ZOE Science & Nutrition

8 foods that soothe anxiety | Dr. Uma Naidoo

Nov 14, 2024

Dr. Uma Naidoo, a Harvard nutritional psychiatrist, sheds light on the alarming rise of anxiety, particularly post-pandemic, and its deep links to gut health. She discusses how food choices can influence mental well-being, highlighting the impact of gut bacteria on emotions and serotonin levels. Dr. Naidoo provides actionable dietary tips, emphasizing a fiber-rich, plant-based approach and cautioning against sugar's detrimental effects. Tune in for insights on how to nourish your mind through food for improved mental health.

01:03:15

Creator website

Episode guests

Uma Naidoo

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Anxiety affects physical and mental health, revealing the need to distinguish between everyday stress and clinical anxiety disorders.

The gut-brain connection underscores how gut health influences mood, indicating that maintaining a healthy microbiome is vital for anxiety management.

Nutritional psychiatry highlights specific dietary changes, such as consuming omega-3s and fiber-rich foods, to effectively reduce anxiety symptoms.

Deep dives

Understanding Anxiety and Its Symptoms

Anxiety is recognized as the most common mental health disorder worldwide, impacting many individuals in various ways. It manifests through physical symptoms such as sweaty palms, racing hearts, and gastrointestinal distress, revealing a connection between mental state and physical health. Many people experience situational anxiety, such as nervousness before an exam, but clinical anxiety can persist around the clock and disrupt daily functioning. Understanding these varying depths of anxiety is crucial for recognizing its impact on one’s overall well-being and differentiating everyday stress from a more severe anxiety disorder.

Intro

2min

Nutrition and Anxiety: A Deep Dive

5min

Addressing the Rise in Anxiety and Personal Health Journeys

2min

The Gut-Brain Connection: Stress and Anxiety

16min

The Sweet Trap: Sugar's Effects on the Brain

8min

Harnessing Nutrition for Mental Wellbeing

2min

Gut Health and Mental Well-being

9min

The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise and Nourishing Diets

2min

Nourishing Calm: Food and Anxiety

14min

10.

Navigating Healthy Choices in a Processed Food World

3min

1 in 3 people have anxiety. It’s the most common mental health disorder in the world. And many of us know what anxiety feels like: palms sweating before a job interview, losing your appetite before a looming deadline, a pit in your stomach when you get bad news. It’s not just in your head, it’s in your gut.

Today, we’ll learn how food could help us cope. Our guest explains the rising global trend toward increased anxiety: its rise through the pandemic, and explosion among young people.

Dr. Uma Naidoo is on the forefront of nutritional psychiatry. She directs the first hospital-based Nutritional Psychiatry Service in the US, at Massachusetts General Hospital and teaches at Harvard Medical School.

Uma will help you understand the symptoms and biology of anxiety, painting a picture of the risks it poses for long-term health. And her diet tips will help you fuel your gut for a healthy mind.

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST

🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30+

*Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Follow ZOE on Instagram.

Timecodes:

00:00 Change your diet to beat anxiety

01:23 Quickfire questions

02:52 What is anxiety?

05:58 Are humans more anxious now than in the past?

08:50 This is where anxiety occurs in the brain

11:29 The gut-brain connection

12:45 Serotonin: the happiness hormone