Best Vitamins & Minerals for Anxiety (15+ List)
By
OptimistMinds
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Author bio
The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
Over here, we have listed all the vitamins and minerals that can help lower symptoms of anxiety disorders. These items are linked with products that supply the particular nutrient and can be purchased online. You can add these to your daily diet to improve mental health.
What are the Best Vitamins & Minerals for Anxiety?
This is a quick list of all the vitamins and minerals that we are going to describe:
- Omega 3
- Vitamin B6
- Calcium
- Theanine
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin B1 and B2
- Magnesium
- Taurine
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Iron
- Copper
- Zinc
- Probiotics
Vitamins & Minerals That Lower Anxiety
In this section, we are going to describe in detail each of the vitamins and minerals listed above. Readers will learn how each of these items help in either lowering symptom frequency or intensity.
Add these vitamins and minerals to your daily nutrition for a better experience with anxiety disorders:
Omega 3
Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that play an important role in the human diet. These are exceptionally good for health as mammals cannot produce them on their own. We extract this supplement from fish oil, walnuts, and flax seeds.
Omega-3 has health benefits for conditions like cancer, heart disease, inflammation, mental health, and aging. Kiecolt-Glaser et al demonstrated that Omega-3 reduced up to 20% of anxiety symptoms in subjects.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is one of the essential nutrients for a healthy diet. It aids the body in using and storing energy from protein and carbohydrates in food. This nutrient can be taken through fish, offal, potatoes, and vegetables high in starch content.
Due to dietary restrictions, some people prefer taking supplements for it. The Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research Vitamin B6 supplement significantly reduced the severity of anxiety in premenstrual syndrome.
Calcium
Ghanbari et al (2009) wanted to see if taking calcium supplements can improve symptoms of depression and anxiety during PMS. Their investigation revealed that these supplements had many positive impacts.
In addition to improving mental health, it also reduced early fatigability and changes in appetite. You can try adding calcium to your diet if you want to lower the severity of your anxiety disorder.
Theanine
Theanine is an amino acid primarily found in plant or fungal species. It is commonly consumed as a component of green tea and has been used historically as a relaxing agent. Lu et al (2004) compared the effect of theanine and Alprazolam on anxiety states in 16 healthy adults.
Alprazolam is a psychiatric drug prescribed for anxiety and panic disorders. The experiment revealed that there was no difference in the influence of the drug or theanine. Theanine supplements are a viable option for anxiety relief if pharmacotherapy is not your cup of tea.
Vitamin C
Experts have established an association with vitamin C deficiency and symptoms of depression and anxiety. This implies that dietary supplementation of vitamin C can be preventive of such disorders.
It should also be included in the treatment of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and depression as a comorbidity of anxiety. Vitamin C can be extracted for citrus fruits or cornstarch. The Vitamin C derived from gooseberries is preferred more by customers.
Vitamin D
A 2007 study showed that a common denominator is many individuals dealing with depression and anxiety is Vitamin D Deficiency. This inquiry was done on fibromyalgia patients; a condition also associated with the same deficiency. This finding was further confirmed by a more expansive study in 2015.
The first resource took a much more specific subject group. The latter, however, is an inquiry primarily into anxiety rather than it being a comorbidity. Since this study was more generalisable, it is now confidently said that Vitamin D supplements will have an improving effect on anxiety.
Vitamin B1 and B2
We’re mentioning two items here instead of one because these two nutrients work together to relieve many anxiety symptoms. Vitamin B1 is called thiamine and is found in peas, nuts, bananas, oranges, and cereals. Vitamin B 2 is called riboflavin and is derived from eggs, liver, asparagus, broccoli, and cereals.
Scientists observed a significantly lower risk of PMS in women with high intakes of thiamine and riboflavin from food sources only. If you can’t access these benefits from the foods mentioned because of allergies or other reasons, try supplements.
Magnesium
Magnesium-containing supplements and other herbal combinations may hold promise, but more research is needed before these products can be recommended to patients. Studies show herbal supplements with Magnesium show potential to be good anxiety relievers.
A study conducted back in 1991 found that oral magnesium successfully relieves premenstrual mood changes.
Taurine
The amino acid taurine is widely found in many animal tissues. In the human body, it plays quite a few roles in antioxidation, circulation, and the development and function of organs. It can be taken through fish, meats, some energy drinks, or as supplements.
This research study discovered that acute intake of taurine can lower anxiety. The anxiolytic effects of taurine only exist if it is taken occasionally. If you experience state-dependent anxiety in very specific situations, you can try taurine.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is thought to be good for social people with anxiety. When anxious or vexed, their thoughts get scattered and they have a difficult time focusing or getting things done. While a Phosphorus supplement has many known health benefits, science is discovering more every year.
Lifeline Energetics is a professional-grade naturally-made organic ultra-concentrated ionic liquid phosphorus. It is specially formulated to enter the body rapidly and be used effectively in hundreds of areas. This is how this supplement ensures that phosphorus is used by the body to keep us healthy.
Potassium
Potassium is a trace element that plays an essential role in the body. Located in cells, it is primarily involved in the regulation of the cardiovascular system, neuromuscular excitation and acid-base balance. Potassium also helps regulate electrolyte balance and manage blood pressure. It also helps to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety.
It may play an essential role in regulating acid-base balance. This supplement can restore blood pH within a relatively short time. Along with that, it also prevents the loss of dry mass from bones and muscles.
Sodium
Low levels of sodium in the diet may contribute to anxiety and help explain persistent appetite for salty foods. A high appetite for salty foods may be associated with coping with stress, depression and anxiety. Choose a sodium supplement instead!
NOW Sodium Ascorbate Powder is an inexpensive buffered form of Vitamin C and is of pharmaceutical grade. Serving as a highly effective antioxidant, it helps in maintaining healthy tissues by neutralizing free radicals. Free radicals are generated during normal metabolism and exposure to environmental stressors.
Iron
Iron is essential in the production of haemoglobin, a protein that allows red blood cells to carry oxygen to your tissues and muscles. So when you have low levels of iron, less oxygen gets to your cells, keeping them from functioning properly. This often leads to fatigue, weakness, and even anxiety and depression.
Naturelo’s gentle vegan iron supplement contains iron with Vitamin C. It also contains acerola cherries, beet, spinach, kale, swiss chard, and pumpkin seed. Increase your energy and decrease your fatigue without nausea or constipation, using this supplement.
Copper
Common signs and symptoms of copper deficiency include fatigue and weakness, frequent sickness, and problems with memory and learning. These can greatly affect a person’s well-being and induce anxiety in them.
Carlson Chelated Copper promotes cardiovascular, and immune system health. It supports cellular metabolism and connective tissue formation and helps the nervous system. By promoting optimal absorption, it guarantees potency and quality. Every product is tested by an FDA-registered laboratory and many items in their line have received special third-party certifications and awards.
Zinc
Zinc maintains healthy nervous system function, especially looking after the vagus nerve. This connects the brain to the body, through which messages of calmness are transported. A healthy nervous system connection can support the easing of anxiety.
Nature’s Bounty Zinc Caplets functions as an antioxidant within the body, supporting antioxidant health. The zinc Caplets are non-GMO and sugar- and gluten-free and you can stay assured of their safety and purity. Providing 50 years of dedication to quality, consistency and scientific research, their vitamins and nutritional supplements are of unrivalled excellence.
Probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms consumed to restore the balance of good bacteria in our digestive system. These products are marketed to have health benefits related to immunity and digestion.
A meta analysis done in 2018 concluded that there is evidence of probiotics alleviating anxiety but it is not enough. The report states that more reliable evidence can be developed using clinical trials.
Side Note: I have tried and tested various products and services to help with my anxiety and depression. See my top recommendations here, as well as a full list of all products and services our team has tested for various mental health conditions and general wellness.
Conclusion
Over here, we listed all the vitamins and minerals that can help lower symptoms of anxiety disorders. These items were linked with products that supply the particular nutrient and can be purchased online. You can add these to your daily diet to improve mental health.
The nutrients described here were Omega 3, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Theanine, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin B1 and B2, Magnesium, Taurine, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Iron, Copper, Zinc, and Probiotics.
FAQs (Best Vitamins & Minerals for Anxiety)
How do you increase GABA levels?
You can increase GABA levels by making adjustments to your diet. Food sources that supply this neurotransmitter are fish, shellfish, berries, potatoes, tomatoes, sprouts, lentils, beans, and seaweed. Another way to increase GABA levels is to take dietary supplements.
What calms anxiety naturally?
Anxiety can be calmed naturally either using a cognitive approach, a body-based approach, aromatherapy, or through natural supplements. The cognitive approach entails challenging negative thoughts and identifying patterns in them.
In a body-based approach, one focuses on reducing cortisol levels and increasing relaxation to come out of ‘fight-or-flight’. Aromatherapy uses the fragrance of certain essential oils known to calm and induce sleep. Finally, natural supplements can help in similar ways by changing our biochemistry.
How can I calm my anxiety fast?
The fastest way to calm anxiety is to make sure that each and every muscle in the body is being relaxed. When the muscles are tense, it is almost impossible to control anxious thoughts. A relaxed body signals to the brain that it need not feel threatened. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system and thus restores our ability to regulate thoughts.
Citations
Take Control of Your Anxiety Today: Personalized Counseling with BetterHelp
