15 Unexpected Things That Are Majorly Triggering Your Anxiety

This comprehensive (if I do say so myself) list is a mixture of the most common physiological anxiety triggers and aggravators. Mental health issues—any health issue, for that matter—are often times multifactorial; each piece of the anxiety puzzle is unique. And because your body is brilliantly interconnected, so are the factors on this list.

Say hello to your caffeine gene CYP1A2. This guy determines how you handle coffee, tea, or anything else with caffeine in it. If you have the fast metabolizer version of this gene, you get all the cool health benefits of tea and coffee, but slow metabolizers of caffeine are often fueling their anxiety with each cup of coffee.

Sugar acts as fuel for the anxiety fire, and multiple studies have shown1 that the more sugar you eat (especially the refined kind), the more likely2 you are to have anxiety. The underlying mechanism? Inflammation.

Our brain, specifically the hypothalamus, brain stem, and prefrontal regions, have what's called 5HT2A receptor sites. When these little guys are activated, it can be linked to a number of bad things like anxiety, depression, and chronic fatigue. What can trigger 5HT2A? Stress and some of the other factors on this list.

I often find underlying hormonal imbalances in my anxiety patients during different times of their cycle, but especially before menstruation, imbalances between estrogen metabolites, progesterone, and cortisol—which can all fuel anxiety during this time.

Your brain-adrenal communication line—something called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis—is one of the top factors playing a role in anxiety. What is commonly known as "adrenal fatigue" is actually a brain-based issue. Balancing HPA-axis function takes time, but it is essential for many people to overcome their anxiety.

Every cell of your body has a thyroid receptor site, so if your thyroid isn't working, nothing is. There are many underlying thyroid pathway problems like thyroid conversion issues or autoimmune thyroid (Hashimoto's or Graves' disease) that are common factors to anxiety.

People often turn to alcohol to curb their anxiety, but that is not a good idea. Studies have shown that consuming alcohol is associated3 with a worsening of anxiety disorders over time. Other studies have shown that drinking alcohol in general can rewire the brain, making us more susceptible to anxiety.

Your gut is often referred to as the "second brain." Formed from the same fetal tissue, your gut and brain are inextricably linked for the rest of your life through what's called the gut-brain axis. Gut problems like intestinal hyper-permeability or "leaky gut syndrome" are associated with brain problems like anxiety. This often occurs through increased levels of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which are bacterial endotoxins found on gram-negative bacteria in the microbiome. When these bacteria are able to pass through the gut's protective lining in the bloodstream, it can trigger inflammation and a whole host of health issues, one of them being anxiety.

Just like LPS, there is another inflammatory bad guy, called NFkB, that is associated with anxiety. Lower levels of NFkB usually means lower rates of anxiety4. We're finding more and more that inflammation is a hugely important factor in anxiety, depression, fatigue, and brain fog research. In fact, there's a whole field referred to as the cytokine model of cognitive function. (Translation: How inflammation messes with our brain.)

The foods you eat instruct your biochemistry, simple as that. Clinically, I have found when we remove a patient's specific food sensitivity, such as gluten or dairy, this significantly reduces or eliminates their anxiety.

Multiple studies5 have found a link6 between mental health issues (anxiety and depression) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV7). For more information on chronic viral infections, check out my article.

Lyme disease is sadly spreading to epidemic proportions. One of the most common symptoms that I see in people struggling with chronic Lyme disease are neurological symptoms like anxiety.

The foods you eat determine how well your body works on a biochemical level—simple as that. Clinically, I have found that when we remove a patient's specific food sensitivity, such as gluten or dairy, it significantly reduces or eliminates their anxiety.

The balance of our blood glucose is paramount for brain health. If you have dips and spikes in your blood sugar, it's akin to a roller coaster that is anything but fun. The good news? There's a lot you can do to balance your blood sugar naturally.

Is strengthening this nerve the secret to taming anxiety?