Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and accredited Positive Psychology practitioner Smaranda Maier discusses the connections between anxiety and metabolic health.
In last week’s article, we were scratching the surface of stress biology and how the body responds to stress factors chemically. This week we are going to dive a little deeper into a topic that sounds familiar, unfortunately for far too many people in our current modern lifestyle: anxiety. But from a very unexpected and perhaps never heard of previously by many of you.
Chronic stress profoundly impacts both body and brain, often leading to anxiety. By understanding the link between repeated stress activation and anxiety, we can take proactive steps to manage stress, protect our mental health, and improve our ability to function in daily life. Repeated activation of the stress response takes a significant toll on both the body and the brain.
When stress becomes chronic, it can lead to anxiety, leaving the mind in a constant state of apprehension. This persistent worry can impair cognitive functions and affect our daily activities. Contemporary medicine often classifies anxiety as a psychiatric disorder, treating it with psychotherapy and neuroactive medications. However, an emerging view suggests that anxiety is fundamentally a physical state rooted in metabolic processes and the body’s energy regulation.
Neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett posits that anxiety is a metabolic illness. “Energy regulation is a critical factor in mind and behaviour,” she asserts in the 2022 Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. According to Barrett, the brain’s primary function isn’t thinking, but energy regulation. And I could not agree more with her as I am amazed every time when evidence of this shows up in my coaching practice during the talking therapy sessions with my clients.
Recent scientific research is increasingly highlighting the role of metabolic health in managing anxiety. Evidence is mounting that neurobiological mechanisms linked to mental disturbances can be positively influenced by diet.
Consequently, more researchers and clinicians are exploring and prescribing dietary interventions, including nutritional supplements, as either stand-alone or complementary treatments for mental disorders. In a paper published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Umadevi Naidoo, a pioneer in Nutritional Phychiatry, emphasizes that basic metabolic disturbances such as oxidative stress, insulin resistance, inflammation, and microbiome dysbiosis underlie many neurological conditions and mental illnesses.
One of the most significant pathways for this metabolic influence on mental health is the gut-brain axis, a two-way communication channel between the gut and the brain.
Key Metabolic Disturbances Affecting Mental Health
- Oxidative Stress: Imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body can damage cells and contribute to mental health issues.
- Insulin Resistance: Poor insulin sensitivity can affect brain function and mood regulation.
- Inflammation: Chronic inflammation has been linked to several psychiatric conditions, including anxiety and depression.
- Microbiome Dysbiosis: An imbalance in gut bacteria can disrupt the gut-brain axis, influencing mental health.
The Gut-Brain Axis
The gut-brain axis is a major pathway through which metabolic activity affects mental health. This complex communication network between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain involves multiple systems, including the nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system.
It highlights the significant impact that gut health and diet can have on mental well-being. Given these connections, a healthy and balanced eating style and the use of nutritional supplements are gaining traction as viable strategies for managing mental health:
- Eating style changes: Emphasizing a balanced diet rich in whole foods, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory components can help us tackling metabolic disturbances.
- Nutritional Supplements: Supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, and certain vitamins and minerals can support metabolic and mental health.
By addressing metabolic disturbances through nutritional means, it is possible to influence neurobiological mechanisms underlying anxiety and other mental health conditions. As this field continues to grow, it offers hope for more holistic and integrated approaches to our mental health.
It is vital to seek support and to get empowered to self-advocate for a less invasive way than chronic anxiety medication. But this is only possible when you are able to team up with a qualified specialist and under proper supervision.
