Advertisement

Drink this, feel way less anxious

Fermented foods, like kombucha tea, may help lessen anxiety symptoms. Photo: Getty

Anxious for that big meeting or family gathering?

You may want to prep with a cup of yogurt: A promising new study in Psychiatry Research has found that people who eat more fermented foods, including yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, miso, and kimchi, have fewer social anxiety symptoms.

Researchers surveyed more than 700 people and found that the more fermented foods participants ate (like one of these 11 surprisingly tasty fermented foods), the less likely they were to experience social anxiety - anxious feelings of distress that interfere with daily social interactions at work or school. Even wilder is that this benefit was greatest among people who had the highest rates of neuroticism, a personality trait characterised by anxiety, fear, moodiness, worry, envy, frustration, jealousy, and loneliness.

More: Join Prevention's 21 Day Transformation challenge

What makes those foods so powerfully calming? Based on this study alone, the authors can't say for sure, but previous research points the finger at probiotics, the good-for-you bacteria found in fermented foods. "Social anxiety has gastrointestinal symptoms," says lead author Matthew Hilimire, assistant professor of psychology at the College of William & Mary, "and probiotics have been shown to reduce gut inflammation. So as the gut becomes less inflamed, some of those anxiety-related symptoms are reduced."

Eating probiotics has also been shown to affect brain chemistry in a major way, triggering a neurotransmitter called GABA that calms the nervous system - the exact same neurotransmitter targeted by anti-anxiety drugs like Valium, Hilimire explains. The researchers hope that fermented foods could someday be a low-risk treatment for anxiety.

More: Survey reveals what makes us happy

Cash in on the calming effects with this smoothie developed by Wendy Bazilian, author of The SuperfoodsRx Diet. It gets a boost of probiotics from kefir, and it's loaded with even more calming foods, including:

Strawberries and orange juice: Both rich in vitamin C, shown to ease stress and reduce blood pressure
Avocado: Loaded with an array of nutrients (like potassium and folate) that help keep blood pressure in check
Ginger: A well-known remedy for easing digestive distress
Chamomile tea: A folk remedy that may help calm nerves


Related:

Come to our Positive Ageing seminar!
New study finds women slide into dementia faster than men