Natural Supplements For Anxiety - 4 Supplements That Can Help

By Dana B. Thompson


For most anxiety suffers, traditional treatments (including drug therapy and psychotherapy) serve as a Band-Aid, but never fully correct the physiological imbalance that causes anxiety in the first place. Fortunately, natural approaches exist to fight stress by replenishing the body of essential vitamins and supplements missing from the brain or nervous system.Anxiety may surface in a variety of forms, ranging from brief discomfort and uneasiness to full-blown panic disorder. Depending on the patient's condition, sufferers will generally be prescribed SSRI's (selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors) such as Zoloft or Lexapro, in addition to a tranquilizer such as Xanax or Ativan to control attacks.

Passion Flower (Passiflora Incarnata).Passion Flower is an herbal supplement. The leaves, petals, and stems of the plant are used in making teas or tinctures. When in tea form it may be mixed with other calming herbs to increase its effectiveness. Tinctures can be added to juice or other drinks and taken as needed. Passion flower is primarily used as a calming agent to help with anxiety or insomnia. Doctors agree that is does work as well as some prescription drugs for aiding in anxiety disorders, however, there are few studies on how it actually works. It is theorized that it increases the production of GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) in the brain. GABA is an amino acid that helps calm and reduce hyper-activity which is why passion flower has become such a popular supplement for treating children.

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid).GABA is naturally occurring amino acid that is produced by the brain and acts as a neurotransmitter (the same way SSRI's are intended to do by blocking nerve impulses related to stress and anxiety). When GABA is depleted in the brain due to poor diet or stress, the nerves tend to "over-fire," thus causing anxiety, panic and stress.The simple way to correct this condition is by taking GABA supplements found at any health food store or vitamin supplier. In addition, research shows that replenishing GABA to the brain can also help fight depression, insomnia or other neurological conditions.

B Vitamins.Supplementing the body with B-vitamins is essential for any person suffering with anxiety on a regular basis. Research shows that low levels of B-vitamins such as B-9 and B-12 are directly linked to mood changes and depression.Furthermore, B-vitamins enhance and support the neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine - all which have a direct effect on stress.Complete B-vitamin supplements can be purchased at your local health food store or obtained naturally by eating whole-grain cereals, bread, red meat, egg yolks, green leafy vegetables, legumes, sweet corn, brown rice, berries and yeast.Calcium and Magnesium.Calcium and Magnesium are natural remedies for brining the body back to a calm and de-stressed state. Calcium is a natural tranquilizer, while low levels of magnesium in the body is have been linked to increased stress, tension, nervousness and intense periods of anxiety and panic.

How to use it: Chamomile tea is available in almost all supermarkets and can be taken before bed time to help you sleep soundly.Supplements for anxiety and stress can be an all natural way of dealing with the daily stressors that can interfere with an individual's ability to live life to the fullest. Supplements for anxiety and stress work with your body to smooth out the rough edges of life in a seamlessly effortless way, free from the side effects so often associated with popular prescription medications.

Centrophenoxine/Meclofenoxate - Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors reduce the break down of acetylcholine, an essential transmitter involved not only in muscular function and other somatic (bodily) aspects, but also in cognitive processes such as memory. Additionally, this supplement was proposed to cause up-regulation (increase in density) of dopamine receptors through a compensatory mechanism (inhibits release of dopamine resulting in sensitization of corresponding receptor sites - thus the effects arising from this mechanism will only be felt after the cessation from chronic administration). Overall an interesting nootropic, which helps with focus and the consolidation of new information into long-term memory. Piracetam - Another nootropic from the racetam family that improves cognition. It acts as a positive allosteric modulator of the NMDA glutamate receptor, which proved essential in learning and memory. Dissociative drugs such as Ketamine are NMDA antagonist placing them opposite to piracetam and since depersonalization is a form of dissociation it might prove to be helpful. 1.2g - 12g is a typical dose range. Efficiency varies among individuals so you will have to find the right dose for you. Combines well with Aniracetam, Lecithin, AlphaGPC, Centrophenoxine because they work in synergy.

Fatigue relief,BCAA (Branched Chain Amino Acids) - Comprised of 3 amino acids: Valin, Leucine and Isoleucine. This supplement will find its use not only in body-builders who are looking to gain some muscle tissue, but also in those struggling with fatigue and depression. Because Amino Acids are essential to protein synthesis, which make up almost every cell and structure in our bodies, it can't hurt to provide yourself with the bodily structural basis. Works great in alleviating physical exhaustion/fatigue, which is inherent to depression and anxiety.Rhodiola Rosea - a plant based supplement, which is thought to alter the levels of serotonin and dopamine to our mood's favor through monoamine oxidase inhibition (enzyme breaking down neurotransmitters). This plant has been used in Siberian and Scandinavian countries for centuries to alleviate stress and depression. If it has helped people in such desolate climates and conditions its beneficial properties shall not be ignored. The active ingredients of this plant, rosavins, provide among the abovementioned reduction in fatigue by increasing your mental and physical stamina as well making it a great aid in depression and exercise.

Relaxation,GABA - A supplement that is essential in regulating anxiety, GABA in this supplement form, does not readily cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) in lower doses. Nevertheless, it indirectly calms you down (the exact mechanism is yet to be elucidated, but as the name suggest it might be involved in regulation of the inhibitory transmitter GABA). Majority of our brain has an inhibitory role not a productive one, when there is lack of inhibition anxiety and/or other symptoms often arise as a result of information overload. Once or twice a day of 750mg should be enough (morning/evening before sleep). This dose can be exceeded, but in such cases it may have paradoxical effects and work against you by increasing anxiety.

Vitamin B complex is a group of vitamins that are necessary for the body to function. This complex is generally found in pill form. Since Vitamin B complex is a water soluble group of vitamins, the risk of overdose is low. This group of vitamins had a broad effect on the bodies health. Deficiencies have been linked with mental illnesses such as Depression and Bipolar disorder. When paired with Vitamin C, as well as Magnesium and Zinc, Vitamin B complex has proved to drastically reduce depression.

Omega 3-6 - also known as fish oil, this dietary supplement supplies plenty of benefits to not only psychiatric patients suffering from anxiety by reducing its symptoms, but also by actively involving in prevention of cancer, inflammation and depression.Magnesium - deficiency can precipitate depression and anxiety so make sure to keep proper levels in check. Usually magnesium is contained, in sufficient daily amounts, in green vegetables, but if you need immediate relief magnesium can act as a gateway to sleep and calmness.Zinc - zinc levels on its own are rarely relevant, more important is the zinc-copper ratio that determines functions necessary in keeping a healthy mindset. A low zinc:copper ratio has been correlated with autism and increased prevalence of violent behavior. Furthermore, zinc has been identified in some neurons (specifically in synaptic vesicles) where it might aid cognitive functions.Although supplements can be of great help when treating anxiety, they are not the only possibility and nor are they the most effective approach compared to techniques such as exercise, meditation, exposure therapy, and so on. Consider supplements as catalysts to attaining better mental health and for maximum effects interweave their use with other methods suited for anxiety relief.




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