From the Guidelines
Dietary changes focusing on anti-inflammatory foods and regular eating patterns can support the improvement of anxiety disorders (AD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms, as evidenced by the most recent study in 2023 1.
Key Dietary Recommendations
- Incorporate omega-3 rich foods like fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), walnuts, and flaxseeds to reduce inflammation and support brain health
- Limit caffeine, alcohol, and refined sugars as these can trigger or worsen anxiety symptoms
- Include complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, legumes, and vegetables to help maintain stable blood sugar levels, preventing mood fluctuations that can exacerbate anxiety
- Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut support gut health, which is increasingly linked to mental wellbeing through the gut-brain axis
- Magnesium-rich foods (dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds) and foods high in B vitamins (eggs, meat, leafy greens) can help regulate neurotransmitters that affect mood and stress response
Importance of Regular Eating Patterns
Establish regular eating patterns with meals every 3-4 hours to maintain stable blood sugar levels, which can help prevent mood fluctuations that can exacerbate anxiety symptoms, as suggested by the study in 2023 1.
Complementary Treatments
While diet alone isn't typically sufficient to treat moderate to severe anxiety or OCD, these changes can complement traditional treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) 1 and medication, potentially enhancing their effectiveness and contributing to overall symptom management.
Considerations for Specific Diets
A low FODMAP diet may have some benefits for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and co-occurring anxiety or depression, but its effectiveness for anxiety and OCD symptoms is limited, and it should be avoided in individuals with moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety or depression, as recommended by the study in 2023 1.
From the Research
Relationship Between Diet and Anxiety Disorders (AD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- The relationship between diet and improvement of anxiety disorders (AD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been studied in various research papers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce anxiety symptoms and may have a therapeutic role in anxiety disorders 2, 3, 5.
- A study on adjunctive eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in OCD found no significant effects on OCD symptoms 4.
- Other dietary factors associated with reduced anxiety symptoms include:
- Fruits and vegetables
- "Healthy" dietary patterns
- Caloric restriction
- Breakfast consumption
- Ketogenic diet
- Broad-spectrum micronutrient supplementation
- Zinc, magnesium, and selenium
- Probiotics
- Phytochemicals 6
- Dietary factors associated with higher levels of anxiety include:
- High-fat diet
- Inadequate tryptophan and dietary protein
- High intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates
- "Unhealthy" dietary patterns 6
- Further research is needed to fully understand the relationship between diet and anxiety disorders, particularly high-quality intervention studies involving participants with anxiety disorders 6.