Eat away at anxiety -- instead of letting it eating away at you
"You are what you eat" first appeared in the writings of the French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin as the phrase, "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are." That turns out to be especially true if you contend with anxiety and stress.
A new study in the journal Nutrients found that people over age 60 who stick to a Mediterranean diet report far less anxiety and stress than folks who eat inflammation-producing foods such as red and processed meats and highly processed foods. A Mediterranean diet is made up of mostly plant-based foods and healthy fats such as extra-virgin olive oil. Animal protein is a side dish, with fatty fish, like salmon and anchovies, being favored and red meat avoided.
Especially anxiety-quieting were fruits, nuts, legumes and low consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. An additional finding was that fruits and vegetables that delivered a good dose of vitamin C and other inflammation-fighters help folks avoid symptoms of depression.
It's estimated that up to 20% of seniors deal with anxiety and, if not addressed, it can lead to cognitive impairment, poor physical health, and lower quality of life. It's often undiagnosed because of the reluctance of older folks to discuss it and the difficulty of sorting it out with overlapping chronic conditions. This finding gives you a chance to ease the symptoms yourself.
So, increase your intake of fresh fruits, vegetables and legumes and enjoy fatty fish and olive oil. As your mood improves, so will your heart health, your cognition and even your skin quality.
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).
(c)2024 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2024 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
