Food against stress. What foods reduce anxiety?

What do you need to pay priority attention to?

A balanced diet is very important for a person. If it is like this, the nerves will be strong and the body will be able to function normally.

In addition to obtaining proteins, as well as fats and carbohydrates from food, for the proper functioning of the nervous system it is necessary to obtain various vitamins and minerals. They will be discussed in more detail below.

It is important to mention first a number of other elements that are very important for the brain and nerves. Here they are:

• Protein: this is a well-known building material for various types of cells, including nerve cells. In addition, protein plays an important role in the production of various hormones that affect brain activity. If there is a lack of protein, then depression is often observed. Protein can be obtained from meat products, as well as from various legumes.
• Fiber: It helps metabolism, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the body. Fiber is found in sufficient quantities in cereals and various cereals; it is sometimes sold separately, in which case it can be bought and consumed as an additive to the main diet.
• Lecithin. It helps dissolve cholesterol that accumulates on cell walls. There is quite a lot of this substance in egg yolks, as well as in citrus fruits and sunflowers.
• Glucose: it contains a lot of energy, which is very important primarily for brain cells. If the body lacks it, symptoms of fatigue, restlessness, anxiety and the like may appear. This substance can be obtained from fruits, potatoes, cereals like semolina, and berries collected in the summer in your garden or forest. If you don’t have all this, you can simply add more regular sugar to your tea. You can additionally buy Glucose tablets at the pharmacy.

What should you limit?

The most harmful foods for the nervous system are:

1. Alcohol. They literally destroy nerve cells and prevent their regeneration. It’s worth giving them up first.
2. Coffee. Although it contains caffeine, if abused it destabilizes the normal functioning of the brain. You don’t have to completely give up this drink, but you should still minimize its consumption. Read more about the effects of coffee here.
3. Dyes. In particular, tartarazine, which is most often added to desserts (has a red tint). Significantly inhibits the release of endorphins, so it can provoke depression or chronic nervousness.
4. Monosodium glutamate. In fact, this is the most common flavoring additive, found most often in chips, salty crackers, some sweets, and also in sausages. It also inhibits the release of endorphins.

The importance of the nervous system for the human body

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the nervous system for human life. In particular, thanks to it the regulation of various systems in the body occurs. With its help, the correct connection of systems within the body is ensured. In this case, the entire nervous system can be divided into two different components that work in interaction with each other:

• central part (this includes the brain and spinal cord);
• peripheral. This includes the nerves themselves, nerve ganglia.

The system functions include the following:

• coordination of the work of various systems.
• correction in the activity of body systems in the event of changes in certain internal or external conditions, for example, when the temperature changes or in the event of infection;
• connection between the body and the external environment: this includes adaptability in case of changes in the situation, counteracting stress, identifying a dangerous situation, etc.;
• carrying out various mental activities: the nervous system is quite actively involved in human speech, thinking, emotions, will, behavior and other manifestations.

Vitamins to counteract stress

Most often, people lack the substances listed above, but various vitamins. In this case, the normal functioning of the nervous system is sometimes seriously disrupted. The following vitamins are most important for its functioning and proper functioning of the brain:

• Vitamin A: it promotes reliable protection of body cells from free radicals, counteracts early wilting, and helps regulate sleep. If the body does not have enough of this vitamin, then insufficient reaction speed, fatigue, and tiredness may occur. There is a lot of this vitamin in eggs, fish liver, animal oil, carrots, and apricots. It is recommended to consume raw fruits and vegetables to obtain it. They need to be consumed raw, since their processing can destroy more than half of all vitamins beneficial to the body.
• B1: this vitamin can strengthen the nerves and calm a person. In addition, it also has a calming effect and has a good effect on intellectual activity. If this vitamin is not enough in the body, memory may deteriorate, anxiety may appear, and sometimes problems with falling asleep may occur. Quite a lot of this vitamin is found in meat, fish, raw nuts, peas, cabbage, cereals, and dairy products.
• Q2: It is involved in the synthesis of new neurons. If there is little of it in the body, symptoms such as weakness, irritability, and fatigue are often observed. In addition, mood may be unstable. There is a lot of this vitamin in meat, nuts, sour cream and other dairy products.
• B3 (PP): it helps improve blood circulation in the brain, helps restore energy in cells. With a small amount of it, memory loss may occur and a feeling of fatigue may appear. It is easy to get B3 from milk and various products made from it, from chicken, nuts, mushrooms, and beans.
• B6: It is involved in the synthesis of serotonin, which improves mood, helps increase activity during the day and improves sleep at night. In case of B6 deficiency, memory and sleep disorders are often observed. And you can get it from pomegranates, nuts, garlic, cereals, and sea fish.
• Q9: If there is a small amount of it in the body, a person may develop anxiety, fears over trifles, memory often decreases, and other problems in the functioning of the psyche may arise. To compensate for the deficiency of B9, you need to eat more cabbage (including cauliflower), carrots, and yeast.
• B11: helps strengthen the nervous system and even in case of problems with it restore its condition, improves the body's resistance, promotes normal functioning of the heart and brain. If there is a lack of it in the body, there may be a deterioration in brain activity, and sometimes a feeling of anxiety appears. There is a lot of vitamin in meat, milk, cereals, fish.
• B12: it takes an active part in ensuring reliable protection of the body from all kinds of adverse external influences, allows you to restore cells, and improve sleep. If the body lacks at least a little of this vitamin, sleep disorders may occur, memory sometimes deteriorates, and previously unusual irritability appears. A lot of B12 is found in sea fish, meat, dairy products, and chicken eggs.
• Vitamin C helps maintain immunity at the proper level and improves the functioning of the brain and nervous system as a whole. Among other things, this vitamin allows you to cope with nervous stress and frequent stress. In case of low intake of this vitamin from food, mood may worsen, and nervous breakdowns may occur. There is a lot of ascorbic acid in lemons and other citrus fruits, black currants, meat and dairy products, parsley and some other herbs.
• Vitamin D: its sufficient quantity helps prevent oxygen starvation, it also allows you to overcome stress. If there is not enough vitamin, a person may become nervous, have memory disorders, and sometimes insomnia. There is a lot of vitamin D in fish oil, animal oil, eggs, and cottage cheese. In addition, to obtain it, it is recommended to walk in the sun more often.
• E: helps strengthen blood vessels, helps protect the body from free radicals. In case of its deficiency, mood, memory and attention are disturbed, the person becomes irritable. There is a lot of vitamin in vegetable oil, as well as in nuts, green and onions, and greens like spinach.

Turmeric and grapefruit. What foods will protect against cancer | Photo gallery

Turmeric. An excellent antioxidant and generally an extremely useful spice. It contains curcumin, which protects cells and has an anti-cancer effect. pixabay.com

Greens with dark leaves. One of the most powerful antioxidants. Greens contain carotenoids, which remove dangerous radicals that cause cancer from the body. Shutterstock.com

Broccoli. And also other types of cabbage. Even 100 grams of broccoli per day can reduce the risk of prostate and lung cancer. pixabay.com

Seaweed. An excellent antioxidant, they enrich the body with iodine and other beneficial substances. Shutterstock.com

Garlic. Effective against intestinal cancer. Moreover, experts recommend consuming it raw. pixabay.com

Onion. Like garlic, it is an excellent antioxidant and prevents primary gene damage leading to the development of cancer. pixabay.com

Tomatoes. Thanks to lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, tomatoes are effective in preventing cancer. Moreover, tomatoes that have undergone heat treatment do not lose their healing properties. pixabay.com

Blueberry. It contains many antioxidants, so blueberries perfectly protect the body's cells. pixabay.com

Raspberries. Like blueberries, raspberries contain ellagic acid, which prevents blood vessels from growing into tumors. pixabay.com

Green tea. One of the most famous antioxidants. It also contains anticarcinogens that prevent the growth of tumors and reduce the risk of their occurrence. Shutterstock.com

Legumes. Soy is considered one of the most useful anti-carcinogenic foods. But other legumes also contain high levels of phytoestrogens, which are effective in preventing certain types of cancer. Legumes are also rich in fiber, which improves digestion and reduces the risk of colon cancer. Shutterstock.com

Nuts. One of the most effective are walnuts. But almonds are also effective in fighting cancer. pixabay.com

Bitter chocolate. Cocoa beans are an excellent antioxidant, so you need to eat chocolate with a minimum sugar content and, of course, not milk, but black. Shutterstock.com

Coffee. Research by American scientists has shown that regular coffee consumption reduces the risk of malignant tumors by 16 percent. pixabay.com

Grapefruit. Vitamin C is one of the best antioxidants. But besides it, grapefruits contain lycopene, a very powerful antioxidant. pixabay.com

Grape. Wine and grapes are some of the best antioxidants. But if scientists are still arguing about the benefits of using the first, then there is no doubt about the need for the second. Grapes contain a large amount of bioflavonoids, which protect the body from various tumors. pixabay.com

Beet. It contains anthocyanins, and in quantities 8 times higher than their content in other vegetables. In addition to anthocyanins, beets contain antioxidants such as vitamin C and betaine. pixabay.com

Olive oil. Thanks to oleic acid, Mediterranean women are much less likely to get breast cancer. pixabay.com

Microelements necessary for normal functioning of the nervous system

What microelements are useful for strengthening the nervous system? First of all this:

• Ca: responsible for the normal conduction of impulses from muscles to nerves. There is a lot of it in almonds, various dairy products, and beets.
• Mg: It is responsible for the same functions as calcium, it also relaxes muscles. It is important for a person to eat enough nuts, legumes, eggs, and cereals for his normal intake.
• Fe: thanks to it, normal brain function and speed of mental reactions are ensured. There is a lot of iron in buckwheat porridge, seafood, and spinach.
• Iodine: its intake into the body improves memory; in addition, iodine improves hormonal conditions. There is a lot of this trace element in seafood, for example, shrimp and fish.
• Phosphorus: It helps support the normal functioning of the entire body. There is a lot of it in the brain and liver, in legumes, and various dairy products.
• Potassium: It has its effect on the connection between nerves and muscles. To increase its quantity, you need to include fruits, millet, and peas in the menu.

Advantages and disadvantages

Where can you get enough vitamins and minerals: foods

To obtain the vitamins and various other substances required to ensure normal brain function, proper nutrition is required. To this end, you need to monitor your diet and add healthy foods to your menu. Which ones exactly?

Some of the most beneficial products for the nervous system include the following:

• various seafood: fish, shrimp, etc.;
• raw nuts of various types (hazelnuts and others);
• porridge: oatmeal, buckwheat, wheat;
• various types of meat, including beef;
• vegetables: tomatoes, peppers, carrots, legumes, spinach, greens (onions, parsley);
• fresh chicken eggs;
• chicken meat;
• all kinds of fruits and berries, primarily black currants, bananas, strawberries;
• fresh natural dairy products;
• fish oil, including commercially available in liquid or capsule form.

If the body does not receive sufficient amounts of various beneficial substances, you can always buy them in pharmacies and take them additionally. If fatigue, fatigue and other symptoms do not go away, it is recommended to consult a doctor so that he can prescribe additional treatment if necessary. The doctor will also recommend the required duration of taking pharmaceutical vitamins.

It is best to take complexes with a large number of different vitamins, especially in winter, so that the body does not need anything.

Dairy

Like cereals, dairy products are rich in B vitamins, and they also help replenish vitamin D deficiency, the deficiency of which is associated with seasonal depression.

Advice. It is better to opt for fermented milk products. Lacto- and bifidobacteria that live in kefir and yogurt not only improve digestion, but also strengthen the immune system, which weakens under the influence of severe nervous tension.

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Vitamins for children

Children, like adults, also really need a sufficient supply of vitamins and other substances to their bodies. Their nervous tissue is still forming, and therefore it is more susceptible to adverse effects. Therefore, children also really need various substances that are beneficial for the nervous system.

When selecting vitamin complexes, you need to know about some features:

• the product must correspond to the age of a particular child, otherwise there may be too few useful substances for him, or they will enter the body in excess, and hypervitaminosis is also not always good;
• It is recommended to divide the entire daily dose of essential vitamins into several parts;
• you should buy hypoallergenic drugs;

Among the popular vitamin complexes today:

• Vitrum;
• Alphabet;
• Pikovit.

But you can choose other vitamin complexes and give them to children.

Children's tablets have a sweet taste and are sometimes available in the form of chewing gum or "pop."

Features of the diet for women and children

Doctors say that the female body needs B vitamins more, as well as glucose . Moreover, the need for them increases during pregnancy.

Another nuance is that women have a higher risk of developing water-salt imbalance, so they should drink more water every day.

As for children, they have the greatest need for iodine, as well as vitamin C. Accordingly, it is recommended to prepare all dishes for them with iodized salt, and also add citrus fruits and fresh fruits to the diet. Even a child should definitely eat seafood, especially in preschool age. It is during this period that the brain develops most actively and metabolic processes in it should be stimulated.