Does a bad diet lead to anxiety?

Anxiety is a very common problem these days. We all have stuff we worry about – at work, at home, financial worries, relationship issues etc.

However a bad diet can make things worse. We need the building blocks such as vitamins and minerals to make good brain hormones. Our brain hormones such as adrenaline, dopamine, serotonin etc should be balanced enough to help us control our emotions throughout the day. But what happens when we eat bad food and we cannot maintain good levels of these hormones?

Serotonin particularly needs zinc to be produced in good quantities. But we also need magnesium and B vitamins as well as Omega 3.

What healthy foods do we get these nutrients from?

We get zinc from pumpkin seeds, organic red meat, and seafood such as oysters and other crustaceans. Magnesium we get in green leafies such as spinach and B vitamins from healthy grains. Omega 3, the essential fatty acid is particularly good for our brain, so make sure you get enough from oily fish or supplements such as krill oil.

Our nerves are like electrical wires, but instead of a plastic covering they have an oily covering. Lack of Omega 3 leaves these nerves exposed and irritable.

What bad foods reduce good brain activity?

Bad fats, such as transfats can get into our brain and push healthy Omega 3 out. So reduce your intake of transfats in pastries and pies. Sugar can also make people anxious, as it can make your blood sugar go low. This can cause irritability and anxiety until you eat food and raise the blood sugar again. So avoid sugar and processed foods.

The outcome is this – get rid of bad foods in your diet, and get more healthy foods into your daily meals and you brain should work better. Then you can more easily overcome your problems and come up with great solutions!