Living with anxiety can be very frustrating and immobilizing. It’s not easy to navigate your day if you don’t have any idea when or where your next panic attack may happen.
Nutritionist Avni Kaul says even though anxiety is often seen as a mental issue, one forgets that neurotransmitters and steroid hormones largely influence your mental state. Even though it is essential to look at changing our stress patterns in life, biochemical support can provide the foundation to make such changes.
Today in this article, Delhi ’s renowned nutritionist Avni Kaul talks about the essential nutrients to relieve anxiety.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral of multiple actions it is used by almost every organ and system of our body. It nourishes and soothes the nervous system allowing for smooth processes. This is essential for sleep and to prevent as well as relieve anxiety, fear, nervousness, restlessness, and irritability. Magnesium is important for good heart health, strengthening of the arteries and balanced blood pressure. It helps to balance reproductive hormones and therefore lowers PMS. It is involved in over 300 enzyme reactions, including the development of bone and protein synthesis. It aids to balance the blood glucose levels by playing a part in fat and carbohydrate metabolism, energy production and insulin sensitivity.
Magnesium is found mostly in almonds, spinach, kale and pumpkin seeds.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is important for serotonin and melatonin production as well as balancing our steroid hormone system, all of which plays an important role in preventing and relieving anxiety. Also, vitamin D is important for immunity, bone, reproductive and heart health, and it’s vital for protection against cancer.
Vitamin D is a hormone created from your skin’s direct contact with sunlight. This does not say that you need to stand under the sun for several hours a day to prevent anxiety. 15-20 minutes per day will allow your vitamin D levels to increase at a healthy rate.
The body can get small amounts of vitamin D3 from certain foods like egg yolks, soy milk, orange juice, and cereals.
Recently, we have seen that owing to various changes in lifestyle people spend lesser time under the sunlight. Thus, in order to boost your levels, you can take vitamin D3 oil and transdermal vitamin D3 patches.
Omega-3
Our brain requires lots of omega-3 to work at optimum levels and relieve anxiety. It supports healthy dopamine production, enhances neuronal growth, and increases cerebral circulation. It is also vital for heart health and as an anti-inflammatory agent in the immune system, that explains why omega-3s (EPA and DHA) are potent in alleviating depression.
Flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds, cold water fish and seafood such as tuna and salmon are good sources of Omega-3. Also, you can use soybean oil and flaxseed oil.
L-theanine
L-theanine is an amino acid usually found in green tea extract. It is the precursor to the neurotransmitter GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid), which can decrease physiological responses to stress, and soothe the nervous system and relieve anxiety. It also has characteristics that offer protection against environmental neurotoxins. There are several good supplements of L-theanine in the market.
Vitamin B’s
Vitamin B’s are important for DNA methylation (detoxification). Although each vitamin B has a specific role in the body these essential nutrients work best as a team.
Inositol: This has been found to support panic disorder, depression and OCD. Beans, nuts, and grains are good sources of Inositol.
Vitamin B1: It is important for blood sugar control as it metabolizes carbohydrates and creates energy production. A known cause of panic attacks and anxiety is low glucose levels. It is critical for a healthy nervous system, optimizing brain function and lowering depression. Found in beetroots, barley, sunflower seeds, and oats.
Vitamin B3: Vitamin B3 is used in the conversion of food to energy. It also promotes the working of the nervous system and has a part in the production of serotonin, your happy hormone and is involved in many enzymatic mechanisms. Foods high in B3 are chicken, avocados, brown rice and mushrooms.
P.S. Every nutrient plays an important role in our body. You should never opt for the random intake of nutrients without consulting your doctor or a reputed nutritionist. Self-made diet plan can often result in poor results.
