Navigation
Anxiety is an emotion we experience when we anticipate danger, but that danger has not yet materialized. In such a situation, we experience a sense of uncertainty as we prepare for what might happen, even if the threat is not immediate or we are not even sure what the nature of the threat might be. Sometimes, the threat might not even (objectively) exist.
Author and reviewer
Editorial responsibilityReferences and further reading
- Grupe DW, Nitschke JB. Uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety: an integrated neurobiological and psychological perspective. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 2013;14(7):488–501. doi:10.1038/nrn3524. View source
- Sussman TJ, Jin J, Mohanty A. Top-down and bottom-up factors in threat-related perception and attention in anxiety. Biological Psychology. 2016;121(Pt B):160–171. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.08.006. View source
How to cite this entry
Encyclopedia of Nutritional Psychology. (2026). Anxiety. The Center for Nutritional Psychology.
https://www.nutritional-psychology.org/encyclopedia/anxiety/Know a term that belongs in the Encyclopedia?
Share a nutritional psychology term with the CNP editorial team for consideration. Relevant submissions may be reviewed for future development and publication in the Encyclopedia of Nutritional Psychology.
