Among the many factors that affect our mental health, food is one of them. While studies have shown that consuming inflammation-promoting foods like soda, red meat, and refined grains increases the risk of depression, foods like fish, legumes, and leafy greens do the opposite and can prevent mental health conditions.
When it comes to anxiety in particular, the American Association for Anxiety and Depression reports that more than 19% of adults in the United States suffer from an anxiety disorder. People with anxiety disorders may experience excessive worry, contemplation, dizziness, sweating, or increased heart rate. According to a scientific review published in the journal Nutrition in 2021, similar to the study that looked at the relationship between diet and depression, research showed that artificial sweeteners, processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and fried foods are a few different foods that can exacerbate anxiety symptoms. On the other hand, diets centered on -3 fatty acids, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruits – such as the Mediterranean diet – were associated with a reduction in anxiety.
There is evidence that consuming tryptophan, a naturally occurring amino acid found in protein, may also reduce anxiety symptoms. This popular poultry is rich in tryptophan, and turkey may help support our mental health.
The tryptophan in turkey helps our body produce serotonin.
According to the USDA, in 100 grams of cooked turkey breast (about 35 oz) and you'll find 287 mg of tryptophan. The link between tryptophan and anxiety relief is that amino acids contribute to the production of serotonin. Experts at the Cleveland Clinic say serotonin is a neurotransmitter associated with happiness, mood, memory, and more. Low levels of serotonin in the body are thought to cause anxiety and depression.
In a 2016 study published in the Archives of Psychiatric Care, researchers found that young adults who consumed tryptophan-rich foods over a four-day period had lower anxiety scores than those who consumed a diet low in tryptophan during the study period. A high tryptophan diet is defined as a daily intake of more than 10 mg of tryptophan per kilogram of body weight, while a daily intake of less than 5 mg of tryptophan esters per kilogram of body weight is considered a low tryptophan diet.
Don't like turkeys? Rotisserie chicken also helps reduce anxiety.
As far as poultry is concerned, turkey is not much of a fan for everyone. The good news is that you can get essentially the same amount of tryptophan in rotisserie chicken as you do in turkey, and a 100-gram serving of turkey contains 287 mg of tryptophan, but the same size of rotisserie chicken contains 292 mg. While tryptophan may have a broader association with turkey, chicken can be used as a very tasty, anxiety-reducing food.
Choosing more nutritious foods every day may help our mental health, but if you feel that anxiety is affecting your quality of life, it shouldn't replace professionalism**.