Lemons have been found to lower blood pressure, reduce stress and anxiety, and help us feel calmer overall. There are two main reasons for these benefits: Hydration. Drinking a glass of water, especially warm water, is a wonderful way to hydrate our body.
Lemon flavor has the effect of calming your nervous system. It helps you to take away all the stress you are experiencing after a hard day by reducing your worries. If you have a lemon in your bedside while you are asleep, you can make sure that you will wake up happier and energetic in the morning.
Water with lemon aids in proper functioning of the nervous system (as lemon has a high content of potassium). Depression and anxiety are often the result of low levels of potassium in the blood. The nervous system needs a sufficient amount of potassium to ensure sustainable signals to the heart.
Lemon juice gives your body an instant dose of energy when it enters your digestive tract, and it also helps reduce anxiety and depression. Even the smell of lemons has a calming effect on your nervous system.
When you start to experience symptoms of panic, try sucking on a lemon or lime wedge. You'll get a shock from the sour and bitter flavor that will quickly shift your attention away from the panic and straight to your mouth.
Drinking plain water is associated with decreased risk of depression and anxiety in adults: Results from a large cross-sectional study.
Blueberries
When we're anxious and stressed, our bodies crave vitamin C to help repair and protect our cells, and blueberries are packed full of it. Small but mighty, blueberries are bursting with antioxidants and vitamin C that have been shown to provide anxiety relief.
With ample blood flow, our brains function better and even experience fewer signs of stress. Additionally, many studies have shown that the combination of sour and sweet in lemons help to trigger endorphins that make us feel happier.
One study found that bergamot, lavender, and lemon essential oils are particularly therapeutic. Using your sense of smell, they prompt your brain to release serotonin and dopamine.
Citrus fruits are nature's little bundles of zen, providing ideal aromatherapy for anxiety, for a number of reasons. Research from the U.S. National Library of Medicine shows that lemon and sweet orange oil, among other citrus scents, have a positive effect on physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing.
Lemon has been used as a powerful aromatherapy essential oil for ages and it has been credited with such benefits as increased concentration, decreased stress levels (most likely the result of increased serotonin production), and a soothing effect on the respiratory system.”
Water has been shown to have natural calming properties, likely as a result of addressing dehydration's effects on the body and brain. Drinking enough water is an important step in managing your anxiety. Even if you're not experiencing anxiety, drinking sufficient water can create feelings of relaxation.
Alcohol is a depressant. It slows down processes in your brain and central nervous system, and can initially make you feel less inhibited. In the short-term, you might feel more relaxed - but these effects wear off quickly. In fact, if you're experiencing anxiety, drinking alcohol could be making things worse.
Another large study found people who drink five cups or more of water per day were at lower risk of depression and anxiety. In comparison, drinking less than two cups per day doubles the risk. This link was less noticeable for anxiety alone (although feelings of depression and anxiety often influence each other).
Vitamins B9 and B12 are both thought to treat symptoms of anxiety. Folic acid has many uses in the body, and B9 deficiency has been linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression.
Medical research has linked magnesium to reduced anxiety. Magnesium helps you to relax by stimulating the production of melatonin and serotonin which boost your mood and help you sleep. Magnesium also reduces the production of cytokines and cortisol, which lead to increased inflammation and stress.
Difficult experiences in childhood, adolescence or adulthood are a common trigger for anxiety problems. Going through stress and trauma when you're very young is likely to have a particularly big impact. Experiences which can trigger anxiety problems include things like: physical or emotional abuse.
Anxiety happens when a part of the brain, the amygdala, senses trouble. When it senses threat, real or imagined, it surges the body with hormones (including cortisol, the stress hormone) and adrenaline to make the body strong, fast and powerful.