Which foods can reduce your stress and anxiety?

Livsmedel som minskar stress

According to a Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 survey, around 7 out of 10 adults had felt anxious within the previous two weeks, and for 6 out of 10, this ångest had interfered with their daily lives.  

The rise of this mental health issue seems to suggest that the stresses of modern life is a key driver, although many factors are often at play. But what we eat is one lifestyle factor we can control - and relatively quickly.  

Med hjälp av Nurit Raich, livsmedelsforskare och holistisk näringscoach, tittar vi på de näringsämnen som tros hjälpa till att lindra ångest och stress.

Magnesium is an important mineral for your heart, bones, nerves, and muscles. Because it also supports neurological functions in the brain, it's thought that brist på det may trigger mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. 

"If you're looking for foods that reduce stress, there have been studies linking magnesium deficiency with anxiety," says Raich.  

Not having enough magnesium may increase your cortisol levels, the stress hormone linked to stress and anxiety. However, research is ongoing, and there have been mixed results. While one review found magnesium could help with mild anxiety, it was not effective for people with generaliserat ångestsyndrom or panic disorder¹.  

Livsmedelsforskaren säger: "Zink är ett annat näringsämne som har kopplats till minskad ångest."

We need zinc for cell and protein growth, tissue healing, and a friskt immunsystem. This important nutrient has been studied for its potential calming effect, and results are looking good.  

I en granskning av nio studier hade personer med ångest lägre nivåer av zink jämfört med personer utan ångest. Det fann också att konsumtion av mer zink kan minska dina chanser att uppleva ångest inom vissa begränsningar².  

Vitamin C is another key nutrient in foods which can help ease anxiety, according to Raich. This vitamin is a powerful antioxidant that protects against cell damage, and it's thought that this helps reduce anxiety by keeping chemicals in your brain and nerves healthy. Vitamin C also helps to fight infections and heal wounds, among other major jobs in the body.  

People with lower-than-normal vitamin C levels are more likely to have stress-related illnesses such as anxiety and depression. Studies have also shown that when they consume more vitamin C their moods could improve.  

Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy, essential fats needed for things such as making cells and hormones. They can help protect you against heart disease, stroke, and cancer and help control existing conditions such as eczema and rheumatoid arthritis. 

Nyligen, i en översikt av studier som inkluderade totalt 2 240 personer, fann man att omega-3-fettsyror effektivt behandlade kliniska ångestsymptom³.  

Men inte all forskning stöder dessa resultat. En annan större översikt av mer än 46 000 vuxna fann begränsade bevis för effekten av omega-3 hos personer med befintlig ångest⁴. 

This said, omega-3 is a healthy addition to your diet, so there’s no harm in meeting the recommended daily requirements. The latter research concludes, "the review does not undermine the potential importance of foods rich in omega-3, such as oily fish, for a healthy diet for general health." 

We need fibre for stable blood sugar and cholesterol levels, as well as good digestion.  

Because fiber contributes to a hälsosam tarm - which is increasingly linked to a healthy brain - it's now thought that fibre may contribute to good mental health. We know that fibre promotes good bacteria in the gut, and that having these bacteria may influence your mood and how susceptible you are to anxiety disorders. 

Även om forskningen behöver fortsätta, tyder tidiga observationsdata på att fiberrika livsmedel är en lovande stresslindrande livsmedelsgrupp. Det finns dock inga nuvarande bevis från studier som stöder att tillsätta fiber i din kost för att lindra ångest eller depressiva symtom.

Raich säger att det finns vissa studier som kopplar vår tarmmikrobiom - balansen mellan fördelaktiga och skadliga bakterier i tarmen - till att må bra.

"This is why fermented foods, for example, kimchi, surkål, yoghurt och kefir kan också vara ett bra tillskott," förklarar hon.

When foods are fermented, bacteria and yeast break down carbs and turn them into acids or alcohol. This process has been used to preserve food for centuries, but we now know this also breeds good bacteria - called probiotika - to support a healthy gut.  

The healthy gut-brain connection is one reason why it may help to eat fermented foods for anxiety. Another is that fermented foods are made from vegetables such as cabbage, onions, radish, and ginger. These are foods that reduce stress even before the fermentation process, because they supply a range of beneficial nutrients such as vitamin C, a range of other vitamins, and fibre. 

A balanced and varied diet will gift you with all of these anxiety-reducing nutrients, while supporting your general health.

Raich delar med sig av en av sina favoritberedda maträtter mot ångest:

"Ett av mina favorit sätt att få in en massa näringsämnen som får en att må bra i en måltid är att göra en sallad som innehåller spenat, avokado, linser, mandlar, lax och en yoghurt-citrusvinägrett - det är supergott."

1. Botturi et al: Rollen och effekten av magnesium vid psykiska störningar - En systematisk översikt.   

2. Azargoonjahromi: En systematisk översikt av sambandet mellan zink och ångest.   

3. Su et al: Samband mellan användning av omega-3 fleromättade fettsyror och förändringar i svårighetsgraden av ångestsymptom.   

4. Nationella institutet för hälso- och vårdforskning: Ökat intag av omega-3 förhindrar inte depression eller ångest.