Almonds contain several vitamins and minerals that have been linked in various studies to anxiety. Low levels of the B-complex of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus have been found to promote anxiety states and behaviors, while supplementation of many of these nutrients has also been found to help alleviate anxiety.
Magnesium
A 2004 study published in "Neuropharmacology" concluded that magnesium depletion produced anxiety and depression-like behaviors in mice. A 2009 study in the "Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry" supported a link between low magnesium levels and anxiety in human beings. Almonds are considered a particularly potent dietary source of magnesium, containing about 3 mg of magnesium in every 1.2-g almond, or 268 mg of magnesium in every 100 g of almonds, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. Magnesium's anxiety-reducing activities include suppressing adrenaline production and bringing rapid heart rates down.
Calcium
Calcium and magnesium are essential for the proper metabolism of one another. Therefore, a deficiency in calcium can inhibit proper absorption of magnesium, spurring the same symptoms as a magnesium deficiency. Calcium has also been associated on its own with behavior and mood, with calcium producing a calmative effect on the nervous system and calcium deficiencies linked to disturbances like insomnia, irritability, depression and anxiety. Not only are almonds rich in calcium, but the ratio of calcium to magnesium in almonds is 1-to-1, or 3 mg per almond.
Potassium
Almonds are high in potassium, containing 8 mg of potassium each. In a 1990 study published in "Anaesthesia," low potassium levels were associated with anxiety in 200 pre-operative patients. And in a 2010 study published in "Human and Experimental Toxicology," low potassium levels caused by acetaminophen overdose were linked to the prevalence of several psychiatric illnesses, including anxiety.
B Vitamins
Almonds contain a high concentration of several B-complex vitamins as well. B vitamins play a key role in the proper functioning of the nervous system. They also stabilize the levels of lactate in the body, which has been known since the late 1960s to be involved in inducing anxiety attacks. Vitamins B-1 and B-6, or thiamine and pyridoxine, respectively, both of which can be found in almonds, are involved in the production of certain neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine, known to produce a calming effect. Almonds contain folate as well, and low folate has also been linked to depression and anxiety.
References
- "Neuropharmacology"; Magnesium-deficient Diet Alters Depression- And Anxiety-Related Behavior in Mice -- Influence of Desipramine and Hypericum Perforatum Extract; N. Singewald, et al.; December 2004
- "Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry"; Association Between Magnesium Intake and Depression and Anxiety in Community-Dwelling Adults: The Hordaland Health Study; F.N. Jacka, et al.; January 2009
- USDA National Nutrient Database; Nuts, Almonds; 2010
- "Anaesthesia"; Pre-operative Anxiety And Serum Potassium; G.J. McCleane, et al.; July 1990
- "Human and Experimental Toxicology"; High Prevalence of Hypokalemia After Acute Acetaminophen Overdose; Sa'ed H Zyoud, et al.; September 2010
- DrLera.com: Anxiety Disorders
Member Comments