Vitamins And Minerals That Can Ease Depression And Anxiety
Anxiety and depression are the leading mental illnesses in America and affect more than eighteen percent of the population. Many people turn to medication as their first line of defense to treat these conditions, but there may be a better way. Studies indicate that many people with these mental illnesses could benefit from better nutrition. With the right vitamins and minerals, your brain and body may be able to overcome anxiety and depression naturally.
According to research, nutrition is a major factor influencing the onset, severity, and duration of a depressive episode. Individuals with depression or anxiety often have a deficiency of a range of essential vitamins and minerals necessary for optimal brain function. So, exactly which vitamins and minerals are needed in your diet to treat anxiety and depression? Lets take a closer look at what your body is craving.
The Best Vitamins For Mental Health
Depression is a mood disorder affecting over 17 million people in the U.S. today, and that number only reflects the reported cases. There are far more people experiencing depression who dont seek treatment. Depression is typically treated with medications and psychotherapy. However, some lifestyle changes can help treat and prevent depression as well, including the regular consumption of certain vitamins, minerals, and herbs. Some common vitamins known for improving mental health and supporting brain function are:
Lifted Naturals Bifidus Mood Boost Probiotic
- Four mood-boosting bacteria strains and anxiety relief and enhanced mood
- With Prebiotic GOS fiber for gut stabilization
- A strictly regulated manufacturing process
- Vegan, Non-GMO, Dairy-Free, and Gluten-Free
- No histamine or D-lactate
Anxiety, depression, and other mood issues do not stop at the nervous system.
In most cases, depressive symptoms typically extend to other body regions, stalling their proper function. Besides the brain and neural pathways, one part of the body most affected by mood disorders is the gut.Probiotic supplements like the Bifidus Mood Boost Probiotic from Lifted Natural pack many of the beneficial bacteria that can help fix this region, solving digestive issues, and in turn boosting the state of the digestive system, immune health, and mood.
The Bifidus Mood boost features four bifidobacteria strains that offer support to your digestive, immune, and nervous system. Consequently, this supplement can help with anxiety and mood enhancement.
Since Lifted Naturals is a GMP Certified Manufacturer, you can rest assured that with the Bifidus Mood Boost Probiotic, you are getting contaminant-free content that is true to the label4 healthy bacteria groups in a 30 Billion CFU formulation.
This probiotic is also histamine-free and does not contain any lactate. Bifidus Mood Boost is also gluten-free, non-GMO, and vegan-safe.
With each package, you get 60 capsules that equate to a 60-day supply.
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What Are The Best Supplement Brands
Not all supplements are created equal. Its important to choose a quality supplement over the cheapest and few of them
Its important to choose high-quality supplements and not just ones off of the shelf, but ones that doctors and naturopaths trust.
The ones you can get off of the shelf are most likely not good, there have been tests on them and they have quality problems.
Poor supplements may contain lead, arsenic, or plastics yes even the ones that say natural. Ive gone through and found quality supplements from trusted brands.
As a practitioner, quality is the most important factor to consider when looking for a trusted source to provide health products for patient wellness.
Fullscript offers practitioner-grade supplements of the highest quality.
The Quality of supplements is crucial as they help keep you healthy!
If supplements arent manufactured and resold under quality supervision, they can end up with expired ingredients, cross-contamination, improper labels, and other severe issues that can risk your health.
Dietary supplements and wellness products are approached differently than pharmaceuticals. In Canada, Natural Health Products are regulated by Health Canada under the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate .
Fullscript is incredibly easy to use, is certified carbon-neutral .
You can order once or you can use the authorship feature, so you dont run out of your supplements.
Do you have to use Fullscript? No.
Best Supplements For Mood
Some mood support supplements contain more than one key ingredient. These products may include St. John’s wort, 5-HTP and SAM-e as well as other nutrients and substances believed to play a role in mood regulation like omega fatty acids and dehydroepiandrosterone . You can read the product descriptions to learn more about what the various combination supplements in this product selection contain.
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Holistic Mental Health Care At Sage Neuroscience Center
At Sage Neuroscience Center, we understand that mental health is different for everyone. Each individual is unique and deserves custom treatment. Having knowledge and access to a variety of treatment options is crucial, and so is educating yourself about the various lifestyle changes that might positively affect your mental health. To learn more about how vitamins and other natural supplements help improve mental health, contact the team here at Sage Neuroscience Center.
*Editors Note: This post was originally published Published on: Feb 4, 2014 and has been updated Mar 11, 2021
The 10 Best Vitamins For Anxiety According To Experts
To be honest, it seems as though anxiety has become a bit of an umbrella term, effortlessly manipulated and thrown to and fro in order to describe, explain, and defend our perpetualand ever-increasingfeelings of stress, worry, or nervousness. Of course, all of these feelings are serious and are often symptoms or side effects of anxiety or other mood disorders, but in our stressed-out society, we’ve also gotten to the point where we use anxiety as a Band-Aid term to describe whatever negative feeling or emotion is currently ailing us.
However, true anxiety is a very real, very prominent disorder, and the rate at which its growing in the United States is alarming, to say the least. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the United States, affecting 40 million adults every year. Additionally, as Time reported just one year ago, Americans are becoming increasingly anxious. A poll conducted by the American Psychiatric Association indicated 39% of 1000 adults surveyed reported are more anxious than they were at the same time the previous year. Another 39% identified as feeling equally anxious, and only 19% felt less anxious.
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How Anxiety And Stress Increase Your Need For Vitamins & Minerals
Stress and anxiety increase the need for nutrients in a variety of ways.
First, the production of stress hormones and neurotransmitters consumes a big chunk of your reserves of these nutrients.
Then, because stress largely shuts down the digestive system, fewer nutrients are absorbed from the food you eat.
Consequently, your supply of anti-stress vitamins and minerals is decreased and your tolerance to stress is lowered.
Many unhealthy habits that people gravitate to when theyre stressed and anxious alcohol, caffeine, smoking, sugar, and recreational drugs deplete nutrients as well.
Numerous prescription drugs deplete vitamins and minerals, including anti-anxiety medications.
How can you stop this downward spiral?
Eating a diet rich in the right vitamins and minerals is the first step.
And supplementing with the right nutrients can be important too.
The Best Vitamins That Help With Anxiety
When we think about anxiety treatments, we usually think about prescription medications that may come with their fair share of unwanted side effects and strong interactions with the body. Very few people know that there may be natural ways to help alleviate some of your anxiety symptoms. Although not as strong as prescription medications , vitamins and supplements have proven effective for some people and may be a great option for you.
Supplements are not meant to replace medications or psychological treatment, but they can be used in conjunction with these treatments to support your long-term health. In this article, we’ll talk about some of the vitamins and supplements that might be helpful to you if you suffer from anxiety. However, if you’re currently taking medication or have any other health concerns, you should consult with your doctor or psychiatrist before taking vitamins or supplements as this article is not intended as medical advice.
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American Standard Valerian Root
In contrast to its pungently aromatic origin, Valerian is a graceful flower with a sweet fragrance. Although the roots have a strong odour, they have been used in traditional Western herbalism for centuries for their health-promoting properties. The dried roots are widely used in herbal preparations and are infused as valerian tea or blended into herbal formulations and herbal tea blends. Valerian root is also available in tincture or capsule form. Valerian capsules are a simple to use preparation that may be beneficial to those with a more refined palate.
Hum Nutrition Big Chill Stress Management Supplement
Your body produces melatonin on its own, but some people dont produce enough, which can cause problems sleeping and relaxing, as well as anxiety. Melatonin supplements will help you compliment your bodys natural development. As a result, you can experience less anxiety, better sleep, and even help control your circadian rhythms.
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What Can I Take To Calm My Anxiety
Some common anti-anxiety medications include:
- Buspirone.
- Benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are sedatives, meaning that they slow brain and body functions.
- Beta-blockers. Beta-blockers work by blocking the action of adrenaline, reducing effects such as rapid heart rate, which people tend to experience when they are anxious.
Impact Of Other Factors On Vitamin D Status
Individuals obtain vitamin D either exogenously, from dietary sources, or endogenously, from activation of a subcutaneous vitamin D precursor by ultraviolet rays . Dietary sources can be obtained through naturally-occurring vitamin D in foods, fortification of foods with vitamin D, and a vitamin D supplement. As vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient, metabolism requires normal digestion and absorption of fat. Subcutaneous synthesis is stimulated by exposure to sunlight though this effect varies based on the amount and duration of exposure, latitude, season, and race .
Optimal vitamin D status is hampered by several factors. The limited number of naturally rich foods with this nutrient causes some groups to be at risk for inadequacy . The optimal daily requirement for various age groups is under scientific debate . The current Adequate Intake , which is part of the Dietary Reference Intakes , is 200 IU/day for both women and men from infancy to age 50 400 IU/day for those between 5170 years and 600 IU/day for those > 70 years . Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended increasing the daily intake of vitamin D to 400 IU/day for all infants, children, and adolescents .
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Vitamins For Anxiety And Depression
Those with anxiety, depression, or both may also benefit from taking specific vitamins, including:
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Vitamin D: This important vitamin plays a crucial role in mood regulation, brain health, and nerve health.
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Vitamin B complex: B vitamins help with energy levels and may reduce stress.
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Magnesium: Take this mineral to help with sleep and to help you feel calmer, reducing the effects of anxiety.
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L-theanine: This unique amino acid is found in green and black tea. It can help you relax, feel calmer, and help to reduce stress levels when taken as directed.
Top Vitamin B Complex Foods
Below youll find a list of the top food sources of each of the 8 B vitamins.
Note that no one food is an excellent source of all of them a good reason to eat a wide variety of foods.
Some B vitamins are well represented in both plants and animal foods, while others are found mainly in plants or exclusively in animal foods :
- Vitamin B1 whole grains, meat, fish, legumes, seeds, nuts
- Vitamin B2 eggs, meat, organ meats, milk, green vegetables
- Vitamin B3 meat, fish, poultry, fish, nuts, legumes, grains
- Vitamin B5 meat, dairy, eggs, mushrooms, avocados, broccoli, potatoes, whole grains
- Vitamin B6 poultry, fish, organ meats, potatoes, starchy vegetables, non-citrus fruits
- Vitamin B7 meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, seeds, nuts
- Vitamin B9 green leafy vegetables, liver, yeast, black-eyed peas, Brussels sprouts
- Vitamin B12 clams, liver, animal foods of all kinds, nori
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What Vitamins Are Good For Anxiety
If you are recovering from drug or alcohol addiction and youre suffering from symptoms of anxiety, anti-anxiety medication may not be the only answer. While vitamins alone wont cure your anxiety, they may complement your current treatment regimen nicely. Here are some of the best vitamins for anxiety, according to experts and scientific researchers.
Magnesium: The Sleep Mineral
A good nights sleep goes a long way to promoting good mental health and mood during the day. Magnesium is involved in the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls our sleep cycle. It’s a mineral that’s essential for energy metabolism, reducing tiredness and fatigue and is also vital for the normal functioning of the nervous system and psychological health.
Like B vitamins, magnesium is more rapidly depleted during times of stress and anxiety creating a vicious cycle – low levels of magnesium also exacerbate these feelings. During times of stress and anxiety, a magnesium supplement may be useful to balance mood and mental wellbeing.
If you suffer from PMS, magnesium is your friend. Magnesium levels appear to be significantly lower. Taking magnesium supplements every day for two months significantly improved symptoms associated with pain and bloating, one study found. Other research has shown how supplementing with magnesium may also help to relieve premenstrual mood changes.
Try:Healthspan Opti-Magnesium, £10.95 for 90 tablets or Magnesium Flakes Bath Soak, £9.95, 1kg pouch. NeuroMag for brain health by Life Extension £32 for 50.
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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.