The 9 Best Anxiety Supplements In 2022
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Many of us have felt anxious from time to time. But for the millions of people living with an anxiety disorder around the globe, anxiety occurs on a more regular basis.
From therapy to medication and yoga to meditation, there are many approaches you can take to help reduce anxiety.
Another popular option? Dietary supplements.
While theres still more to be learned about supplements and their role in mental health, research does suggest that they may be an effective remedy for easing anxiety symptoms.
If youre wondering how supplements can help you curb anxiety, weve got you covered. Weve rounded up nine of our top choices below, including specific products we recommend.
Supplements for anxiety may work, but results can depend on a variety of factors, including:
- how much you take
- other treatments you may be using
- other conditions you have or medications you use
Even though theyre natural, supplements can be powerful. Science still has more to learn about what dosages are effective , so its best to start with the smallest dose possible.
If youre already participating in therapy, taking anti-anxiety medications, or receiving any other treatment, supplements shouldnt be used as a replacement remedy.
In these cases, adding supplements as part of your existing treatment plan may help reduce symptoms further.
To Address Constant Stress: Vitamin B Complex
B vitamins are among the most important vitamins for anxiety and stress. They are critical to many functions in the body, including calming the nervous system. When someone is stressed, they burn through B5 and B6 more quickly. Adding a supplement to your routine in times of stress can help alleviate these symptoms and support your mental health.
When To Seek Help
In some cases, a supplement may be all you need to manage anxiety symptoms. However, if your symptoms are becoming overwhelming or affecting your day-to-day activities or overall quality life, it may be time to ask for help.
Seeking support from a medical or mental health professional can provide you with treatment options tailored to you. This can include talk therapy, medication, or other techniques or remedies.
If the products on this list arent what youre looking for, there are many other options available.
Here are some things to keep in mind when youre searching for a high-quality supplement:
- reputable brand
- certifications
- positive user reviews
Because the FDA doesnt regulate dietary supplements to the same degree as medications, searching for high-quality products is especially important.
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Nature Made Calcium Magnesium And Zinc
This is the best overall option when looking for vitamins for stress relief. The combination of calcium and magnesium has been used for centuries in the treatment of anxiety. Zinc is also an essential nutrient that fights anxiety, and it has antioxidant properties. This supplement contains key nutrients that support strong bones and improve nerve function, muscle function, and metabolism.
This product has no synthetic dyes or artificial flavors, and no preservatives. It is USP-verified, meaning it is tested for quality and purity by a third-party company. This shows the manufacturers commitment to quality. Each tablet offers 333 mg of calcium, 133 mg of magnesium, and 5 mg of zinc. They also include 200 IUs of vitamin D3, which is an essential nutrient to help your body absorb calcium.
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Vitamins
Vitamins help make your brain and your body are healthier, so you experience fewer anxiety symptoms, but it’s still up to you to do what’s necessary to prevent anxiety from taking over your life. In order to get the most out of your vitamins, you have to set yourself up for success by having coping mechanisms on hand and preparing for your anxiety. Here are some useful tips to keep your anxiety in check.
Avoid Certain Foods
Although we recommend certain foods on this list, there are also foods and drinks you need to avoid to better manage your anxiety. Anything that contains caffeine or alcohol, for example, can cause your anxiety levels to rise and put you at risk for panic attacks and other symptoms. Make sure to avoid these products as much as possible, so that you don’t counteract the helpful benefits of a healthy diet and supplementation.
Have Relaxation Techniques on Hand
What’s the opposite of anxiety? Relaxation! When you feel anxious on a regular basis, you’ll want to make sure that you have plenty of relaxation techniques to rely on. Whether you use stress balls, meditation recordings, or deep-breathing exercises, having a host of ways to relax when you feel stressed and anxious will make it easier to get through your days.
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Top 12 Supplements For Anxiety & Depression
May 20th, 2017 2:00am
Among the most heavily prescribed medications are mental health issues ranging from general anxiety and depression to full-blown psychosis. Indeed, it is very easy for prescribing doctors like me to reach into our white coat, pull our prescription pad, and write a prescriptionmuch easier than actually exploring what might be going on in a persons life now or in the past. It is also much easier to obtain information from drug reps who come right to our door and regurgitate studies from medical journals than to learn about possible alternatives. Indeed, sometimes prescription medication is needed. However, in many cases, one can get much help with a supportive doctors ear and over-the-counter supplements, which, contrary to what your doctor will likely tell you or know, are backed by many clinical studies.
Here are 12 of my go-to supplements for various mental health issues. I am not your doctor, so you should clear anything you take with your personal physician.
1. L-methylfolate up to 15mg/day for depression.
2. S-adenosyl-L-methionine for depression.
3. Omega-3 fatty acids – DHA and/or EPA for depression, memory, and ADHD. DHA 500mg 1000mg/day
4. St. Johns wort 900mg 1800mg/day in divided doses for depression.
5. 5-HTP for depression. 100mg 300mg three times a day
6. Valerian root for insomnia, anxiety, or depression. 400mg 650mg/day
7. L-theanine for stress, anxiety & sleep problems. 200mg/day
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Vitamin B Complex Supplements
Eating a well-rounded diet of whole, unprocessed foods is a good start towards getting the B vitamins you need from your diet.
However, if you dont eat meat or dont get at least the recommended 9 servings a day of fruits and vegetables, you might be low in one or more of the B vitamins.
One of the most common questions about B vitamin supplementation is whether you should take individual B vitamins or a B complex supplement.
Eventually it can cause permanent nerve and brain damage.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance of vitamin B12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms .
When you read a B12 supplement label, youll find that it usually contains much more than this.
Because only about 2% of the B12 in supplements is actually absorbed, the excess assures that youre getting close to the RDA.
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Why Trust Verywell Mind
Sydney Greene, MS, RD, takes supplement recommendations seriously. Every product has been researched and vetted against clinical research, product reviews, and third-party testing websites. These are products she would not only feel comfortable recommending to her clients, but she would take them herself if needed.
Vitamin C Food Sources
Almost all animals synthesize their own vitamin C, except humans.
So we must get it from food or supplements.
The top vitamin C fruit sources are citrus fruits, strawberries, and the tropical fruits pineapple, papaya, and kiwi.
The best vegetable sources are peppers of all kinds , tomatoes, and cruciferous vegetables .
But typically these foods contain less than 100 mg per serving.
So, you have to regularly eat a lot of these foods to meet the amounts considered therapeutic, generally 500 to 1,000 mg per day.
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Megafood Vitamin D3 5000 Iu
Price: $$
Many people are deficient in or have suboptimal levels of vitamin D, a fat-soluble nutrient thatâs essential for brain function and mood regulation .
Studies show that vitamin D inadequacy or deficiency is particularly common in people with mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders .
Furthermore, research suggests that taking high doses of vitamin D may be effective in reducing the severity of anxiety symptoms in people with anxiety disorders, including those with GAD .
A 2020 study in 106 people with depression found that treatment with 1,600 IU of vitamin D per day for 6 months led to significant improvements in anxiety symptoms, compared with a control group .
MegaFood Vitamin D3 is one of the best vitamin D supplements for anxiety, as it combines vitamin D with vitamin K.
These nutrients work synergistically in the body to help maintain healthy levels of vitamin K and to promote heart and bone health .
This supplement delivers 5,000 IU of vitamin D and 100% of the Daily Value for vitamin K in just 1 capsule. As a result, itâs a good choice for people with low vitamin D levels.
Keep in mind that while higher dose vitamin D supplements may be necessary to treat deficiency, for people who simply want to maintain healthy vitamin D levels, a supplement that provides 1,000â2,000 IU per day may be more appropriate.
Your healthcare professional can test your vitamin D levels and recommend a dose of vitamin D for your specific needs.
Vitamins Are Not Medicine
Natural health enthusiasts have been promoting the idea of vitamins alone as a treatment for anxiety in years. Sometimes there is a benefit. There is some early evidence that magnesium supplements may help with anxiety, for example. There is also some belief that a proper diet is may be useful for coping with stress. But taking vitamin supplements may not work for everyone, and simply adding vitamins to your diet may not have much of an effect.
The reason that most vitamins have little effect on your anxiety is simple: when your body doesn’t need the vitamin, it usually removes them. This is true of Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and several minerals. Your digestive system is unlikely to keep nutrients it doesn’t need. Instead, it turns them into waste, and you expel them every time you go to the bathroom.
Some vitamins and minerals, like calcium, do build up in the body. But usually, this is considered a bad thing – not a good thing. Too much Vitamin A, for example, can become toxic.
That is why some experts believe it may actually be harmful to frequently consume vitamins that you do not need. If you are going to add vitamins to your diet, you first need to be selective – talk to your doctor, and try to understand what your dietary needs may be. That is the case with B-Vitamins – a common vitamin that is often recommended on several blogs and natural health websites for those with anxiety.
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Swanson Ashwagandha Stress Support 450 Mg Capsules
This is the best anxiety-fighting herbal supplement. Ashwagandha root is a strong herb that is known for its wide range of health benefits. This supplement promotes cognitive health, energy, a positive mood, stress reduction, physical vitality, and more. Ashwagandha has been extensively studied and proven to be able to boost your health.
This supplement is considered to be an adaptogenic herb, meaning it increases your ability to adapt to stress on a daily basis. Ashwagandha is believed to help support your bodys ability to reduce the production of cortisol, which is known as the stress hormone. Ashwagandha has also been used to boost a healthy mood, which likely contributes to this herbs stress-reducing abilities.
The company behind this product is committed to quality and service. This supplement is made from the purest, freshest ingredients available, and meets the highest of quality standards. The facilities in which this supplement is produced are Good Manufacturing Practice certified, and the supplement goes through rigorous potency and purity testing by a third party before it ends up in your home.
Pros
Supplementing Vitamins With Counseling
If you’re still struggling with anxiety, vitamins can help to reduce the severity of your symptoms, but therapy is still the most important treatment you can receive because it will allow you to work through the underlying issues and learn helpful coping mechanisms. To that end, BetterHelp can help you find a licensed counselor to support you.
BetterHelp is an online counseling platform that connects you with certified therapists and simplifies the counseling process. When you’re ready to get started, all you have to do is to answer a short questionnaire on their website, so you can find the licensed therapist most suited for your needs. Then, you can join therapy sessions from the comfort and privacy of your own home . Below are some reviews of BetterHelp counselors from people experiencing similar issues.
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Vitamins That Help With Anxiety
If you eat a modern diet, you probably have some kind of mineral or vitamin deficiencies. This not only impacts your health, but it also impacts your emotional and psychological wellbeing. There are many factors at play here, including poor diet, lack of absorption of minerals and vitamins, or even soil depletion. Read on to learn about the vitamins you may want to add to your diet.
Vitamins A, C, and E
Individuals who experience anxiety sometimes lack appropriate amounts of the antioxidants vitamin A , vitamin C, and vitamin E. Research has shown that supplementing with vitamins A, C, and E can help reduce anxiety. In fact, one study revealed that people diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder have significantly lower levels of these vitamins. After supplementing with these antioxidants for six weeks, patients experienced a reduction in symptoms.
Antioxidants like these can be ingested by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables. Vitamin A-rich foods include sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, broccoli, butter/ghee, and egg yolks. The upper limit of vitamin A is 3,000 ug per day, and the recommended daily dose is between 900 ug and 700 ug.
Vitamin C rich foods include cantaloupe, citrus fruits, kiwis, mango, papaya, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and watermelon. The recommended daily dose of vitamin C is between 65 mg and 90 mg a day with an upper limit of 2,000 mg per day.
Vitamin B
Vitamin D
Magnesium
Omega-3 Fatty Acids