Anxiety affects your body and mind, often disrupting daily life. While many factors contribute to its onset, including genetics and environment, food can influence how your body handles stress. So, why does eating relieve anxiety? Specific nutrients interact with brain chemistry and hormones, potentially supporting emotional balance and resilience. Knowing which foods can ease anxiety — and how — empowers you to make smarter choices at the table.
How Food Impacts Anxiety Symptoms
Eating is more than a physical act — it’s a sensory experience that influences your feelings. Mindful eating involves cultivating an awareness of your experiences, physical signals and emotions related to food. This link between nourishment and mood explains why some meals can soothe anxiety while others may intensify it.
Anxiety disorder affects around 4% of the global population, and its rates have been climbing steadily over the years. It’s a complex disorder with food as one of its contributing factors.
For instance, eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids, and minerals like magnesium and selenium helps reduce anxiety levels. In contrast, diets high in fat and sugar often worsen symptoms.
Additionally, anti-inflammatory diets, such as Mediterranean and vegetarian, as well as consistent habits like eating breakfast and consuming a variety of foods, may offer protection. Meanwhile, unhealthy patterns — including snacking and caloric restriction — tend to intensify symptoms. These foods may help relieve anxiety and contribute to a healthier diet.
1. Quinoa and Other Whole Grains
Whole grains provide steady energy and enhance mood by regulating glucose metabolism. A high intake can lead to a better mood and decrease anxiety. Plus, people who typically eat more whole grains are also more likely to have other healthy lifestyle behaviors.
In particular, quinoa offers ALA — a plant-based omega-3 that can reduce chronic stress — making it a powerful food option for managing emotional strain. It also helps mitigate the effects of toxic stress on the brain and body.
2. Mackerel, Sardines and Salmon
Fatty fish like mackerel, sardines and wild salmon deliver EPA and DHA — two powerful omega-3s. These fats regulate inflammation and maintain brain structure, while salmon’s astaxanthin protects omega-3s from oxidation and offers neuroprotective benefits. They provide protection against many mental health issues, particularly depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Consuming 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids per day may help reduce anxiety symptoms. In addition, omega-3s have been shown to enhance the efficacy of antidepressant medications.
3. Cashews
Cashews support mental health thanks to their rich content of unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidant compounds, proteins and dietary fiber. These nutrients help reduce oxidative stress — a condition that harms neurological functioning and contributes to anxiety and depression.
Brain cells are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, require significant oxygen and possess a limited antioxidant system. This unique combination renders them susceptible to lipid peroxidation and oxidative harm. By providing protective antioxidants such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, cashews help reduce this stress and support brain health.
4. Chamomile Tea
Chamomile is effective in reducing anxiety and is used to calm the mind. Its compounds, including apigenin and quercetin, influence serotonin, GABA and norepinephrine, promoting emotional balance.
Additionally, tea brewed from dried chamomile flowers encourages restful sleep, aids in intestinal regulation, promotes sweating and helps ward off colds. Since it’s easy to find and quick to prepare, chamomile tea makes a simple and effective addition to any calming routine.
5. Bananas
Fruits and vegetables in general are rich in the chemicals serotonin and melatonin. When you eat them, these compounds increase their levels in the blood, elevating mood and relieving anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances.
Bananas are a prime example, offering these benefits naturally. They produce serotonin thanks to their high levels of vitamin B6. They also provide potassium and magnesium, which improve brain function and lower stress levels. Their natural compounds help elevate mood, support emotional stability and enhance sleep quality — all crucial in reducing anxiety.
6. Turmeric
Curcumin — the active compound in turmeric — has the potential to alleviate anxiety symptoms. It works especially well for individuals facing chronic stress or mood challenges.
Its anti-inflammatory properties may also benefit those dealing with chronic psychological stress or mood-related conditions. You can add it to meals or take it as a supplement for a daily mental boost.
7. Fermented Foods
Fermented dairy products such as yogurt and cheese can help lower anxiety levels by supporting the gut-brain axis. Their probiotics influence neurotransmitters and proteins, including GABA, glutamate, histamine, serotonin and BDNF.
These compounds regulate the balance between neural excitation and inhibition, which is key in managing mood and anxiety. Plus, cheese and yogurt provide you with minerals like calcium, potassium and phosphorus.
8. Eggs
Eggs supply essential fatty acids and nutrients that your brain requires. Consuming omega-3 and monounsaturated fatty acids can improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, along with other dimensions of emotional regulation.
Eggs are also a notable source of natural melatonin. Among animal-based foods, they rank among the top in melatonin content. Thanks to this, including eggs in your diet may improve your sleep efficiency and help you fall asleep easily. Since poor rest often worsens anxiety, adding eggs to your diet can help protect your mental well-being.
9. Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate — especially varieties high in cocoa — contains polyphenols that positively influence mood. These compounds possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that may reduce depressive behaviors. Consuming cocoa makes you feel better when stress and anxiety are triggered.
Plus, cocoa has stimulant compounds such as caffeine and theobromine, which can be a significant factor in its ability to enhance brain function temporarily. Consuming about 50 grams of dark chocolate each day can offer a healthy dose of fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients that might be beneficial for both your brain and heart.
10. Blueberries
Blueberries act as a natural ally in the fight against anxiety and depression. They boast particularly high levels of polyphenols and anthocyanins, along with essential nutrients like fiber, manganese and vitamin C. Thus, they offer a powerful nutritional profile that supports brain health and emotional balance.
These small fruits promote a healthy gut microbiome — very important in mental well-being — by working as prebiotics. In turn, the gut produces neurotransmitters like serotonin, which help regulate mood and reduce anxiety.
Simple Foods, Profound Impact
Your brain and gut communicate constantly, and food can affect this conversation. Incorporating nutrient-dense options like salmon, quinoa or fermented foods can support your emotional balance. Though food is not a cure, making mindful choices contributes to mental wellness and reduces the impact of daily stress.
This is a collaborative post supporting our Peace In Peace Out initiative.
