Micronutrientes, neurotransmissores e ansiedade: uma revisão da literatura

Abstract

The number of individuals who present some type of emotional disorder related to everyday stress is increasing in the current scenario, which can have an impact in different areas. Among the disorders, one of those with the highest incidence is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), which is characterized by the feeling of fear and euphoria. Studies indicate that food is strongly associated with mood and quality of life, since the micronutrients present in food help in the formation of neurotransmitters that regulate the behavioral processes of the human body. Therefore, this review reevaluates the influence of healthy eating in minimizing anxiety symptoms. The present study consisted of a literature review, with the guiding question: “How can micronutrients contribute to minimizing the symptoms of anxiety?”. The databases used were Pubmed and Scielo, using as descriptors the keywords anxiety, micronutrients, neurotransmitters, nutrients, with Boolean operators: AND, OR, in Portuguese and English. Initially, a total of 2969 works were identified, 2187 articles in Pubmed and 782 in Scielo, being directed to the application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria were: articles with full texts in English and Portuguese, course completion works or master's and doctoral dissertations, works published in the last 6 years and which addressed the subject of anxiety and eating disorders. Exclusion criteria were duplicate works that did not meet the theme and were outside the established time frame. Applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 45 works of interest were selected. From the analysis of the studies, it was possible to observe that the adequate intake of micronutrients such as vitamins from the B complex, tryptophan, omega 3 and magnesium linked to the practice of physical activities contribute positively to minimizing the symptoms of anxiety, since they act as precursors of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid/Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), responsible for regulating the individual's mood, sleep and disposition, preventing the development of other disorders. Therefore, it is up to the nutritionist to develop a dietary plan composed of nutrients that help in the neurotransmission process and provide improvements in the patient's clinical status.