What Vitamins Help With Anxiety? 4 Amazing Vitamins

Are you suffering from anxiety disorders? Don’t worry. It’s natural. In today’s extra competitive world majority of the people, are ought to have anxiety in some amount. But if your anxiety increases seriously,  it proves a disaster for your health. So, you need to know what vitamins help with anxiety.

Anxiety disorder is different from normal feelings of anxiousness or tension. These are more serious than what people think!

Anxiety disorders are of several types. Post-traumatic stress disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder (SAD), and, obsessive-compulsive disorder are the worst in this category.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is another significant form of anxiety issue that affects nearly 6.8 million adult population.

Anxiety disorders affect your daily schedule. It hinders your ability to function with ease and makes the simplest of things appear to be difficult!

Anxiety disorders are a big area of study. Why? Because, in the 21st century, nearly 4% of the global population suffers from this problem.

People tend to tag depression as the number one cause of mental health issues. But, wait a minute. It is not so. Research suggests that anxiety disorders are more common than depressive disorders. 48 million people are victims of this issue.

Anxiety disorders are not partial. These affect people of all age groups. Ranging from adolescents to the older population, anxiety symptoms leaves none.

But the issue is pretty common in the age group of 30-44. In 2022, 23 % of the population in this age group face anxiety symptoms.

None of us want these issues related to anxiety. So, we tend to switch to a healthier lifestyle. Distancing ourselves from alcohol intake, quitting smoking, limiting our intake of caffeine, getting good sleep, and using meditative methods are some natural methods to get rid of anxiety disorder.

But, this does not help always. So, using supplements for anxiety might accelerate the curing process.

Let us not waste a minute more and get to know the nitty-gritty of anxiety-reducing vitamins. Also, you can take a quick anxiety test right at home. So, do not wait and go ahead.

1. B-complex Vitamins: Supplement to Manage Anxiety at Their Best

B-Vitamins are very well-known reducers of anxiety symptoms. But, not all B vitamin supplements are credible to have anxiolytic or anti-anxiety effects.

B vitamins help greatly in dopaminergic and serotonergic regulation and synthesis. These are associated with mood regulation. In such a situation, consuming B vitamins for anxiety might help to optimize mood.

Here, I’ll list some of the most effective B-complex supplements for anxiety.

Pyridoxine or Vitamin B6

This vitamin is medically proven to have a stress-minimizing effect. Stress hormones are harmful not only to your mind but to your entire body.

If your cortisol levels rise up, your lifestyle will suffer adversely. But, vitamin B6 comes to your rescue.

Vitamin B6 supplements help produce soothing neurotransmitters like GABA and Serotonin. These are neurotransmitters that assist your mood. These make you feel stable and calm.

Research suggests that vitamin B6 increases the levels of serotonin. It helps lift your mood whenever you are anxious or on the verge of having panic attacks! Bananas are a high source of this vitamin. It supplements you with tryptophan.

The body transforms this into serotonin. Bananas provide other biochemicals like dopamine and norepinephrine to manage mood. So, get yourself a bunch of bananas right now.

These are the simplest way of managing your anxiety symptoms! Other foods that have B6 in great amounts are poultry, organ meats, and starchy vegetables.

But if you are a very bad anxiety sufferer and this way falls short, don’t tense. There are innumerable B6 supplements out there for you.

You may choose them according to your need. Did you know that the body converts vitamin B6 to P-5-P? This is the form that the body finally uses to produce serotonin.

It is said that people who adhere to a vegetarian or vegan diet suffer from a deficiency of this vitamin. So, taking vitamin B6 supplements may be helpful in this case.

Needful Dosage

Vitamin B6 is considered safe if you take them in optimal amounts. 100mg per day is tagged to be the safe amount for adults. The amount depends on the age limit. A greater dose intake should only be done under a doctor’s supervision.

You may consult a doctor to recommend you the required medication for your anxiety.

Vitamin B9 or Folic Acid

Yet another category under vitamin B complex is helpful. Studies have shown that vitamin B9 deficiency causes an increase in anxiety symptoms.

Leafy green veggies, kidney beans, and Liver are great sources of folic acid. But, the liver is not recommended for pregnant women. When folic acid is converted well these function as coenzymes.

These help in synthesizing genetic material. Methylation reactions are also regulated by these vitamins. These help in controlling gene expression.

The Required Amount for Consumption

Low levels of vitamin B9 not only leads to mood disorders but also other associated problems. Autism, cancer, and cognitive decline are some of the other issues.

The recommended folate intake is 400 mg for adults. Pregnant women may require more amounts of this vitamin. But, a doctor’s consultation is a must before using any of these supplements for anxiety.

Vitamin B 12 or Cobalamin

This vitamin is the best among all the B vitamins. Why? Because it is reported to be the most complex of all vitamins! It helps in a wide variety of nervous system functions!

Let me highlight some of these for you:

• The vitamin is highly beneficial for improving concentration levels
• It improves overall mental health conditions and emotional energy
• Boosts the functioning of your memory
• Improves nerve cell communication
• Helps in a healthy nerve development
• Provides calming sensation and helps to relax your mood!
• Vitamin B12 helps in improving pathways of methylation. This is important to assist the mind to get accommodating environmental changes. So, helping with anxiety relief.

Required Dosage

B 12 vitamins are exclusively present in animal-based diets. Red meat, fish, shellfish, nori, and eggs are great food supplements for this vitamin. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet then you may rely on food sources like lean meat, egg whites, and poultry to reap the benefits of this vitamin.

If you are experiencing symptoms such as anemia, fatigue, paranoia, and loss of smell and taste alongside anxiety symptoms, you are most likely suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency.

But, do not fret. You can switch on to vitamin B 12 supplements to reduce anxiety. But do rely on professional medical advice before adding up any of these supplements to your diet.

It is important to know the required intake of the vitamin. According to reliable sources, the required dosage is 2.4 mcg per day above 14 years.

But, one may prefer to take more or less on the requirement. It is to be noted that the amount of absorption of vitamin b12 is not quite high from food sources.

For example, the body may only take in 10 mcg of a 400 mcg of b12 supplement. So, one needs to accompany the supplement intake with food sources rich in this vitamin.

2. Vitamin C Supplement

Vitamin c is one of the most popular natural vitamins for anxiety. It is a great antioxidant that rids your system of surplus cortisol.

Oxidative stress accelerates anxiety symptoms. Antioxidants like vitamin c play a therapeutic function in such conditions. Vitamin c reduces oxidative stress and helps to reduce anxiety. Vitamin c maintains a good balance or homeostasis in the nervous system.

The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry states that vitamin c deficiency is related to an increase in anxiety levels. Vitamin c helps in positive mood regulation.

What Amount to Consume

Top sources of food for vitamin c supplements are citrus fruits, tomatoes, and colorful veggies like yellow, red, and green bell peppers. So, whenever you make your pasta, do not forget to add these to it. It’ll make your food tasty as well as supply you with the wanted vitamin c.

Adults males may take not more than 90 mg of vitamin c per day. While adult females may depend on 75 mg of the vitamin every day.

3. What Vitamins Help With Anxiety? Try Vitamin D Supplement

Vitamin d is pretty popular. Everyone knows it’s for bone structure development. But, it also has a good connection with anxiety and stress.

If a person is unexposed to sunlight, it may play an adverse effect on one’s mental health. It leads to certain disorders like seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Some studies state that there is no direct correlation between anxiety and vitamin d deficiency. But, low vitamin d levels can certainly harm one’s psychological condition. Whatever the case may be, vitamin d levels play a considerable role in regulating your mood.

A 2015 research suggests that people with anxiety and stress symptoms had inadequate calcidiol levels. Calcidiol is a byproduct of the vitamin that plays a significant role in managing your anxiety levels. Also, another study states that vitamin d helped in improving the mood of women who bear type 2 diabetes.

You can get good amounts of vitamin d by exposure to the sun. But having food sources rich in vitamins also helps. Fatty fishes like mackerel and salmon are natural vitamin d supplements.

If this is not sufficient and your vitamin d deficiency is serious, you can switch over to vitamin d in supplement form. A vegetarian diet does not provide vitamin d in good quantities. So, if you are a vegan, taking in some vitamin d supplements might help.

40% of Americans suffer from deficiency of vitamin D. The use of sunscreen also hinders the benefits of this vitamin.

Needed Intake

So, if you need more vitamin d, spend your time outdoors in the sun and take vitamin supplements. There are two sorts of vitamin d. Ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol. The intake of both these forms can help in accelerating vitamin d levels pretty well. But, among these two, vitamin d 3 is more effective.

The advised dosage of this vitamin is 800 IU for the adult population. But larger amounts may be needed in severe cases. For this, one needs to consult a medical professional. The doctor may advise an intake of 6,00 IU of vitamin the vitamin.

Pure Encapsulations is a highly recommended supplement of the vitamin. So, consult your doctor and use the supplement at the earliest!

4. Vitamin E for Curtailing Anxiety and Stress Hormones: a Friend to the Brain and Nervous System

Yes, vitamin e relieves you from anxiety issues. How? Research suggests that vitamins help to reduce stress. Anti-oxidative pathways play a very important function in regulating mood.

High levels of cytokines such as IL-6 and TNFa are found in people troubled with stress and anxiety. Vitamin e plays a good role to manage stress. It reduces oxidant changes that are developed from stress.

Required Intake

Lower levels of vitamin e serum lead to anxiety and depression. So, taking vitamin e rich foods or supplements helps to an extent.

Numerous foods are rich in vitamin e. Some of them are almonds, sunflower seeds, mamey Sapote, pine nuts, and goose meat. One should take approximately 15 mg of vitamin e every day.

5. Magnesium Supplements: Level Up for Management of Anxiety Disorders

Besides the above-mentioned vitamins for anxiety, minerals like magnesium are very useful for stress management. If you wish to treat anxiety you may depend on magnesium supplements.

Magnesium is one of the most valuable elements in the human body. It’s not worth ignoring for it plays a good role in several bodily functions. Magnesium also has a significant effect on brain health. The Nutrition journal states that magnesium is an effective treatment for anxiety.

Magnesium assists in neurotransmitter regulation. This neurotransmitter transports messages throughout the human body. Another significant role that magnesium plays is to reduce anxiety and stress.

Magnesium affects the hypothalamus. The mineral manages adrenal and pituitary glands present here. The glands take care of the amount of stress hormone production.

Magnesium supplements help you greatly in this case. There are several types of magnesium. But, magnesium glycinate is considered best for dealing with stress and anxiety.

Required Intake

The advised intake of magnesium ranges from 310 to 420 mg every day. But this intake varies according to gender and age. Pregnant women may need higher levels of magnesium. It is advisable to depend on prescription medications in such instances.

Leavy greens, dark chocolate, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and seeds are rich sources of magnesium. If you require magnesium supplements, it is best to consult a doctor before taking any. You may take these supplements alongside antidepressants.

A study proved that people who took 248 mg of these supplements for nearly 6 weeks experienced improved conditions of stress and anxiety.

6. L-theanine: the Amino Acid to Control Anxiety Symptoms

How can we leave out L-theanine from the list of anxiety management? It is one of the best supplements to help you cope with issues related to anxiety. This is mainly found in green tea and black tea.

L-theanine also serves to be a mild sedative. If the amino acid is mixed with caffeine, it significantly improves the cognitive response of the brain and nervous system.

Consumption of l-theanine helps calm racing heartbeat and accelerated immunoglobin A production. Even though it acts as a sedative, it is an anxiolytic. It assists brain health by blocking anxious responses.

The Required Amount for Consumption

It also helps in improving sleep quality. A Study on young boys showed that this substance increased their sleep quality score. 400 mg of l-theanine serves to be the right amount of intake.

This proves to be highly beneficial for young adults who suffer from sleep disturbances and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But, before depending on any of these supplements for lowering anxiety symptoms, you need to consult a health professional.

So, why wait? Get your anxiety reduction scheme started as soon as you can!

The Close-Up

Now, we know about the vitamins for anxiety as well as the benefits of Magnesium and l-theanine. So, it’ll be no hard work to find the best supplements to help with our anxiety issues.

All the mentioned vitamins are highly beneficial for treating anxiety. But, one needs to follow the required intake while including them in their diet. If the amount exceeds it may lead to unwanted symptoms such as weight loss, organ damage, or heart irregularities.

So, it is always advisable to talk to a doctor before consuming any of the supplements. But, one can also improve their anxiety problems by natural methods such as intaking natural supplements through food, meditating, or getting talk therapy.

Finally, some cool supplements for controlling anxiety are worth mentioning.

• Valerian Root

Valerian root is a plant that has acted as strong medicine for years. This helps with anxiety issues. A 2017 research stated that valerian root has been useful for postmenopausal women. It helped in reducing anxiety and other mood disorders.

• Chamomile Supplements

Chamomile is a flower that has soothing effects on your brain cells. Certain studies state that it seems beneficial for people suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The research highlighted that people who used Chamomile supplements for an 8-week-period experienced GAD reduction. The supplement even matches with an anti-anxiety drug!

So, reap the benefits of these magic vitamins and supplements and welcome an anxiety-free life. Read more from us here.

Last Updated on August 25, 2023 by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology