your sugary afternoon snack and chomping on blueberries instead can provide you with an immune system boost, as well as plenty of compounds to help bolster your overall health in other ways. Furthermore, adding blueberries in as a healthy snack can help encourage you to consume less added sugars, which can affect your gut bacteria and therefore your mental space.

Oats might seem like an unlikely item to find on the list of foods that can help reduce anxiety, but oats earned their place on this list but being a surprisingly good source of tryptophan. One cup of prepared oatmeal contains nearly 147 milligrams of tryptophan, which takes a big chunk out of the recommended daily intake amount of between 250 and 425 milligrams per day (per WebMD). 

Beyond simply providing benefits that improve our moods, tryptophan consumption has been linked to improved memory skills, visual cognition abilities, and learning. According to WebMD, it has been shown to have positive effects aggression control, as well as on mood and depression as we know. Tryptophan has also been known to help stabilize our bodies' melatonin production, which can help regulate sleep patterns. This is especially valuable for people who struggle with sleep. Needless to say, getting enough sleep, preferably through healthy sleeping and waking cycles, is absolutely crucial for mood regulation and overall wellbeing (via Better Health).