Foods That Reduce Anxiety and Depression: What to Eat and What to Cut
Published on 9 September, 2026
Changing what you eat will not, on its own, resolve depression or an anxiety disorder. It is worth saying that at the start so you know what this page is offering.
What food can do is help, alongside whatever else you are doing. That is supported by a properly conducted trial rather than by guesswork, and the changes involved are ordinary ones. This page covers what the research found, which foods to eat more of, what to cut back on, and one supplement that needs real care.
What the Research Shows
In 2017, Jacka and colleagues published the SMILES trial in BMC Medicine. It was a 12-week, single-blind randomized controlled trial of dietary improvement in adults with moderate to severe depression.
Sixty-seven people took part. One group had seven sessions with a clinical dietitian; the other received social support on the same schedule. The dietary group improved significantly more on the standard depression rating scale, and remission was reached by 32.3% of them compared with 8.0% of the control group.
Three things are worth knowing alongside that result.
- The trial was small. Sixty-seven participants is a promising finding rather than a settled question.
- The diet was added to existing treatment. Most participants were already receiving psychotherapy, medication or both, and the trial was not designed to test whether diet could replace them.
- Participants had seven sessions with a dietitian. That is a more supported intervention than reading advice online.
Within those limits, it is good evidence that what you eat affects how you feel.
What the Diet Involved
The pattern was broadly Mediterranean: vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, olive oil, fish and modest amounts of lean red meat, with sweets, refined cereals, fried food, processed meat and sugary drinks reduced.
No single food was responsible. The benefit appears to come from the overall pattern, which is why it is more useful to change the shape of your meals than to add one ingredient.
Foods to Eat More Of
Oily fish, or plant sources of omega-3
Salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring supply long-chain omega-3 fats, which appear consistently in research on diet and mood. On a vegetarian diet, walnuts, flaxseed and chia are the closest sources, though the body converts plant omega-3 into the long-chain forms slowly.
Vegetables, especially leafy greens
Leafy greens provide folate, magnesium and fiber, and vegetables are the most consistent feature of every dietary pattern linked to better mood. Quantity matters more than variety, so it is worth adding a portion to a meal you already eat rather than planning something new.
Legumes and whole grains
Beans, lentils, chickpeas, oats, barley and brown rice release glucose slowly. Steady blood sugar matters here because sharp swings produce shakiness, irritability and a racing heart, which are difficult to tell apart from anxiety.
Nuts, seeds and olive oil
These were the main fat sources in the SMILES pattern. A small handful of nuts also works well as an afternoon snack.
Fermented foods
Yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut and miso. Research on the gut and mood is active and still developing, and NCCIH's assessment of probiotics for mental health is that the evidence is inconsistent. They are worth including as part of a varied diet.
What to Cut Back On
Caffeine
This is the most useful change for anxiety specifically. Caffeine produces a racing heart, jitteriness and restlessness, which are the same physical sensations as anxiety. It can create the feelings you are trying to reduce.
If you are anxious and drinking several coffees a day, cutting back is likely to help more than anything you add. Reduce gradually rather than stopping suddenly, because withdrawal headaches are common.
Alcohol
Alcohol helps in the short term and costs more later. It reliably disrupts sleep in the second half of the night even when it makes falling asleep easier, and poor sleep makes you more reactive to stress the next day. Many people also notice heightened anxiety the following morning.
Ultra-processed food and added sugar
The issue is partly what these foods displace and partly what they do to blood sugar. A sharp rise and fall produces the same physical symptoms as anxiety, and it tends to repeat: you feel low, eat quickly, and feel worse an hour later.
| Eat more | Eat less | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Leafy greens and vegetables | Ultra-processed snacks | Folate, magnesium and fiber; steadier energy |
| Legumes, oats, whole grains | Refined carbohydrates and added sugar | Slower glucose release; fewer swings that mimic anxiety |
| Oily fish, walnuts, flax, chia | Fried food | Omega-3 fats appear throughout the research on mood |
| Nuts, seeds, olive oil | Processed meats | The fat sources used in the SMILES pattern |
| Fermented foods | Alcohol | Alcohol disrupts sleep and raises next-day reactivity |
| Water, herbal tea | Caffeine after midday | Caffeine produces the physical sensations of anxiety |
| Regular meals | Skipped meals | Long gaps destabilize blood sugar and mood |
Meal Timing
When you eat matters as well, and it is often easier to change than what you eat.
- Eat something in the morning rather than running on coffee until midday. That combination of low blood sugar and high caffeine commonly produces anxiety in the afternoon.
- Eat at roughly consistent times. Irregular eating affects energy and mood, particularly when you are already under strain.
- Sit down to eat rather than eating at a screen. People eat faster and notice less when distracted, and often feel unsatisfied afterwards.
- Keep something suitable available for the late afternoon. It is much easier to eat well at 4pm if you decided what you were eating earlier in the day.
A Warning About St John's Wort
Anyone researching food for depression will come across St John's wort quickly, and it needs more care than most supplements.
On effectiveness, NCCIH states that "St. John's wort isn't consistently effective for depression." Some studies found it comparable to antidepressants for mild to moderate depression; others found no advantage over placebo.
The safety information is more definite. Combining St John's wort with certain antidepressants can cause a potentially life-threatening rise in serotonin, with agitation, diarrhea, rapid heartbeat, hallucinations and raised body temperature. It also weakens a number of medications, including antidepressants, birth control pills, cyclosporine, digoxin, oxycodone, HIV drugs, cancer medications and warfarin. It can worsen anxiety, and may trigger psychotic symptoms in people with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
The interaction with birth control is the one people are least likely to expect from a product bought without a prescription. Speak with a healthcare provider before taking St John's wort, particularly if you take any regular medication.
What Food Cannot Do
Depression and anxiety disorders are medical conditions, not the result of a poor diet. Changing how you eat is a supporting measure rather than a treatment.
Please speak with a healthcare provider if low mood has lasted more than two weeks, if you have lost interest in things you usually enjoy, if anxiety is affecting your work or relationships, or if you are using alcohol or food to cope. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, contact a healthcare professional or call or text 988 in the United States to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Do not stop or change prescribed medication because of anything you read about diet. The participants in the SMILES trial improved while continuing their treatment.
If the Hard Part Is Doing It
Shopping, cooking and deciding what to eat are the things most affected when your mood is low, which makes dietary change difficult at exactly the point it might help.
At YO1 Longevity & Health Resorts in the Catskills, meals are vegetarian and prepared to your plan at set times, with a dietetics consultation included, so none of those decisions fall to you. The Depression and Stress Management Program combines that with therapies, daily yoga and meditation, and guests meet a Health Counselor on arrival to shape the week around what they came with.
One note on the menu: the SMILES pattern included fish and a small amount of lean red meat, and YO1's kitchen is vegetarian. Most of the pattern carries across—vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds and olive oil—but oily fish does not.
YO1 is not a medical center and does not have physicians on staff; its practitioners do not diagnose or prescribe. A stay is a way to follow the pattern for a week and learn what to continue at home, alongside appropriate medical care rather than instead of it.
FAQs
Q: What foods reduce anxiety?
A: There is no single food that reduces anxiety. The pattern with the best support is Mediterranean-style: vegetables and leafy greens, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, olive oil and oily fish, with refined sugar, ultra-processed food and alcohol reduced. For anxiety specifically, reducing caffeine and eating at regular times often helps more than adding anything.
Q: Is there real evidence that diet affects depression?
A: Yes. The SMILES trial, published in BMC Medicine in 2017, was a 12-week randomized controlled trial in adults with moderate to severe depression. Remission was reached by 32.3% of the dietary support group compared with 8.0% of the control group. It was a small trial of 67 people, and the diet was added to existing treatment rather than replacing it.
Q: What foods should I avoid with anxiety?
A: Caffeine is the main one, because it produces the same physical sensations as anxiety—a racing heart, jitteriness and restlessness. Alcohol and heavily refined or sugary foods are the others: alcohol disrupts sleep, and blood sugar swings feel very similar to anxiety.
Q: Does sugar cause anxiety?
A: Sugar does not cause an anxiety disorder. A high-sugar, low-fiber meal produces a rapid rise and fall in blood glucose, and that fall causes shakiness, irritability and a racing heart, which are hard to distinguish from anxiety. Eating carbohydrate alongside protein, fat and fiber reduces the swing.
Q: Do omega-3 supplements help with depression?
A: Omega-3 fats appear consistently in research on diet and mood, and oily fish is the best-established source. Whether supplements provide the same benefit is less clear, and it is worth discussing with a healthcare provider.
Q: Is St John's wort safe to take for depression?
A: It needs real caution. NCCIH states that St John's wort is not consistently effective for depression, and it interacts with many medications—it weakens antidepressants, birth control pills, warfarin, digoxin, oxycodone, and HIV and cancer drugs, and combined with certain antidepressants it can cause a potentially life-threatening rise in serotonin. Speak with a healthcare provider before taking it.
Q: Can gut health affect mental health?
A: Research on the gut and mood is active but not yet settled. NCCIH's assessment of probiotics for mental health is that the evidence is inconsistent. Fermented foods are worth including as part of a varied diet.
Q: How long does it take for diet changes to affect mood?
A: The SMILES trial ran for twelve weeks. Some people notice steadier energy and fewer afternoon slumps within a week or two, mostly from more stable blood sugar and less caffeine, but meaningful change in mood is measured in weeks and months.
Q: Can changing my diet replace antidepressants or therapy?
A: No. In the trial most often cited, participants continued their psychotherapy and medication throughout, and the diet was added to that. Any change to prescribed treatment is a decision for the provider who prescribed it.
Q: When should I speak to someone rather than change my diet?
A: If low mood has lasted more than two weeks, if you have lost interest in things you usually enjoy, if anxiety is affecting your work or relationships, or if you are using alcohol or food to cope. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, contact a healthcare professional or call or text 988 in the US for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Book Your Wellness Journey at YO1
If the difficulty is doing it rather than knowing it, YO1's Depression and Stress Management Program in the Catskills builds meals, therapies and routine into one plan, starting with a consultation. Speak with a YO1 representative to find the right program.
YO1 Longevity & Health Resorts, Catskills · 420 Anawana Lake Road, Monticello, NY 12701 · +1 845 237 9100 · info@yo1.com
Sources
- Jacka FN, O'Neil A, Opie R, et al. A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression (the 'SMILES' trial). BMC Medicine. 2017 Jan 30;15(1):23. PMID 28137247 (67 participants; 12-week single-blind RCT; adjunctive dietary intervention; remission 32.3% vs 8.0%).
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. St. John's Wort and Depression: In Depth. nccih.nih.gov/health/st-johns-wort-and-depression-in-depth (not consistently effective; serotonin syndrome risk; interactions with antidepressants, birth control pills, cyclosporine, digoxin, oxycodone, HIV drugs, cancer medications and warfarin).
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Probiotics: What You Need To Know. nccih.nih.gov (inconsistent evidence for mental health applications).
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