4 Foods That Can Help You Calm Down

Anxiety and stress are caused by a variety of factors. Most people are at least vaguely aware of how external factors and mental health conditions play a role into our mood. But have you stopped to consider how your diet affects your emotions?

Some foods and drinks are capable of heightening and even causing anxiety symptoms. Caffeine is one of the most common anxiogenic substances we consume on a daily basis, and it can be found in many drinks besides coffee. Soft drinks often contain moderate amounts of caffeine, and energy drinks contain large amounts of it. Weight loss supplements are often packed with caffeine as well.

But while some foods and beverages are anxiogenic, others are anxiolytic — they are capable of reducing the symptoms of anxiety, and help stressed people relax. If you’d like to stay more relaxed through your day, try consuming more of these items.

1 – Salmon

Fishes are healthy foods overall, but on top of that, it’s also been found that food items rich in omega-3 fatty acids (like Salmon) can also decrease anxiety. Salmon can also help reduce premenstrual symptoms, including bloating, irritability, and mood changes. Sardines and oysters are also good dietary sources of both Omega-3 fatty acids.

2 – Chamomile

The soothing effects of chamomile have been known for ages, and modern science backs up these claims. Chamomile it’s an anxiolytic and an antioxidant, capable of reducing inflammation and quelling anxiety. Studies have found that patients who suffered from general anxiety saw their symptoms significantly reduced after consuming chamomile for several weeks.

3 – Turkey

Turns out there is a biological reason why you feel so stuffed and lazy after Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey is one of the foods that is rich in tryptophan, a serotonin precursor. Consuming dietary tryptophan has a calming effect on people, and low levels of the substance have been linked to mood swings, anxiety, and depression.

That does not mean you should go ahead and have Thanksgiving dinner every day. But you can reap the benefits of tryptophan by including more turkey products in your diet, or by taking the substance as a supplement. Chicken, eggs, cheese, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and tofu all also contain varying amounts of tryptophan.

4 – Chocolate

Consuming high amounts of sugar has been linked to all sorts of negative effects, including an increase in anxiety symptoms. However, chocolate is rich in antioxidants, and many studies have shown that consuming chocolate has a positive effect on reducing anxiety and regulating your mood. The catch is that, since sugar is your enemy, bitter chocolate is the one that has the most amount of positive benefits. The darker the chocolate, the better.

For example, one study found that people who ate 74% dark chocolate twice a day for a couple of weeks showed reduced levels of stress hormones in their bloodstream. The causes of that are debatable, the aforementioned antioxidants may play a role, and eating bitter things in general seems to have a positive effect on the brain.

If you are constantly stressed, try making dark chocolate your comfort food. You can further boost the effects of that chocolate by melting it and mixing it with CBD oil, making delicious and relaxing edibles. If you’d like to learn more about topics like these, visit CannaConnection.