What Are the Worst Foods & Drinks for Anxiety?
Anxious, jittery, wired and jumpy – people can have those sensations after eating or drinking, although they may not make the connection.
“They feel like they can’t really settle down,” says Dr. Uma Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, nutrition specialist and author of “This Is Your Brain on Food.” It’s “almost a feeling of internal panic when they eat certain foods, but sometimes they don’t realize it’s related to the food they’ve consumed,” she says.
Certain foods can contribute to anxiety or trigger such feelings by producing blood sugar spikes, says Maggie Michalczyk, a registered dietitian based in Chicago.
“When you eat something that’s high in sugar, it causes your blood sugar to spike and then drop faster than it would if you had something that was more balanced with protein, carbs and fat,” Michalczyk says. “This spike and drop can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and feel almost like a panic attack for some.”
Cakes, cookies, candy, pies, soda pop and other sugary foods can lead to such blood spikes.
Excerpted from U.S. News
