Eating to Beat Stress & Anxiety: Foods to Support Your Nervous System

Eating to Beat Stress & Anxiety

Foods to Support Your Nervous System

By Katie Edwards

Life can feel overwhelming at the best of times. With events unfolding this year, there has never been a better time to look after your nervous system so you can stay strong and resilient. Registered Nutritional Therapist Katie Edwards DipION, mBANT takes a look at how stress can affect the body, and the foods you can eat to support your physical and emotional wellbeing during challenging times.

Stress and the body Our bodies have been beautifully designed to respond to stress. Without you needing to think about it, your autonomic nervous system is involved in a constant crosstalk with your environment: scanning, assessing and mounting a response in the effort to maintain homeostasis.

This intricate system of chemical messengers has been keeping us safe for millennia. At the first hint of danger, the amygdala alerts the brain’s master control centre, setting in motion a hormonal relay from the hypothalamus via the pituitary to the adrenal glands (the HPA-axis). Here, adrenocorticotropic hormone triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol, priming the body for action.

Activated appropriately, this “fight or flight” response is an incredibly potent form of protection for the body. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, stimulates gluconeogenesis and glyconeogenesis for easy-access energy, maintains extracellular fluid

volume and blood pressure and increases mental clarity. In the right quantity, cortisol also exerts a powerful anti-inflammatory effect.

This system was perfectly adapted to the acute stressors our ancestors faced. Unfortunately, the drip-feed of stress so ubiquitous in our modern lifestyles encourages chronic stimulation of the HPA-axis. Outside the tightly controlled parameters of optimal function, overstimulation of the adrenals initiates a cascade of downstream issues if left unchecked.

Amongst these, excessive cortisol can suppress immune function by halting the production of new lymphocytes in the thymus , affect digestive function, reduce bone formation and impair memory and cognitive flexibility . Upregulated cortisol also favours the conversion of T4 to the inactive form reverse T3, negatively impacting thyroid function and slowing metabolism. It has also been associated with the development of obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and depression.

Over time, chronically elevated cortisol activates inflammatory cytokines such as NFkB which in turn drive tissue dysregulation and systemic inflammation. Somewhat ironically, this endogenous source of stress puts a further burden on the system, creating and sustaining a vicious cycle.

Building resiliency

Rather than being evidence of dysfunction within the body, these processes are simply the body’s adaptive response to an evolutionary mismatch with our modern environment. Changing that environment, even in small ways, can profoundly affect how our bodies handle stress.

This can be easier said than done, of course. Stress comes in many forms: both exogenous (relationships, work, finances, living arrangements, EMF and toxin exposure) and endogenous (such as endotoxins, dysglycaemia and autoimmune processes).

Stress is also subjective: some aspects of the stress response are

predetermined based on genetics and early life experiences. A growing body of research links the prevalence of adverse childhood events (ACEs) with chronic hypervigilance associated with long-term changes in ACTH, cortisol and adrenaline levels and immune system activation. In other words, some people are more predisposed to feel the effects of stress.

However, the stress response is also highly adaptive and adaptable, given the right conditions. Although it’s not always possible to remove the source of stress, it is possible to change the way the body perceives messages from the environment and reacts to stressors. In itself, this concept can provide huge relief to the chronically stressed as it takes the pressure off. No longer are you reaching for the unattainable goal of removing all stress. Instead, the aim is to build resilience to the immovable sources of stress in life. This is where diet and lifestyle can play a key role.

The Autonomic Nervous System

The physical act of nourishing the body can send a powerful signal of safety to the nervous system. Beyond this, food is information, providing essential nutrients which help to regulate the stress response. Because our bodies have not changed much, physiologically speaking, from the time of our early ancestors, it makes sense that we thrive on whole foods as close to their natural state as possible. Foods that look like real food: fresh vegetables and fruits, natural fats and protein from traditionally reared animals, wild fish, legumes, nuts and seeds. These foods support blood sugar balance (dysglycemia is a potent source of physiological stress) and are rich in vitamins, minerals and amino acids that help to support the nervous system, specifically:

Magnesium – this calming mineral balances the HPA-axis, reducing tiredness and fatigue and supporting a greater sense of wellbeing. It also promotes restful sleep.

Vitamin C – helps to minimise the effect of stress as well as reducing the time it takes to bounce back from stressful events.

Vitamin B5 – necessary for making new adrenal hormones and helping to modulate the stress response.

Vitamin B6 – stabilizes nervous system function and assists in the manufacture of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which aid in the body’s ability to cope with stress and anxiety.

Folate – protects brain function and supports mental wellbeing.

Vitamin B12 – along with folate, vitamin B12 plays a vital role in healthy nervous system function, helping to keep both mood and energy levels stable.

Vitamin D – optimal levels of this vitamin are vital for brain function and can reduce susceptibility to seasonal anxiety and depression.

Essential fatty acids – counterbalance the negative effects of stress by reducing inflammation and supporting brain function.

Selenium – a powerful antioxidant and antiinflammatory which can help reduce oxidative stress. Selenium is also protective of thyroid function.

Tyrosine – this amino acid provides an essential building block for brain-friendly neurotransmitters noradrenaline and dopamine, gently stimulating the central nervous system and relieving the physical symptoms of stress, such as mood swings.

Zinc – low zinc has been shown to contribute to brain stress and anxiety.

Prebiotics and probiotics: while not technically vitamins or minerals, these food sources help to create a healthy gut environment by encouraging your beneficial bacteria to flourish. These bacteria, in turn, make certain vitamins, like B12, which are important not just for adrenal function but for energy and mental wellbeing. Probiotics have also been shown to improve outcomes for anxiety and improve psychological functions, cognitive health and memory in stressed adults.

Foods toAvoid While fresh, nutrient-dense foods can support the stress response, processed and refined foods can do the opposite. In the short term, consumption of refined sugars, carbohydrates and hydrogenated fats increases blood sugar imbalance and robs the body of vital energy reserves. Over time this can contribute to inflammation and oxidative damage, with knock-on effects for hormone dysregulation and mood disorders including anxiety.

VITAMIN / MINERAL

Magnesium

Vitamin C

B Vitamins

Vitamin D

Essential fatty acids

Selenium

Tyrosine

Zinc

Prebiotics

Probiotics FOUND IN…

Dark green leafy vegetables (bok choy, collard greens, mustard greens, kale, turnip greens, spinach, chard, watercress, rocket, parsley), pumpkin seeds, almonds, black beans, avocado, dark chocolate, salmon, coriander, artichokes, cashews, figs, apricots

Red/yellow peppers, broccoli, berries, oranges, kiwis, lemons, mangoes, asparagus, tomatoes plus any brightly coloured fresh vegetable or fruit

Sunflower seeds, walnuts, wholegrains (brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, oats), dark green leafy vegetables, sardines, mackerel, salmon, eggs, nutritional yeast, broccoli, avocado, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, alfalfa sprouts

Grass-fed and/or organic meat, oily fish, eggs, mushrooms

Oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), eggs, flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds

Brazil nuts, eggs, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, oats, chard, spinach, grass-fed beef, brown rice, sardines, poultry,

Sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, fish, eggs, poultry, wild rice, natural full-fat yoghurt and cheese

Pumpkin seeds, oysters, grass-fed beef, chickpeas, cashews, lamb, chicken, mushrooms, shrimp, flaxseeds, garlic

Asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, onions, garlic, under-ripe bananas, chicory root

Natural full-fat yoghurt, dairy/coconut/water kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, coconut yoghurt with live cultures, kombucha, tempeh, miso, apple cider vinegar You aren’t just what you eat, you’re what you absorb It’s not just what you eat but how you eat that matters too. Eating when you’re distracted or on the go puts pressure on your digestive system. Over time, this can hinder nutrient absorption and increase the likelihood of bloating, indigestion and other digestive issues. You could be eating a wonderfully nutrient-dense diet, but if you’re not chewing your food well you could be missing out on valuable resilience-building goodness.

Dietary change and mindful eating can take time to become a habit, so be gentle with yourself and remember consistency is more important than perfection.

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Katie Edwards Katie Edwards is a Registered Nutritional Therapist and specialises in helping women solve their gut issues, calm their anxious mind and find peace with their body. She runs a one-to-one clinic in London and by virtual appointment.