What is anxiety? This is the body’s natural response to stress. It can be characterized by feelings of worry, fear, intrusive thoughts, and fatigue. It has various triggers some known and some unknown. The triggers are different for every person. Something that causes one person to be anxious will not have the same effect on another person. For a person struggling with anxiety, trying to explain their feelings is quite difficult.
There are different types of anxiety disorders. They include post-traumatic stress disorder, separation anxiety, phobias, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic attacks, etc. Symptoms include feeling weak or dizzy, overwhelming feeling of fear, shortness of breath, worry, sweating, and tingling or numb feeling.
Can we use vitamins and supplements to help cope with anxiety? Yes. Research has shown that some vitamins may help to relieve the symptoms of anxiety. Research shows that common characteristics of people with an anxiety disorder are the deficiency of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. Here is a breakdown of what supplements could help with anxiety:
Omega 3 fatty acids
Omega 3 fatty acids play a role in the health of your brain. They are considered the building blocks of the brain and nervous system. The body cannot make these fatty acids. So, it makes sense to supplement this in your diet. The supplements can be found in fish, such as tuna, salmon, sardines, lake trout, etc. You can also get Omega 3 fatty acids from vitamins as common as Cod liver Oil, such as Scott’s Emulsion, and some gel capsules that you can find in local pharmacies.
Vitamin B complex
Vitamin B complex helps with relieving stress. It is a combination of various vitamin Bs such as vitamins B-12 and B-2. These vitamins mostly occur in animal-based foods. This means that if you are a vegetarian, you would need to supplement this in other ways. Consult your doctor in such cases.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D for anxiety plays the role of mood regulation. This vitamin is gotten from sunlight. Spending time in the sun eating foods such as fish and taking Vitamin D supplements are the main sources.
Probiotics
These are microorganisms or bacteria within the body that increases the body’s ability to cope with stress and anxiety. Another positive thing about probiotics is that they have benefits for digestive health. Foods rich in probiotics include yogurt, kombucha, kimchi, tempeh, etc
There is still a lot of research ongoing about the connection between anxiety and vitamin deficiencies. Before you decide on buying and taking supplements, it is important that you check in with your doctor, and do research on what would work best for you.
