21/02/2022
I was asked recently to do a few feature posts for a domestic abuse support group I am a member of. It occured to me tonight that some of the followers on my nutrition page might benefit fro these posts too. So have decided to share today's post. The focus was on dietary changes that can help with anxiety. I think the reasons for this in this context are obvious so won't go into that.
Diet changes that can help reduce anxiety.
Oh my goodness. Writing this feature has given me yet another ‘I really wanna focus on this as a nutritionist’ subject to add to my endless list of nutrition related things I want to know more about. So very, very interesting. I also discovered that their is a new emerging field in nutrition called Nutritional Psychiatry. Mind = Blown! Now to the point.
I have managed to whittle it down to some very basic key diet changes you can make to reduce anxiety and other mental health issues that may arise as a result of being in an abusive relationship or dealing with the fall out of leaving one.
AVOID ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS AND REFINED SUGARS
This has been one of my mantras since my son was a tiny baby. Added to when I started trying to manage my own digestive issues using diet and discovered that artificial sweeteners can cause or increases the symptoms of conditions like IBS and irritable bowel disease. So, I was not surprised to see this pop up whilst doing my reading for this post.
Here’s a wee summary of the reasons behind this -
• Animal studies have shown that artificial sweeteners induce anxiety in lab animals. Its suspected this is due to the negative affects they have on the gut microbiome and the inflammation they cause in the gut.
• Ironically, some studies have shown that the calorie deficit produced by eating artificial sweeteners is reversed after their consumption because of the affects they have on metabolism, or how quickly you burn energy in layman’s terms.
• Artificial sweeteners have been found to have noted affects on insulin. Namely they appear to increase insulin resistance. Which then puts consumers at higher risk of developing diabetes.
• Aspartame in particular can affect dopamine and serotonin production, both very important in brain function and by that route they can also affect mood and anxiety levels.
• Some studies showed such a dramatic effect on those with a history of depression that the trials had to be stopped early!
• Refined sugar causes spikes in blood sugar, which can lead to issues with energy and as a result maintenance of health neurotransmitter balances.
• Diets high in refined sugar tend to lead to increased fat tissue. Fat tissue can release it’s own hormones which can then further affect mood and anxiety.
What can you use in place of these, or what should you be looking for when checking labels?
• Stevia is a natural, plant derived sweetener. Used by indigenous tribes for generations with no ill effect. It is very, very potent. So a little goes a very long way.
• Erythritol is generally safe from an anxiety perspective. However, I advise a cautious approach as this sweetener can cause issues for some people who already have IBS or who find they can be sensitive to alcohol sugars. For example, I follow a GERD reduction and low fermentable sugar diet and can’t tolerate erythritol at all.
• I use maple syrup in recipes frequently. But be careful to select a maple syrup that doesn’t also have fructose added to it. Which many of the cheaper bottles contain.
GET THOSE OMEGA 3’s IN TO YOU!!
I am going to get all sciencey babble here, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DH). Both help to reduce inflammation and support the gut microbiome and reduce the risk of chronic disease. And can simultaneously reduce anxiety.
Omega 3’s achieves this by -
• Normalising dopamine levels and improving serotonin activity. Serotonin has reductive affects on depression, regulates anxiety, helps wounds heal, maintains bone health and helps to regulate sleep).
• Increases brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This aids in learning and memory by increasing the creation of new neurons. It also has anti oxidant effects and can reduce age related neurodegeneration (reduction in brain tissue). It can help to reduce the incidents and effects of borderline personality disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia.
So how much omega 3 do you need and where can you get it from?
Studies have shown that the intake needs to be over 2 grams a day. Plant sources of omega aren’t particularly high in the specific types of omegas that are need to help with brain related symptoms. The very best sources are fish roe (fish eggs, such as caviar Dahlingsss) or krill oil. But salmon is the next best source with other oily fish such as mackerel and sardines following closely behind.
GET THE TURMERIC SORTED!
I used to use golden paste before starting treatment for my psoriatic arthritis. It has very potent affects on inflammation when consumed as a paste and the reading for this post enlightened me to it’s positive affects with regards reducing anxiety. For it to be most effective it needs to be consumed with an oil source and a source of piperin. Most golden paste recipes contain coconut oil and fresh ground pepper (source of piperin).
A NOT OF CAUTION THOUGH – If you are taking any sort of anti inflammatory or disease modifying drug such as methotrexate please speak to your consultant before starting regular use of turmeric. It can and does increase the potentially serious side effects of these drugs. So be careful.
INCREASE VITAMIN D
You have all probably heard more than you would like about vitamin D since the pandemic started. That’s because this vitamin is so very important for reducing and resolving inflammation and other such important things. And because most of us are deficient in vitamin D to some extent. It’s very difficult to get through your diet and the cancer risk of getting it through sun exposure kinda negates the benefits of this route. Eggs are one of the best sources for vitamin D.
What can it help –
• Regulates calcium and ion balance in the brain
• Affects dopamine and serotonin
• Helps maintain health gut microbiome
• Reduces anxiety at a one weekly dosage of 50,000 iu for 3 months in studies.
As it is so difficult to get through the diet it is highly recommended that everyone supplements with vitamin D for at least the darker months of the year from autumn to spring. But don’t go too daft with it. It’s a fat-soluble vitamin, which means you can poison yourself if you take in too much.
KETOGENIC DIETS
These diets are high in fat and low in carbohydrates. They force the body to produce more ketones, which is a very good energy source for the brain. But they are not suitable for everyone. For example, I have no gall bladder and a condition called sphincter of oddi dysfunction. Which means that high fat diets are a no go for me. Most frustrating after reading tonight that they can help with quite a few conditions I have!!
Here’s a quick summary of what the ketogenic diet can do based on scientific studies –
• Can reduce the symptoms of ADHD, BPD, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, major depressive disorder and binge eating.
• Reduce inflammation and oxidative stress (so the nasty bi products of digestion and well, breathing)
• Normalise neurotransmitter imbalances. The route of most mental health conditions.
• Aid the gut microbiome and improve the function of the gut barrier.
Following diets like this alone can be extremely challenging so I wouldn’t recommend attempting this at a time in your life when you are already struggling to manage your life responsibilities or the likes.
Sources – Norwitz NG & Naidoo U (2021)
Nutrition as metabolic treatment for anxiety. Front. Psychiatry. 12:598119.
doi: 10.3389/psyt.2021.598119
