Can Spicy Food Cause Anxiety Attacks?

Can Spicy Food Cause Anxiety Attacks? – Eating healthy helps you avoid ailments, keeping you off the hook for the most part. But does taking spicy foods cause or trigger it? Or does it do the complete opposite, soothing it instead? Studies have long tried to understand the relationship between spicy foods and anxiety, and existing research has tried explaining this link. But how exactly does seasoned food relate to anxiety? This article examines whether or not spicy food causes anxiety or triggers possible panic attacks.

Does Spicy Food Affect Anxiety?

 

The world of science understands that some foods can cause or trigger anxiety, including caffeine, refined carbs, and alcohol. However, the raging debate about whether spicy food causes anxiety is still ongoing, with a few trusted researchers claiming that it’s indeed possible. But before jumping to a conclusion, let’s approach the claim from the flipside.

 

Some foods do soothe anxiety other than causing it. For instance, a 2015 study asserted that spice curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, helps boost Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) in the brain, preventing anxiety disorders. That’s entirely contradictory to studies that assert otherwise. Or perhaps, would it be more accurate to argue that only a few spices trigger anxiety while others don’t? Generally speaking, not all spices trigger anxiety, but a few types do.

 

What Foods Can Trigger a Panic Attack?

 

While some spices can trigger anxiety, some foods – spiced or not – cause anxiety. Remember that food can profoundly impact stress levels and mood and mess with mental health. For the most part, foods that are challenging for the body to digest cause unwanted stress in the body. These foods usually exacerbate the symptoms of panic attacks and depression quite profoundly and include the following.

 

Fried foods – Fried and junk foods give the body a run for its money digesting them. That creates acid refluxes, excess gas, and other gastrointestinal problems that trigger anxiety symptoms.

 

Processed Foods – Refined carbohydrates increase the risk of depression and escalate depression and anxiety attacks. A survey by the Florida Atlantic University on 10,359 adult participants affirmed that ultra-processed foods, including most conventional snacks, multiply the risk of panic attacks and anxiety.

 

Alcohol – Studies reveal that alcohol increases the chances of panic attacks and anxiety, especially for long-term usage, aggravating the symptoms. People suffering from an addiction have an escalated chance of getting panic attacks, and withdrawal exacerbates that.

 

Other foods, including caffeine, all nightshades, potatoes, eggplants, peppers, and goji berries, increase the chances of panic attacks by aggravating the symptoms. Moreover, a vast majority of fermented, smoked, and aged foods also have the propensity to trigger panic and anxiety attacks and mainly be the precursor for depression.

 

What Foods to Avoid If You Have Anxiety?

 

There are a ton of foods you must avoid if you have anxiety. Anything you eat that directly impacts your digestion, causing gastrointestinal problems, isn’t the best since it triggers anxiety symptoms. The basic assumption is that any change in health that makes you uncomfortable keeps you worried and panicky, although that’s only temporary. Therefore, please avoid ultra-processed foods, regular and diet sodas, toast, coffee, and energy drinks. Frostings and alcohol should also be a no-no if you suffer from panic attacks, and soy sauce can compromise.

 

Does Spicy Food Help Panic Attacks?

 

Not all spicy foods are good for panic attacks, and neither are all bad. Some spicy foods can release happy hormones in your body and prevent possible panic attacks, while others aggravate the symptoms. For the most part, spicy foods boost happy-making neurotransmitters, including endorphins and serotonin. But any spicy food that causes digestion issues can be worse for panic attacks.

 

Does Spicy Food Affect Mental Health?

 

A study conducted in China to examine the link between spicy foods and mental health found that these foods impact memory. And based on other findings, it’s apparent that spicy foods impact mental health. As seen previously, some spicy foods do the complete opposite; a case of turmeric, a spice containing curcumin that soothes anxiety. However, foods containing other spices cause anxiety significantly if they compromise digestion and lead to the occurrence of gastrointestinal. Such foods aggravate anxiety symptoms, often making them worse.

 

How Can I Calm My Anxiety?

 

Anxiety can be crippling and compromising, but that doesn’t always suggest the end of the road. You still have a chance to push it to the side and live tangle-free. But how is that possible if trying to control anxiety can be the precursor for anxiety? The good thing is that numerous solutions exist, and here’s how you can control anxiety.

 

Try Cooling Down Anxious Thoughts – Immersing yourself in a wave of positivity helps slow down racy, compromising thoughts. Thinking of yourself as inferior to your thoughts further suppresses your free will, and any anxiety trigger event or situation can send you spiraling. Try limiting thoughts like “I can do this” or “I can’t stand this” to fuel your anxiety, and you’re more likely to cave into the pressure.

 

Breathe – Profound breaths are therapeutic and help calm your anxiety better. If caught up in anxiety, deep and slow breaths can help you be yourself again. This simple action tricks your body, thinking that you’re falling asleep, and stops your adrenaline from going over the ceiling.

 

Get Yourself Some Perspective – Some people worry over non-existent things and situations due to overthinking. So, how about getting yourself some perspective instead of flipping overhastily? Think about how something that worries you will impact you in the future and if it’s even worth the worries. Of note, there’s no need to waste your time worrying over it.

 

Talk to Someone – Anxiety can be challenging to deal with. However, talking to someone helps, lifting the burden off your shoulders. That can be a close, understanding friend or a therapist that offers you insight and perspective.

 

Conclusion

 

Anxiety is a common mental health issue affecting numerous people globally. But can spicy food cause anxiety attacks? The answer can be subtle and neither between a yes nor a no. Some spices can soothe anxiety, while others may trigger it. So it depends on which spice you’re taking. Spices like turmeric and capsaicin can be good for anxiety. However, some spices that cause issues with digestion can be detrimental to your fight with anxiety.