We love the holidays! Hanukkah started last night, Christmas is rapidly approaching and the New Year will be here before you know it!
While the holidays are fun, they can also be taxing, and if you struggle with anxiety, it can be rough. Whether you are hosting or being a guest, there are scheduling concerns, events with people you don’t know well and other stressful situations.
While it isn’t conclusive, new research says that if you struggle with chronic anxiety, your brain may be missing a nutrient. While that isn’t the cause of anxiety, increasing the nutrient in your body may reduce anxiety. However, even the researchers on the study say that it’s too early to tell.
Researchers at UC Davis used brain scans that measured chemicals to compare 370 people with anxiety to 342 people without anxiety. They found that people with anxiety averaged around eight percent lower choline levels in the areas of the brain that regulate emotions and thinking. The researchers believe anxiety may increase the demand for choline in the brain and burn through it.
"An eight percent lower amount doesn't sound like that much, but in the brain, it's significant," said senior study author Dr. Richard Maddock of UC Davis.
Choline plays a role in memory, mood and cell health. It is found in eggs, beef, chicken, fish and soybeans. The findings don’t prove that eating more choline could lower anxiety, and the researchers don’t recommend taking it as a supplement. And the researchers said that a nutrient deficiency is not the main cause of anxiety, and no one should stop treatment in favor of diet changes, just that diet changes might also help.
"It suggests nutritional approaches… may help restore brain chemistry and improve outcomes for patients," said study co-author Jason Smucny.
The body produces only a small amount of choline and must get the rest from dietary sources. Taking it as a supplement can cause side effects, so experts don’t generally recommend it when it can be easily eaten.
About 30 percent of adults have anxiety disorders. If you struggle with anxiety, talk to a health care professional as soon as possible. The holidays can make anxiety worse, and diet alone cannot fix the problem.
