Nathan López Bezerra
Ava Durgin, Assistant Health Editor, reported on research connecting a nutrient shortfall to anxiety. Durgin is a former Assistant Health Editor at mindbodygreen and holds a B.A. in Global Health and Psychology from Duke University.
A meta-analysis published on April 14, 2026, in the journal Molecular Psychiatry indicates that low levels of the nutrient choline may be linked to anxiety disorders. The study notes that roughly 90% of people in the United States do not get enough choline each day.
Researchers combined data from magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies, a type of brain scan that measures chemical activity. After reviewing 25 datasets with over 700 participants, they found that individuals with anxiety had about 8% lower levels of choline-containing compounds in their brains.
This decrease was most evident in the prefrontal cortex, the brain region that manages emotional control, focus, and decision-making. The pattern was seen across different anxiety conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder.
Choline supports brain health by helping the body make acetylcholine, a chemical involved in memory, concentration, and a calm state. It is also needed to build cell membranes and assists in methylation processes, which are related to mood.
The study offers a theory that living with ongoing anxiety speeds up brain metabolism, causing it to use choline more rapidly. If a person’s diet does not provide sufficient choline to match this use, levels can fall, potentially impacting the brain’s ability to adapt and regulate emotions.
Choline is found in many common foods. Some of the top sources are egg yolks, organ meats, salmon, chicken, turkey, soybeans, tofu, milk, dairy products, beef, and cruciferous vegetables. The research points out that the brain may absorb choline more effectively when it is eaten along with omega-3 fats, like those present in fatty fish.
This analysis does not state that a lack of choline causes anxiety. Instead, it proposes that low brain choline could be a common biological feature among anxiety disorders. Simple changes in diet, such as eating more choline-rich foods, may provide support for brain function.
The full study is referenced at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-025-03206-7.
Nutritional research continues to examine the role of diet in mental health. Other studies have looked at how vitamins and minerals, like B vitamins and magnesium, influence stress and anxiety, supporting the idea that what we eat can affect how we feel.
