3 Foods to Fight Anxiety

June 15, 2015

Auditioning for your dream company. Attending a summer intensive where you don’t know anyone. Waiting backstage before a major performance. All of these situations can make a dancer anxious. But what if food had the potential to reduce symptoms of social anxiety? That’s just what a new study published in Psychiatry Research found. 

 

While your diet and your moods may seem separate, they’re more closely related than you may think. According to the research, which gathered reports from several hundred young adults about their intake of certain foods and how often they felt anxious, those who ate fermented foods experienced fewer symptoms of social anxiety. Here’s the science: Fermented foods, such as yogurt, kefir and kimchi, all contain probiotics, which help increase the good bacteria in your gut. When the makeup of your microbes changes, it sets off a ripple of positive effects on your overall health. Though scientists aren’t yet sure why this link between a healthy gut and reduced anxiety exists, it’s great news for stressed out, overwhelmed dancers. If you make these foods a regular part of your diet, you may be less likely to experience social anxiety. Kefir, anyone?