Vitamins for anxiety can help you to remain more calm and emotionally stable. You can use them to complement another kind of treatment and generally calm your nerves. However, do not think of this as a cure.
Anxiety is the most common mental problem in the United States and many other countries worldwide. There are different kinds and levels of anxiety – sometimes it’s just a particularly strong tendency to worry, sometimes it can be frighteningly intense panic attacks. Whatever is the case for you – making sure that your body has all the vitamins it needs to function at its best can help you to better cope with anxiety.
What do Vitamins have to do with Anxiety?
Anxiety involves chemical reactions in your body. Vitamins can influence your hormonal regulation and metabolic activity, among other functions.
Which Vitamins?
- Vitamin A: helps your central nervous system to run smoothly, thus enabling you to better cope with stresses of daily life
- Vitamin B1 has a positive effect on your emotional state and your ability to recall information, and thus, to think clearly. (Many times people also suffer from confused thinking when they have anxiety)
- Vitamin B3 (niacin) can help to reduce overall stress levels and soothe your nervous system by encouraging the production of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, a substance that is associated with pleasure and relaxation.
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is good for the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are very important in stress responses and production of stress hormones.
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) can help to reduce general anxiety
- Vitamin C: as a powerful antioxidant, vitamin C helps your central nervous system to function optimally, and also has a positive effect on your adrenal glands
- Vitamin D: many people who suffer from panic attacks also have low levels of vitamin D in their blood stream. When people with low levels of vitamin D restore a healthy vitamin D balance, they often notice that their mood gets better and they are more calm and relaxed
- Calcium: this mineral has positive effects on your nervous system, relaxing tense nerves. It is best to take it before going to bed.
- Coenzyme Q10: helps to deliver oxygen more effectively to the tissues of your organs and also functions as an antioxidant
As a general rule of thumb, the best way to get vitamins for anxiety is actually to eat a healthy diet that supplies you with all the vitamins you need. However, many people are not willing to make the dietary changes involved. In these cases, supplements can help. In order to increase the amount of vitamin D in your body, all you need is more exposure to sunlight.
It is advisable that you have the vitamin levels in your body checked, so that you can see where you have deficiencies and were not. This is a much better approach than just throwing in a couple of pills. Contact your local health care clinic, hospital or your family doctor to find out where to best check your vitamin levels.
Another natural method of coping with anxiety is hypnosis. Click here to learn more about how to use your mind’s power to remain calm and relaxed.
