Goal · Stress

Food and stress: what helps, and what the herb trials show

Everyday stress responds best to exercise, sleep and relaxation practice, plus cutting back on caffeine and alcohol. Anxiety disorders need psychotherapy or medication; herb trials are small.

By the editors of Alimentotherapy Last reviewed October 19, 2026 4 min read Not medical advice

The short answer

No food or herb is an established treatment for anxiety: anxiety disorders are treated with psychotherapy, medication or both, and cognitive behavioral therapy is the best-studied option Nimh; NCCIH. For everyday stress, regular aerobic exercise lowered anxiety in a meta-analysis of 15 trialsAylett 2018, while trials of ashwagandha, holy basil and lemon balm are small, uneven and rated low certainty Akhgarjand 2022; Ghazizadeh 2021.

Foods and herbs for stress, graded

Every claim from our remedy pages that relates to stress, strongest evidence first. Each row links to the full page and its sources.

Food or herb	Grade	What the research found
AshwagandhaSelf-rated stress	Moderate	A meta-analysis of 12 trials (1,002 adults aged 25 to 48) found lower stress scores than placebo, with the clearest effect at 300 to 600 mg a day, but rated the certainty of the evidence low. A later meta-analysis found lower cortisol but no significant change in the Perceived Stress Scale.
Holy basil (tulsi)Self-rated stress	Limited	In an 8-week trial of 100 stressed adults, 125 mg of extract twice a day lowered Perceived Stress Scale scores and hair cortisol more than placebo. A 6-week trial of 150 adults on 1,200 mg a day of another extract reported fewer stress symptoms.
Lemon balmAnxiety and stress symptoms	Limited	Pooled randomized trials showed lower anxiety scores with lemon balm than placebo, particularly in acute use, without serious side effects. Heterogeneity was high and the number of trials small.
Lion's mane mushroomLow mood and anxiety	Limited	In a four-week trial of 30 women eating lion's mane or placebo cookies, depression and 'indefinite complaints' scores fell from baseline in the mushroom group. A 28-day trial in young adults saw only a non-significant trend toward lower stress.
SaffronAnxiety symptoms	Limited	Six trials (339 people) showed lower Beck Anxiety Inventory scores, but results varied a great deal between trials and clinician-rated anxiety scores did not change.
ValerianAnxiety and stress	Limited	NCCIH says there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about valerian for anxiety, stress or depression.

Stress and anxiety are not the same problem

Stress is the body's reaction to a challenge or demand. In short bursts it can help; when it runs for weeks or months it can raise blood pressure, upset digestion and sleep, and worsen skin and menstrual problems. MedlinePlus lists signs that stress is affecting you, including headaches, tiredness, trouble sleeping, upset stomach and using alcohol or medicines to relax MedlinePlus.

Anxiety disorders are different: the worry does not go away, shows up in many situations and can get worse over time. About a third of US adolescents and adults have one at some point Nimh. Generalized anxiety disorder means finding worry hard to control on most days for at least six months, and it is treated with psychotherapy, medication or both Nimh. If that sounds like you, a food change is not the first step.

What helps everyday stress

Exercise. A meta-analysis of 15 trials (675 patients with diagnosed anxiety or raised anxiety scores) found aerobic exercise reduced anxiety compared with waiting-list controls, and higher intensity programs worked better than lower intensity ones. The trials were few and varied widelyAylett 2018.

Relaxation practice. NCCIH describes relaxation techniques such as slow diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery as ways to bring on the relaxation response; a 2019 review of three studies with 880 participants found preliminary evidence that breathing exercises may reduce stress NCCIH.

Sleep. Stress and short sleep feed each other. The sleep page covers what helps, starting with caffeine timing.

Caffeine and alcohol

Too much caffeine can cause anxiety, jitters, a fast heart rate, palpitations and sleep problems. For most adults the FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally linked to negative effects, but sensitivity varies widely FDA. If you feel wired and on edge, cutting back for a couple of weeks is a cheap test.

Alcohol often feels like it takes the edge off, but it fragments the second half of the night's sleepEbrahim 2013, and drinking to relax is one of the MedlinePlus warning signs of too much stressMedlinePlus.

Ashwagandha, holy basil and lemon balm

Ashwagandha. A meta-analysis of 12 trials (1,002 participants) found ashwagandha extract lowered anxiety and stress scores compared with placebo, but the trials disagreed a great deal and the certainty of the evidence was low Akhgarjand 2022. NCCIH says some preparations may help stress and sleep but the evidence on anxiety is unclear. It also notes rare cases of liver injury, that it should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and that it is not recommended with thyroid or autoimmune conditions or before surgery NCCIH.

Holy basil (tulsi). A 2017 review found 24 human studies across many conditions, including stress, all reporting favorable results; the authors called for further studies to settle the dose, the form and who benefits Jamshidi 2017. A review in which every study is positive is a reason for caution, not confidence.

Lemon balm. A meta-analysis found lemon balm improved anxiety and depression scores compared with placebo without serious side effects, but the trials were few and so different from each other that the authors urged caution Ghazizadeh 2021.

Compare the first two on ashwagandha vs holy basil. NCCIH notes that chamomile studies for anxiety are preliminary and that kava, also sold for anxiety, has been linked to severe liver injury NCCIH. A caffeine-free herbal infusion as part of a wind-down routine is a reasonable habit whatever the herb does.

Safety

Ashwagandha may interact with medicines for diabetes, blood pressure and thyroid conditions, as well as sedatives, anti-seizure drugs and immunosuppressants NCCIH. Tell your prescriber or pharmacist before taking any herb alongside regular medicines, and check our interactions list.

When to see a clinician, not the pantry

Thoughts of suicide or harming yourself: call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the US), or call 911 if you are in danger now.
Worry you find hard to control on most days, for weeks or months.
Panic attacks: sudden fear with a pounding heart, chest pain or trouble breathing. Chest pain should be checked urgently the first time.
Stress that leaves you overwhelmed or is affecting your health, sleep, work or relationships.
Drinking alcohol or using medicines to cope.

Common questions

Does ashwagandha work for stress?

It may help a little, but the evidence is weak. A 2022 meta-analysis of 12 trials with 1,002 people found lower stress and anxiety scores than placebo, with low certainty and widely varying results. NCCIH notes rare liver injury cases and advises avoiding it in pregnancy, while breastfeeding and with thyroid conditions.

What foods help with anxiety?

No food treats an anxiety disorder; NIMH lists psychotherapy and medication as the treatments, with CBT the best studied. Food-related steps that help some people are cutting back on caffeine, which the FDA notes can cause anxiety and jitters in excess, and drinking less alcohol, which disrupts sleep.

Does exercise reduce anxiety?

Yes, modestly. A 2018 meta-analysis of 15 trials in 675 people with clinical anxiety found aerobic exercise reduced anxiety compared with waiting-list controls, and higher-intensity programs worked better than lower-intensity ones.

Sources

Primary research and government sources, each checked on the date this page was reviewed.