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Anxiety is a normal response to threat. Its purpose is to mobilize the 'fight-or-flight' reaction controlled by hormones from the adrenal glands. However, many people suffer constant anxiety as a reaction to prolonged stress or even as a response to something which is clearly non-threatening. This is an unpleasant feeling of dread or fear called anxiety neurosis.
Sometimes the reason for the anxiety is because of a previous situation which triggered the 'tight-or-flight' reaction, and then a constant dread of it recurring remains deep in the mind. A more common and less severe example is that of a highly-disciplined child feeling subconscious anxiety as an adult because she is no longer constantly busy, or the mother who is forever anxious about her family when there is absolutely no need. People with anxiety neuroses have high blood levels of lactate resulting from glucose metabolism.
Panic attacks have been initiated by infusing lactate into anxious people, but the same infusions have no effect on normal people. This indicates that some actually accumulate lactate, and an added amount then pushes them into panic. Anxious people also have much higher lactate levels after exercise than others, and should therefore avoid strenuous or prolonged types. Lactate normally accumulates with exercise but is slowly cleared from the blood when the exercise ceases.
A lack of B vitamins or minerals such as calcium or magnesium can cause the lactate accumulation. However, there is increasing evidence that food allergy plays a major role in causing high lactate. The adrenalin produced by the anxiety further increases the reaction.
Yet another cause of anxiety is poor liver function. The liver detoxifies all the junk and chemicals we ingest and breathe. If its function is below par, the brain can be adversely affected by toxic chemicals circulating in the bloodstream. Clearly there are many diverse reasons for anxiety which need evaluating. There is no point in spending hours meditating to relieve it if an allergic reaction may be responsible for the problem.
Treatment Diet
1. Avoid foods to which you are allergic.
2. Avoid all sugar, honey, sorbitol, refined grains and cereals, milk, caffeine and alcohol, as they increase lactate levels.
3. Reduce fruit and avoid fruit juice, as fructose also increases lactate.
4. Follow the naturopathic diet, but increase protein levels and reduce even healthy complex carbohydrate such as grains until you improve. Lactate accumulation responds to this combination.