Harvard Nutrition Expert: These Foods FUEL Anxiety | Dr. Uma Naidoo x Rich Roll Podcast
Rich Roll
Jun 20, 2024
Mindsip insights from this episode:
Nurture positive emotions to support gut microbiome health
Negative emotions are transmitted directly to your gut microbes, likely via the vagus nerve, causing them to change and evolve in response to your mental state.
Combine dark chocolate with orange for optimal iron absorption
Pairing dark chocolate with a clementine or orange is effective because the vitamin C is required for your body to absorb the plant-based iron from the chocolate.
Avoid carboxymethylcellulose to support gut health
The common food thickener Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) was shown in a study to halt the production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids in the gut.
Reduce glutamate-rich healthy foods to manage OCD symptoms
For people with OCD, even healthy foods high in glutamates like tomatoes, mushrooms, and certain soy sauces can worsen symptoms and may need to be reduced.
Recognize gut-brain connection for holistic health
The gut and brain originate from the exact same cells in the human embryo and remain connected throughout life by the vagus nerve.
Rethink serotonin's role in depression and explore nutritional interventions
The long-held serotonin hypothesis for depression has been upended by research, suggesting it's not the complete picture and opening the door for other interventions like nutrition.
Finely chop broccoli and let it rest to enhance sulforaphane levels
Finely chopping broccoli and letting it rest for about 90 minutes before cooking significantly increases its levels of the beneficial compound sulforaphane.
Avoid ultra-processed foods to reduce anxiety levels
Ultra-processed foods can cause leptin resistance, which disrupts your body's fullness signals and can lead to very high levels of anxiety.
Recognize Alzheimer's as type 3 diabetes to address metabolic health
Some researchers refer to Alzheimer's as 'type 3 diabetes' because of the strong underlying link between metabolic health issues and brain inflammation.
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