Anxiety and PTSD: Based on the book "This is Your Brain on Food"
Anxiety:
The Western diet actually refers to the standard American diet. Though plenty of Americans are as health conscious as anyone else in the world, the Western diet is what you’d typically find in a fast-food meal—the major components are bad fats (saturated fats, trans fats, and unhealthy PUFAs like the vegetable oil commonly used for deep-frying) and high-GI carbs, which means lots of fried food, sweetened drinks (especially those sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup), and lots of red meat. While there’s no question that this diet is bad for your physical health, we’ll see its negative influence on mental health throughout this blog. Anxiety is no exception. It’s important to realize that excess caffeine in your diet can precipitate or worsen anxiety. Caffeine overstimulates regions of the brain that process threat. When you use artificial sweeteners that have no nutritional value, they can increase “bad” gut bacteria and therefore negatively affect mood and anxiety. Sweeteners like aspartame have been more directly linked with anxiety in research studies and should be avoided, or at the very least used in moderation. Diets rich in dietary fiber may reduce the risk of depression, anxiety, and stress. You’ll find rich dietary fiber in the “five Bs”: beans, brown rice, berries, bran, and baked potato with the skin on. Other high-fiber foods include pears, apples, bananas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, artichokes, almonds, walnuts, amaranth, oats, buckwheat, and pearl barley. Fermented foods, like plain yogurt with active cultures and kimchi, are a great source of live bacteria that can enhance healthy gut function and decrease anxiety. In the brain, fermented foods may confer several advantages. Fermented foods have improved human cognitive function in several studies. Other sources of fermented foods include kombucha, miso, tempeh, and apple-cider vinegar. You can also ferment vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, green beans, radishes, and broccoli. Other foods and nutrients that decrease anxiety include selenium (found in Brazil nuts), potassium-rich foods (e.g., pumpkin seeds), flavonoids (e.g., dark chocolate), and theanine (e.g., green tea). Foods that contain high amounts of lysine such as lean beef and lamb, tempeh, seitan, lentils, black beans, and quinoa can also be helpful. On the other hand, avoid wheat bran since it contains phytic acid, which blocks zinc absorption and causes anxiety. The active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, decreases anxiety and changes the corresponding brain chemistry, protecting the hippocampus.
ANXIETY CHEAT SHEET Foods to Embrace: High-fiber foods: Beans, brown rice, berries, bran, pears, apples, bananas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, artichokes, almonds, walnuts, amaranth, oats, buckwheat, and pearl barley. Aged, fermented, and cultured foods: Yogurt, kombucha, miso, tempeh, apple-cider vinegar, and pickled vegetables. Tryptophan: Turkey, other meats, and chickpeas, especially when combined with carbohydrates. Vitamins D, B1, B6, A, C, and E. Minerals: Magnesium, potassium, and selenium. Spices: Turmeric. Herbs: Lavender, passionflower, and chamomile. Foods to Avoid: The components of the Western diet: Foods high in bad fats (red meat, fried foods) and high-GI carbs (white bread, white rice, potatoes, pasta, and anything else made from refined flour). Caffeine: Keep caffeine consumption under 400 mg/day. Alcohol: For men, stay under 14 drinks per week and no more than 2 drinks in any single day; for women, stay under 7 drinks per week and no more than 1 drink in any single day. By cutting back slowly, you will help lower anxiety. Gluten: If you have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, avoid all wheat products, such as bread, pizza, pasta, and many alcoholic drinks. Artificial sweeteners: Aspartame is particularly harmful, but also saccharin. Use sucralose and stevia in moderation and with caution.
PTSD:
The Western diet is particularly destructive to PTSD patients, so let’s first consider the effects of the abundance of fat (as always, when I talk about high-fat diets, I mean diets high in unhealthy fats like saturated fat, trans fats, and fats used in fried food, rather than healthy fats such as omega-3s or those found in olive oil). In human studies, it is clear that PTSD affects metabolism in a way that promotes overeating and obesity. Sugar and high-GI carbs are also destructive to the traumatized brain. One study found that acute stress increased cortisol and blood glucose after a meal. This was consistent with another study that demonstrated that women with PTSD had twice the risk of type 2 diabetes compared to women without PTSD. High blood sugar affects the ability of the hippocampus to react to stress. As a result, when people are dealing with trauma, eating sugary foods may compromise the brain’s ability to deal with that stress. High-GI carbohydrates, like potatoes, white bread, and white rice, can have a similar effect. Foods with a low glycemic index (low GI) can help prevent sudden spikes in blood sugar. It’s important to know which foods increase blood glucose more than others. For example, a banana increases blood glucose more than an apple, which has the same amount of carbohydrates. And a boiled sweet potato increases blood glucose more than a boiled carrot. You can reduce the GI of foods like rice by adding foods rich in dietary fiber, or by adding vinegar or beans or dairy products. In fact, one study found that you can reduce the GI of white rice by 20–40 percent in this. As long as you make an effort to understand how it affects your body and brain, consider your individual sensitivities, and eat unhealthy foods only in moderation, finding ways to integrate your favorite foods into your diet will ultimately have a positive effect. There has been considerable controversy over the years about whether MSG is toxic or not. However, that matter is considered close to settled in modern nutrition circles: extensive scientific studies have demonstrated that MSG is safe at ordinary levels, and some studies show that it may even promote digestion and metabolism of food in the gut. However, in sensitive individuals, MSG may cause problems including brain toxicity. PTSD patients are particularly likely to be vulnerable to excess glutamates, leading to increased brain inflammation and the destruction of brain cells. Foods that contain MSG and other glutamates include fish sauce, oyster sauce, tomato sauce, miso, Parmesan cheese, savory snacks, chips, ready-to-eat meals, mushrooms, and spinach. Glutamic acid, a precursor of glutamate that has similar effects, is also found in seaweed, cheeses, soy sauce, fermented beans, tomatoes, and high-protein foods like meats and seafood. Blueberries have an anti-inflammatory effect. One study found that a blueberry-enriched diet increased serotonin levels in the brain and reduced free radicals and inflammation. When looking to bolster your omega-3s, general rules of thumb to remember are: Eat fish, especially farmed, fatty fish from reliable sources. If you eat beef, use grass-fed beef. If you’re vegetarian, use organic canola oil and seek out foods fortified with omega-3s. Every time you expose yourself to stress, it can damage the cells in your body the same way that powerful environmental pollutants can. Chronic PTSD means your brain is constantly stressed and therefore flooded with free radicals. Vitamin E is part of the body’s defense system against free radicals. Just 1 tablespoon of wheat germ oil a day will give you your total vitamin E requirement. Other sources of vitamin E include sunflower seeds, dry-roasted almonds, hazelnuts, peanut butter, spinach, broccoli, and raw tomatoes.
PTSD CHEAT SHEET Foods to Embrace: Blueberries: ½–1 cup per day. Omega-3 fatty acids: Fish, especially fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines. Vitamin E. Spices: Turmeric. Supplements: Ginkgo biloba. Foods to Avoid: The components of the Western diet: Foods high in bad fats (red meat, fried foods) and high-GI carbs (white bread, white rice, potatoes, pasta, and anything else made from refined flour). Sugar: Baked goods, candy, soda, or anything sweetened with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. MSG, other glutamates, and glutamic acid: Fish sauce, oyster sauce, tomato sauce, miso, Parmesan cheese, savory snacks, chips, ready-to-eat meals, mushrooms, spinach, seaweed, cheeses, soy sauce, fermented beans, tomatoes, and high-protein foods like meats and seafood. Some of these foods also have positive impacts. It is all about working out a personalized nutrition plan.
Next week we will discuss ADHD and Memory.
