Revealing the Best Foods for Your Nervous System
The nervous system may be the most overlooked part of mental and physical well-being. When your nervous system works well you can deal with stress better, and issues such as ADHD and anxiety can be controlled more easily. When it’s not working well, life can get challenging in a hurry.
Unfortunately, many of us are living in a state of chronic stress. And it's hardly surprising - we are often overworked and underslept. Chronic stress wreaks havoc on the nervous system and quickly depletes vital nutrients, especially magnesium and zinc.
Fortunately, however, there are lots of evidence-based strategies for supporting your nervous system. From yoga to exercise to breath work - you have many tools at hand. And what you eat can make a huge difference too. Here we reveal the best foods for your nervous system.
What is the connection between the nervous system and nutrition?
How well you eat can affect every major system in the body. And the nervous system is no exception. The nutrients you eat affect how well your nervous system functions - including how it responds to stress. Deficiencies in key nutrients can show up as nervous system imbalances.
For example, Vitamin B12 is essential for nerve health, and if you are depleted, you may be more at risk of experiencing anxiety.
As well as nutrient deficiency leading to nervous system issues - how you eat can also affect mind-body interactions. This is because your gut is connected to your brain via something known as the HPA (or gut-brain) axis. So, this means that if your diet causes gut imbalances, such as dysbiosis or an impaired gut lining - it can lead to upstream issues within your nervous system.
Conversely, if you have a super happy gut - full of diverse and beneficial microbes - you can lower your risk of depression, and anxiety because your gut will be communicating with your brain in a much more helpful manner.
How important is diet to nervous system well-being?
Studies have shown that diet plays a pretty central role in nervous system well-being.
For example, eating a diet rich in prebiotic plant fibers has been linked to better mental health. This is because it facilitates a better gut microbiome. And that's needed for healthy gut-brain axis communication. Prebiotic fibers can also support the production of short-chain fatty acids.
These encourage a tight, non-permeable gut lining which can improve nutrient absorption and reduce unnecessary inflammation. Both of which have positive ramifications for nervous system health.
And similarly, studies looking at the intake of probiotic-rich foods have also shown merit. This is likely for the same reasons, as probiotics positively modulate the gut environment to support the HPA axis.
And there's also evidence for the use of certain micronutrients in nervous system maintenance. Specifically, many studies look at magnesium and B vitamins. Magnesium is considered to be natures’ tranquilizer - as it increases your levels of the soothing neurotransmitter GABA. This is why many nutritionists recommend you supplement with magnesium if you are experiencing signs and symptoms of stress (and let's be honest - who isn't?).
Studies have also looked at B vitamins' role in anxiety and panic attacks. Positive results are being experienced from vitamin B6 - especially when it’s combined with adaptogenic ashwagandha (also known as winter cherry). We also know that long-term and sometimes irreversible nervous system damage can occur with severe B12 deficiency - which shows just how important it is to focus on a well-balanced diet to avoid deficiencies.
This is why if you are pregnant or planning to conceive, dietary considerations are key. Studies have demonstrated that what you eat (or don’t eat) during pregnancy can affect the long-term health of your baby's nervous system. Making sure pregnant women get enough iodine, folate, DHA, choline, and zinc, can help to reduce the risk of their baby having neurodevelopmental issues such as ADHD, anxiety, and altered cognition.
So it’s safe to say that the nervous system and nutrition are very closely linked.
What types of foods should I eat to improve nervous system health and why?
Starting with the basics - it's important you aren't deficient in any nutrients - as this may increase your risk of anxiety and make you less resilient against stress. You can start with a food-first approach by eating a nutrient-dense diet rich in brightly colored vegetables and fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains. You can then build on this by increasing your intake of polyphenol-rich foods such as berries, cacao, and green tea - which can help to reduce inflammation and improve your cognition.
It's also a good idea to increase your intake of omega-3 fats - as these are also neuroprotective, and can help you to maintain a stable mood. To do this, aim for at least 1 portion of oily fish/ and or daily supplements (these can be from algae if you avoid animal products).
And speaking of animal products it's really essential that you pay special attention to your nutrient intake if you are vegan/ vegetarian because the easiest sources of Vitamin B12 come from meat, eggs, and dairy. So you'll need to supplement B12 if you follow an exclusively plant-based diet, to avoid any damage to your nerves.
You may like to consider a well-rounded multivitamin/mineral to act as an insurance policy against any nutrient gaps.
And when you’re under particular stress and strain you could think about increasing your magnesium intake.
Magnesium-rich foods include:
● Cashew nuts
● Dark leafy greens
● Dark chocolate
Magnesium helps when you’re under stress.
You can also supplement with magnesium via sprays, and powders or you could use Epsom salts in your de-stressing baths.
Then, if you want to take things even further, you can start to optimize your gut health. This means focusing on getting a wide range of prebiotic plant fibers to feed your gut bugs (don’t worry, you want these kinds of bugs around!). To do this, include oats, garlic, onions, and green bananas. Also, aim to increase your probiotic food intake by consuming unpasteurized kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha, as well as live yogurt.
When it comes to probiotic supplements, there needs to be more research before we are clear about which strains best support the nervous system and play a role in mental health.
So for now, aim to focus on probiotic foods. But, if you need to take antibiotics, it might be worth taking a short probiotic course to reduce any ill effects on your microbiome.
To conclude, what you eat makes a huge difference to the health of your nervous system. Eating a wide range of nutrient-dense foods can prevent deficiencies in B Vitamins and magnesium - two key players in the well-being of your nervous system..
And focusing on your gut health can improve gut-brain relations in a way that can soothe your stress.
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