According to a study done by the National Institute of Health, anxiety is linked to fear and

manifests as a future oriented mood state that consists of a complex cognitive affective,
physiological, and behavioral response system associated with preparation for the anticipated
events or circumstances perceived as threatening. Anxiety gets triggered by a constant
stimulation of perceived threat. Anxiety is one of the most common psychiatric disorders but the
true prevalence is not known as many people do not seek help or clinicians fail to make the
diagnosis.

Anxiety can be caused by herbal medications, allopathic medications, substance abuse, physical
or emotional trauma, many childhood experiences that continue to play on into adulthood and
can be stricken with panic as well. There may not be just one sole cause for anxiety but a variety
of factors that come into consideration together.
Feelings of anxiety in the central nervous system are regulated by the neurotransmitters
norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The autonomic
nervous system, especially the sympathetic nervous system, mediates most of the symptoms.
The amygdala plays an important role in treating fear and anxiety. The amygdala and limbic
system structures are connected to prefrontal cortex regions, and prefrontal-limbic activation
abnormalities may be reversed with psychological or pharmacologic interventions. According to
Patrick Holford in his book Optimum Nutrition for the Mind, stress and anxiety can age you
faster than your time. It puts the body in an emergency mode, or ‘fight and flight’ response. The
body now gets focused on survival instead of maintenance and repair. It starts reacting and
responding accordingly to the stressor, which could be mental or physical. Some physiological
reactions that occur are adrenaline and cortisol that start pumping, blood sugar levels go up,
pupils dilate to let more light in, and we take in more oxygen. These reactions prepare our body
to ‘fight or flight’. However, our stressors in the modern day are different from the stressors our
ancestors faced.
Anxiety has cognitive effects as well as pathophysiological. Cognitive symptoms can include
fear of losing control, fear of negative opinions of others, fear of ‘going crazy’. Some
pathophysiological symptoms include shortness of breath, increased heart rate, being sweaty, and
having a dry mouth. Panic attacks can also be closely related to anxiety. Panic attacks have
sudden periods of intense fear, discomfort, fear of losing control even when there is no sense of
danger.
According to a study done by the National Institute of Health, treatment for anxiety can include
psychotherapy,medication or both. Psychotherapy is specific to individual needs and includes
talking about one’s problems. There are different types of psychotherapy like cognitive
behavioral therapy as well as acceptance and commitment therapy. Medications do not cure
anxiety but can help lessen the symptoms faced. The most common medications are
antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and beta blockers.
As given in the Optimum Nutrition for the Mind, the most common anti anxiety drugs are
benzodiazepine tranquilizers. They are effective in reducing anxiety symptoms in the short term,
but they are highly addictive. These medications get addictive in a span as short as 4 weeks,
which is why doctors don’t prescribe it for more than that duration. Tranquilizers are more
addictive than heroin, and weaning off them is not easy and leads to withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal symptoms can look like insomnia, anxiety, irritability, swearting , blurred vision
and more. A study done by the NIH also states that some non compliant patients who have
mental disorders are at higher risk of commiting suicide or being institutionalizesd. In some
cases, excessive use of these drugs can lead to toxicity in the body and can be life threatening to
the patient. The study states that dietary supplements containing phenylalanine and/or tyrosine
can cause alertness and arousal. Methionine also combines with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to
produce S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) which facilitates the production of neurotransmitters in
the brain.
Research suggests that an increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids can help in alleviating
symptoms of anxiety. The most common nutritional deficiencies seen in patients with mental
disorders are omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, minerals and amino acids that are precursors to
neurotransmitters. Eating a carbohydrate rich meal triggers the release of insulin in the body.
Insulin allows blood sugar to enter the cells so it can be used for energy. This also trigger the
entry of tryptophan into the brain.
It’s helpful to avoid refined foods like sugar, white bread and white rice as these refined foods
are high in sugar and spike up the blood sugar rapidly. Excess sugar gets converted into fat and
gets stored in the body. More concentrated sources of sugar are also devoid of minerals, and can
also deplete it from the body. Foods with a glycemic load (GL) of less than 10 are beneficial for
consumption. Foods with a GL of 11-14 can be had in moderation, and foods with a GL above
15 should be avoided. Foods like whole grain toast, porridge, hummus, and berries are
beneficial.
The Optimum Nutrition for the Mind suggests to mix nuts and seeds with fruit, and to add it to
carbohydrate rich breakfasts. Kidney beans can be added to pasta and chicken can be eaten with
rice. Breakfast should not be skipped and overly processed foods should be avoided.
A good multivitamin and mineral should be taken that provides at least 25 mg of all the B
vitamins, 10 mcg of B12, 100 mcg of folic acid, 200 mg of magnesium, 3mg of manganese, and
10mg of zinc.
Omega-3 fatty acids should be consumed daily or a fish oil supplement should be taken. Fish oil
supplements must be ensured to be free from mercury. A tablespoon of lecithin granules can also
be beneficial for improved brain health and overall mood stability. Amino acids can also be
supplemented as per a physician's advice.
A research study suggests the implementation of complementary practices for treating anxiety.
This includes physical activity, exercising and ensuring one’s diet is filled with nutrient dense
foods. Reducing nicotine, caffeine and alcohol can also drastically help with anxiety symptoms.
Herbal supplements like kava, passion flower, chamomile, gingko and lemon balm can also be
greatly beneficial. Practices like meditation, mindfulness, yoga and tai chi can regulate the
nervous system. Massages, aromatherapy, homeopathy and naturopathy can be areas to explore
when trying to heal from a more natural and holistic route.

SAMPLE DIET PLAN

9 am- Breakfast of oatmeal, raspberries, sprinkled with sunflower seeds, chia seeds and flax
seeds

12:30 pm- Lunch of tuna, rice and a mixed green salad. Avocados can be mashed and used for
the salad dressing.

3:30/ 4pm- Rice cake with hummus and olives

7:30pm- Dinner of pasta with lentils, broccoli and carrot

9pm- Chamomile tea before bed

Lifestyle recommendations-
-Sunlight bathing for 30 minutes in the early morning
- Earthing thrice a week ( walking barefoot on grass)
- Massage once a week or an Ayurvedic abhyangam
- Guided meditations and visualization before bed