Basic Supplements To Take For Anxiety

I’ve had a bunch of questions recently on what supplements to take for help managing anxiety.  I really believe that nutrition and supplementation can make a world of difference! Which is so wonderful because they are both quite easy and you have complete control of both of them!

Later on once you get some good nutrition and supplements going I recommend adding exercise, getting more sleep and working on some relaxation techniques AND last but not least, training your brain to focus on the positive instead of worrying obsessively.

Holistic anxiety management is key. 

Each one of these topics could be covered in multiple blog posts each but today I will just focus on supplements.

As always I am not a medical doctor, I’m not promising to cure anything, always check with your medical practitioner before starting a supplement program.  That being said…I didn’t consult with anyone, and have been just  fine:)  You’ll notice supplements don’t have the long list of negative side effects that pharmaceuticals do so you are generally very safe.

I always follow the directions on the bottle for the amount to take and for directions on when to take the supplement whether it be with food, drink or on an empty stomach and specific times of day.

Basic Supplements To Take For Anxiety

Amino Acids:

Amino Acid Supplements like GABA or Tyrosine can be very helpful for anxiety, for more information on this read Julia Ross’ book “The Mood Cure” to fill our her questionnaire and check out Trudy Scott’s blog on Amino Acids.  Here is a helpful slide show that Trudy did, you can watch it here.

NOW brand makes True Calm which is a blend of amino acids that can be helpful and safe to try and cover your bases.  I’ve taken GABA in the past (NOW brand powdered form) and recently stopped taking it as I felt I no longer needed it.  When I took it, it didn’t help like it used to and I feel fine without it.

Integrative Psychiatrist Kelly Brogan MD doesn’t recommend 5-HTP for help with anxiety.  5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin and you will often find people recommending to take 5-HTP but in her practice she doesn’t use it.  I generally follow a lot of her recommendations because she works with many women with anxiety and doesn’t prescribe drugs anymore! How cool is she!?!

Copper Free Multivitamin:

Most women, especially those who struggle with anxiety have an over abundance of copper in their bodies (read more here), from various environmental sources as well as from birth control.  We are also deficient in zinc which is what balances and breaks down copper, so that can work even more against us.  Opt for a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement without copper.  There aren’t many but Trudy Scott recommends this one and Anne Louis Gittleman recommends this one.  I prefer the second one because it has a few more minerals in it.

B-Complex:

B vitamins are very important for a healthy nervous system.  If you’ve struggled with anxiety for any amount of time then you will know what I mean when I say you’ve probably felt like your “nerves were shot”, or you feel “on edge” or “completely zapped.” Our sympathetic nervous system is in fight or flight mode and we need to calm and soothe it.  One way to do this is to take your B-complex vitamin.  I love Solaray brand chewable B-complex.  I prefer to take chewable or powdered supplements when possible because I have a really sensitive stomach and I like to make sure it gets absorbed properly.

Magnesium:

Magnesium has been dubbed “the relaxation mineral” for good reason.  Magnesium is responsible for hundreds our of body’s functions and without it we tend to feel tight, stressed and have a hard time relaxing.  In Dr. Mark Hyman’s book “The Ultramind Solution” which anyone with anxiety needs to go out and read right now, he recommends taking 400-600 mg of magnesium amino acid chelate in the form of aspartate, glycinate, ascorbate, taurate or citrate.  Diarrhea is often a sign that you are taking too much magnesium so if that happens back off a bit and make sure to avoid magnesium carbonate, sulfate, gluconate, or oxide.  They are poorly absorbed and inferior in quality.

Another way to get magnesium is to take epsom salt baths or soak your feet in epsom salt, because it’s high in magnesium and your skin absorbs it well, as it does with anything you put on it!

Omega 3’s: 

Healthy fats like coconut oil, REAL butter, olive oil, avocado oil and fish oil are very helpful for anxiety and nourishing to our brains and nervous system.  I take Nordic Naturals brand Omega 3 oil daily.  There is a recent scientific study out that showed the positive effects in medical students who supplemented with omega 3 oil over a period of time, as it showed a decrease in anxiety.  I take 1-2 pills daily with breakfast and sometimes dinner as well…if I remember!

Vitamin D:

If you struggle with winter blues I highly suggest taking a Vitamin D3 supplement during the months of October-April.  I take NOW brand soft gels which are super tiny and easy to swallow.  A whole bottle will last all winter.  Vitamin D3 will really help boost your mood, immune system (which is highly depressed when you are anxious) and increase your energy.

Zinc:

Since most women are too high in copper and too low in zinc I take a Zinc chelate supplement about 30-45 grams a day.  The specific pills I linked to here and very tiny and easy to swallow so I take generally 2 a day. A zinc deficiency has also been linked to social and performance anxiety.  Refer to this article or this book by Ann Louise Gittleman on the topics of copper toxicity and what all in causes.

Probiotics:

Even though I don’t take a probiotic supplement I make sure to eat probiotic rich foods like kombucha, milk kefir and fermented veggies daily.  If you don’t know about these foods read my article on 50 Reasons Why You Should Drink Kefir and this article to learn about fermented veggies.  I’ve also created a course to teach my readers how to make their own fermented foods and save tons of money, because buying your own can be spendy!  For more on probiotics and anxiety read this fascinating article in the Huffington Post.

 

For more help on with this issue grab this free guide for 25 more fabulous tips to ease stress and anxiety below!

 

I’ve covered the basics, now I’d like to know if you have any questions about any specific supplements?  If you do please ask in the comments below.  Also let us know if you’ve taken any specific supplements and had great results.

You CAN manage your anxiety and feel normal again!!

:)Hannah

P.S.  If that list of supplements feels super long and too expensive for you I totally understand!!  Strive for a clean diet, cut sugar, eat probiotic foods and take the multi vitamin and extra magnesium first!!