Last Updated on February 20, 2024 by Shabnam Sengupta
Stress has become a common phenomenon in life. You feel stressed when demands are more than you can handle. Stress may arise from many factors. Challenges at work or academic pressure can cause stress. Problems in finances, relationships, and health are other reasons for stress. Environmental stimulants like overcrowding, noise, and pollution may also stress some people. Habits like negative self-talk or perfectionism can also be a source of stress. Proper management of stress is important for well-being. In this article, we will explore how healthy food habits can help with stress.
How can stress affect eating behaviour?
Stress affects the areas of brain related to thinking and control functions. As a result, there are more automatic reactions. We become impulsive. There is an increased food craving. Chronic stress produces a strong urge to eat and impairs the ability to control it. As a result, stress may cause obesity. But everyone responds differently to stress. A smaller number of people switch to overeating when stressed. Others eat less leading to weight loss or eat the same amount when stressed.
Additionally, studies show that stress can increase the consumption of high-fat foods. Fatty food habits help with stress. For example, they may reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. This is why a stressed person may eat more fatty and sugary foods. But the positive effects are short-lived. In the long run, these foods lead to abdominal fat deposition.
There is another mechanism for how stress changes eating behaviour. It is a common knowledge that cortisol increases during stress. There is evidence that a higher amount of cortisol may lead to overeating.
How can healthy eating habits reduce stress?
Food intake also impacts the dopamine-releasing parts of the brain. A high-fat diet makes us more sensitive to the effects of dopamine (pleasure chemicals). Thus, unhealthy foods give us an increased sense of joy and satisfaction. As a result, we tend to crave them more. Unhealthy foods, like fatty and sugary foods, act as addictive drugs by increasing our sense of pleasure.
Healthy food habits can help with stress. A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can counter stress. In 2019, an animal study showed how omega-3 fatty acids (OMGs) benefit post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Scientists found that OMGs can prevent memory impairment due to stress. They also repair the stress-induced changes in the brain structure. You can increase your OMG intake by eating walnuts, flaxseeds, and fish.
A low-fat diet or a protein-rich diet can benefit stress-related mental disorders like depression and PTSD. Eating low-fat foods does not interfere with the serotonin synthesis in the brain. Serotonin is the happiness chemical whose levels are low in depression. Additionally, the amino acid tryptophan is the precursor for serotonin. We receive this nutrient from the protein we eat.
Complex carbohydrates like whole grains, vegetables, and fruits are good for stress and anxiety. They also boost the level of serotonin in our brains, thus making us calm. Complex carbohydrates provide fibre. Because of the fibre, food stays longer in the stomach. The body absorbs carbohydrates slowly. Resultantly, there is a steady production of serotonin.
Vitamin C-rich foods like oranges, blueberries, and spinach are good for busting stress. Stress causes the formation of free radicals. Vitamin C has antioxidant properties. It also maintains blood pressure and lowers cortisol levels.
Additionally, B vitamins such as folic acid have a role in mitigating stress. Their deficiency impacts the nervous system. They can prevent stress-related symptoms like irritability, lethargy, and depression. Bananas, broccoli, almonds, asparagus, and green leafy vegetables are rich in folic acid.
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