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Diet and Anxiety: A Scoping Review
Monique Aucoin1, Laura LaChance2,3, Umadevi Naidoo4,5
1Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Toronto, ON M2K 1E2, Canada.
Nutrients
|December 28, 2021
Summary
Good nutrition, including fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids, is linked to lower anxiety. Conversely, unhealthy diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates correlate with increased anxiety symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Psychiatry
- Mental Health Research
- Dietary Science
Background:
- Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent mental health conditions.
- While nutrition's role in depression is established, its impact on anxiety disorders is less understood.
- Existing research needs systematic mapping to identify dietary links to anxiety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and map the literature on anxiety disorders and nutrition.
- To identify associations between specific dietary factors and anxiety symptoms or prevalence.
- To highlight research gaps and future directions in this field.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review methodology was employed.
- Artificial intelligence tools (Abstrackr) were used to manage a large volume of search results.
- Studies were screened via full-text review, with associations between diet and anxiety extracted and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Positive associations with lower anxiety: fruits, vegetables, omega-3s, healthy dietary patterns, caloric restriction, breakfast, ketogenic diet, micronutrients (zinc, magnesium, selenium), probiotics, and phytochemicals.
- Negative associations with higher anxiety: high-fat diets, low tryptophan/protein, high sugar/refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy dietary patterns.
- Limitations include a predominance of animal and observational studies, with few interventions in human anxiety disorder populations.
Conclusions:
- Dietary factors significantly correlate with anxiety symptoms and disorder prevalence.
- Specific nutrients and dietary patterns show potential for anxiety management.
- Further high-quality intervention studies in individuals with anxiety disorders are crucial to confirm these findings and inform clinical practice.
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