Introduction: In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the stress load on the human body increases, the level of anxiety and fear rises, and the risks of developing depression grow. Active young people who find themselves in socially constrained conditions are most affected. The existing recommendations of health care institutions in modern conditions aim to maintain the metabolic health of people. In this regard, it is relevant to study certain nutrients’ effects on cellular processes triggered by exposure to stressful environmental factors.

Aim: This work aimed to analyze current scientific data on the positive effect of specific nutrients on human metabolism under exposure to stressful environmental factors.

Materials and methods: The scientific data analysis was performed by using the databases DOAJ, EBSCO, Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed.

Results: Emotional stress leads to metabolic disturbances. These changes are manifested in the violation of habitual dietary patterns. In this case a person’s eating behavior resembles the eating pattern during the depression: poor appetite, skipping meals, craving for sugary foods, and more. Many nutrients have a positive effect on metabolic processes in the cells of the nervous system and the body as a whole. Some studies report that foods rich in the amino acids tryptophan, methionine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine normalize the balance of neurotransmitters, stabilize the emotional background, and improve sleep quality. Several micronutrients, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin B12, magnesium, have an antidepressant effect. It was found that the intake of magnesium preparations (in the form of glycinate and taurinate) contributed to the rapid and positive dynamics of the recovery process in depressive conditions.

Conclusions: The analysis of the open literature sources showed that increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, minerals, and amino acids in the diet can reduce the risk of diseases associated with physical and mental health changes under stress conditions.