11 Stress Relief Supplements
Stress is a physiological response that happens in the body in response to a stressor. We usually associate stress with a hard job, difficult family problems, busy schedules, or hard exams, but we can become stressed due to imbalances in the body not necessarily caused by those external factors. Nutrient imbalances, blood sugar increases, and low hormone levels can all lead to stress. It is important to understand that stress is not always just a product of a stressful lifestyle and that sometimes the stress you feel is an indicator something is imbalanced internally. When these imbalances occur our cortisol production is increased from the adrenal glands, which sets off a cascade of negative effects in our body. Luckily, many stress relief supplements can ease the cortisol imbalances. Note that you should always attempt to get all your nutrient needs through food, but if that is a challenge for you, utilize trusted supplement brands.
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1. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is one of the stress relief supplements. Vitamin C is very potent in citrus fruits and is known for its antioxidant effects on free radicals. Stress can be caused by having too many free radicals. These are highly reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause an inflammatory response that kicks on cortisol levels and increases blood pressure. Antioxidants fight these ROS in the body which helps to decrease stress levels. One study found vitamin C to be important in the mitigation of stress and anxiety markers by decreasing heart rate and blood pressure.
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2. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is another one of the stress relief supplements. It is estimated that about 50% of the American population has a B12 deficiency. This is unfortunate because B12 is a cofactor in many vital metabolic reactions in the body including our stress levels. A study found that B12 deficient mice had increased anxiety and learning deficits compared to the control group. This is because B12 influences the clearance of homocysteine in the blood. Homocysteine is an amino acid produced when proteins are broken down, but at elevated levels, it is called hyperhomocysteinemia which is damaging. These high levels are not good for the body because it can degrade the arterial lining and increase the body’s stress levels.
3. MAGNESIUM
Across the nation, about 68% of Americans are found to consume less than the recommended daily intake of magnesium, many of these cases go unrecognized in clinical medicine because levels are rarely evaluated. Magnesium plays a crucial role in producing your hormones and can help balance the stress response as one of the nutrients for stress. Magnesium is a mineral responsible for over 300 metabolic reactions within the body. In addition, you can think of magnesium as our calming and relaxing mineral. It helps to loosen tight muscles, maintain the health of our muscle tissue, including the heart – the most important muscle, prevent migraine headaches, balance blood sugar, and ease the stress response. Magnesium’s effect on stress is due to our brain’s sensitivity to magnesium, specifically the limbic–hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenocortical axis which controls emotions, and our nervous system. Magnesium can also reduce the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone from the pituitary gland in the brain, and this hormone controls the production of cortisol in your adrenal glands. By consuming magnesium, you decrease the internal stress response, and this is why it is one of the stress relief supplements.
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4. SELENIUM
Another one of the stress relief supplements is selenium. Selenium is a mineral that has essential antioxidant effects similar to vitamin C. Selenium is also very efficient at balancing reproductive hormones. When estrogen and progesterone are not in their respective healthy ranges, this can create mood swings, fatigue, and increased stress levels. Selenium can detoxify excess estrogen that recirculates in the body to stabilize levels back to balance.
5. VITAMIN D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and is also one of the stress relief supplements. For those who do not live in sunny climates, vitamin D deficiency is more common because the most bioavailable source of vitamin D is through the sun. Vitamin D is not very abundant in food sources, so supplementing is the best option if you don’t have a sunny climate. Vitamin D aids in reducing stress because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It also has neurotrophic factors, which are small proteins that aid in the brain functioning by regulating neurons. This connection is made because the part of the brain called the hypothalamus among others was found to have high levels of vitamin D receptors, areas where vitamin D is supposed to be supplied and activated. Studies have found that high levels of anxiety and stress were associated with lower vitamin D levels.
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6. OMEGA-3
Omega-3s are a type of essential fatty acid; essential means we must get it from food because our body isn’t able to make it itself. Omega 3s are forms of healthy polyunsaturated fats. There are 3 main types of omega-3s: DHA, EPA, and ALA. The usable form that the body needs is DHA and EPA – the best food sources are fish like salmon, mackerel, trout, and sardines. Microalgae is really the only good plant-based source of DHA/EPA, and it can be found in supplemental form.
While we hear about omega-3s in nuts and seeds like chia seeds, flaxseeds, and walnuts, this is the ALA form of omega 3s. ALA is not readily used in the body as is, it must be first converted into DHA and EPA but this conversion percentage is very low, about 10%, so it is more beneficial to consume omega 3s in the DHA and EPA form.
From a correlational standpoint, countries with higher daily intakes of omega 3s have a lower incidence of mood disorders like bipolar, depression, and anxiety which are linked with stress. This makes sense with the mechanisms of omega 3s because the brain is enriched with omega 3 consumption by increasing optimal neurotransmitter production like serotonin and dopamine, two of our feel-good mood chemicals. Omega 3s are also one of the stress relief supplements because, in a 12-week study of medical students who took omega 3s daily, they found up to a 20% decrease in stress symptoms compared to a placebo group. Another mechanism of omega 3s is that they have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that aid in reducing free radicals in the body. Free radicals are highly reactive compounds that cause internal damage and inflammation in the body. If free radicals are maintained in the body for extended periods, this can cause fatigue and anxiety because the body is under chronic internal stress.
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7. Melatonin
Melatonin is produced by the pituitary gland in the brain and it has a role in the circadian rhythm to improve sleep. The circadian rhythm is our daily body changes that occur to indicate awakeness and sleepiness. These body changes can include our sensory reactions to light and dark, bright light indicates awakeness and darkness indicates sleepiness. Another one of these changes is our cortisol levels. In the morning, we get a burst of cortisol to motivate us to get out of bed, and as the day goes on our cortisol levels will decline so we feel calm and sleepy. When you get a low amount of sleep, or if your sleep schedule is shifted (meaning you go to sleep late into the night and wake up later into the morning) this can delay your cortisol levels, causing low cortisol in the morning and then a gradual increase in cortisol as the day continues.
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8. Chamomile
Chamomile has been shown to have many soothing properties in the body to reduce sore throat, menstrual cramps, and reduce stress and anxiety. Chamomile has a beneficial effect on reducing stress because of its possible functions in regulating noradrenaline, GABA, serotonin, and dopamine, which are some of our feel-good and relaxing brain chemicals. The tea is also beneficial in maintaining a restful sleep at night, which can decrease stress levels due to cortisol stabilization. This is why chamomile is one of the stress relief supplements.
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9. Reishi
Red Reishi is a mushroom, or adaptogen, that helps the body adapt to stress. Due to its effect on stress and blood sugar Reishi can reduce androgen levels. When we have high cortisol levels this will increase an androgen called DHEA or dehydroepiandrosterone. This hormone will increase acne production, fatigue, and hair loss. When we have high blood sugar levels this will increase insulin and stress levels. The high insulin will signal the ovaries to produce more testosterone. Luckily, Reishi can aid in combatting these high androgen levels by controlling stress and blood sugar. A study looking at the anti-androgenic effects of 19 mushrooms, found that reishi mushrooms had the strongest effect inhibiting testosterone. Red Reishi has been shown to reduce an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, which aids in the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). High DHT levels are associated with acne and hair loss.
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10. CBD
CBD or Cannabidiol is an active ingredient from the hemp plant that has many beneficial effects, one of them being reducing stress making it one of the stress relief supplements. This is because CBD has been found to decrease cortisol because it can help regulate your body’s natural circadian rhythm. As mentioned before, our circadian rhythm has a very important role in our sleep cycle and cortisol balance throughout the day.
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11. Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is a root plant that can be taken to effectively reduce stress. Health benefits can be derived from the concentration of withanolides, which are anti-inflammatory. In one study, those who took the ashwagandha had a 30% reduction in cortisol levels compared to a control group. You can take ashwagandha as a supplement or powdered to add to meals or beverages.
