Scientists find hidden brain nutrient deficit that may fuel anxiety
Key takeaways
- People with anxiety disorders may share a measurable change in brain chemistry involving choline, an essential nutrient tied to memory, mood, cell structure, and nerve signaling.
- Research from UC Davis Health found that people diagnosed with anxiety disorders had lower levels of choline in the brain than people without anxiety.
- The researchers reviewed data from 25 previous studies that measured neurometabolites, the chemicals involved in brain metabolism.
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
People with anxiety disorders may share a measurable change in brain chemistry involving choline, an essential nutrient tied to memory, mood, cell structure, and nerve signaling.
Research from UC Davis Health found that people diagnosed with anxiety disorders had lower levels of choline in the brain than people without anxiety. The finding comes from a study published in Molecular Psychiatry, a Nature journal, and offers a rare look at the chemistry that may be connected to anxiety across several different diagnoses.
The researchers reviewed data from 25 previous studies that measured neurometabolites, the chemicals involved in brain metabolism. Altogether, the analysis included 370 people with anxiety disorders and 342 people without anxiety.