Anxiety is rampant in today’s society. The problem is so significant that today’s high school student has as much anxiety as a psychiatric patient of the 1950s. Why is fear so prevalent today? Is it just the stress of modern life? Shockingly it could be what you are putting in your mouth every day.
Medical science has finally begun accepting the idea of the mind/body connection. Even though there is a barrier called the blood/brain barrier, what happens in the body affects your thinking, mood, and anxiety levels. In this article, we are going to look at three of the biggest offenders.
Top Three Foods To Avoid If You Suffer From Anxiety:
- Sugar, in all of its various forms, causes anxiety, negatively affecting the brain. Sugar also affects insulin levels. The brain consumes large quantities of sugar to function properly. Eating processed, refined sugar, which is quickly digested, shoots into the bloodstream causing wild swings in insulin levels. These swings in insulin levels lead to low blood sugar, which throws the brain into starvation mode. This starvation mode leads to anxiety, brain fog, and eventually, if the stress is ongoing, depression.
- Gluten. Glutens are large protein molecules found in many grains, especially wheat. Glutens are a problem for anxiety due to the fact it is hard to digest for many people. Grains of today have more gluten than ever in history. This high level of gelatinous protein builds up in a person’s bloodstream and harms brain cells. When the glutens reach the brain, they act as an excitotoxin, which over activates brain cells leading to anxiety.
- Dairy products. Dairy can exacerbate problems with anxiety. The problem is dairy products are loaded with hormones. This abundance of hormones has to be processed by the liver, which leads to inflammation of the body. Furthermore, dairy products like cheese have dopamine like effect, causing other mood problems and anxiety.
With our modern diets loaded with refined sugar, glutens, and dairy products are it any wonder anxiety is so prevalent. If you suffer from anxiety and depression, it is best to avoid sugar, gluten, and dairy as much as possible.
