Foods That Help Anxiety

Dietary changes are one of many ways you can alleviate stress and anxiety. Getting the right nutrients in your food is important to your general feeling of well-being, and avoiding foods that can cause anxiety will also reduce your stress level.

• Anxiety can be helped by the right foods.

B Vitamins

• Meat and potatoes are good sources of B vitamins.

  Foods containing B vitamins, especially vitamin B6, can boost your mood and alleviate stress. Foods that are high in B vitamins include meat, potatoes, bananas, beans and liver.

Magnesium

• Magnesium-containing nuts can help anxiety.

  Magnesium is an important component of fighting anxiety through dietary change, as it helps your muscles relax. Foods containing magnesium include nuts, cereals and green leafy vegetables such as spinach.

Calcium

• Calcium deficiency can increase anxiety. These calcium-containing foods can help anxiety: dairy products, nuts, beans, molasses, green vegetables and oranges.

Tryptophan

• One of the essential amino acids in the human diet, tryptophan promotes relaxation and alleviates symptoms of depression. These anxiety-fighting foods contain high levels of tryptophan: egg whites, chocolate, meat, fish, oats, dairy products, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and peanuts.

What to Avoid

• Avoid foods and drinks that contain caffeine or high levels of salt or refined sugar, as these can increase anxiety.