Battling Stress with Foods

Stress is one of the major hazards of modern living, something that studies indicate drives women to junk food and men to drink -- and both sexes often to the doctor. British health specialist Angela Dowden says eating is the right approach --- with the proper food.

She says a recent Danish study shows a diet rich in sugars and starches "is one of the most effective weapons in fighting the effects of stress," because they stimulate the brain's production of the "feel-good" chemical serotonin. Recommended foods include bread, potatoes, rice, carrots, beets, bananas, fruit juice and non-diet soft drinks.

Dowden says another cause of stress is a low level in the body of the element magnesium, which can be brought about by the roar of traffic or other loud noises. Experts say it is important to keep up the intake of magnesium, and recommended foodstuffs are nuts, whole grains, baked beans, lentils, sardines and leafy green vegetables.

For those preferring an alternative health approach to the problem of stress, Dowden suggests Korean ginseng, which studies say "can increase mental alertness and work output under stressful conditions" by improving adrenal gland function.