Today, with exploding stress, a single glass of 'this' will calm it down.

Milk, spicy foods, nuts, and bananas help with stress.

There is a valid scientific basis for people who relieve stress by eating spicy food. Haha

 

I'm gradually getting stressed out because of my son...

Should I at least drink some milk? Haha

This kid's fifth-grade son really doesn't listen at all ㅠㅠ

 

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Clip Art Korea

 

 

Depending on how one perceives external physical stimuli, it can become either good stress or bad stress. Prolonged exposure to bad stress can damage nerve cells in the brain, leading to issues such as impaired memory and weakened immunity. Toxic glutamate may accumulate throughout the body, potentially leading to hypertension, cancer, and other health problems.

 

Therefore, efforts are needed to respond positively when stimuli are applied. Eating foods that are good for relieving stress is also beneficial. Food significantly helps in alleviating stress. The act of eating itself activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress, so let's learn about foods that are especially helpful.

 

Milk that increases serotonin secretion

Serotonin, a type of neurotransmitter, reduces aggression, anxiety, and depression. To promote the secretion of serotonin, it is good to eat foods containing tryptophan. The representative foods rich in tryptophan are milk and meat. Milk is also rich in calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which help lower blood pressure elevated by stress. Among meats, pork and duck are high in tryptophan. It is also beneficial to eat lettuce, which is rich in vitamin B1 that helps stabilize nerves, as a side dish. Tryptophan is also found in all sweet foods.

 

Spicy food makes endorphins released.

There are foods that help promote the secretion of endorphins, hormones that improve mood. Chocolate is a representative example. Chocolates containing more than 70% cacao are good. Cacao also stimulates endorphin release, and drinking it warm can help relax muscles that have become tense due to stress. Eating spicy foods also promotes endorphin secretion. When cells in the body that detect pain sense the spiciness, the brain releases endorphins to eliminate the pain.

 

I like magnesium-rich nuts.

Magnesium is an essential mineral for converting tryptophan into serotonin and suppresses the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol. It is abundant in almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, brown rice, soybeans, and oily fish. Consuming kelp and seaweed (iodine) and Japanese angelica tree shoots (calcium) helps stabilize the mind and body.

 

The sweet taste of bananas calms the nerves.

Vitamins also help relieve stress. In particular, bananas are rich in vitamins and potassium, and their unique sweetness has a calming effect on the nerves. Walnuts are abundant in vitamin E and contain high levels of lecithin, which is beneficial for insomnia caused by stress. Eating foods high in vitamins also helps recover health that has deteriorated due to stress.

 

 

Journalist Han Hee-jun hj@chosun.com