If you feel tired, anxious, and overwhelmed with the things that are going on in your life, I can assume with 100% certainty that you are stressed out. Stress impacts your whole body, lowering your immunity, ruining your sleep cycle, and messing with your digestion. That’s why it’s so important not only to figure out what’s stressing you, but to alter your diet so it would help your mind and body to heal. Here are top 10 vitamins to help you combat stress.
Vitamin C
When you’re under constant stress, your body uses Vitamin C actively, so you need to top it up from time to time. Vitamin C boosts your immunity, influences your metabolism process, and can improve your mood in general. If you’re feeling low on energy, remember to eat more oranges and grapefruit, and drink more lemon tea.
Melatonin
Stress changes our sleep pattern drastically, often leading to insomnia. Whether it is interrupted sleep or inability to fall asleep for a long time, you’re bound to experience some sleep issues one way or the other if you’re under lots of stress. Ironically, sound sleep is what helps us combat stress! Melatonin is the natural way of your body to provide you with sound sleep and you can take a little extra if you feel that you aren’t getting enough rest.
Magnesium
If you feel anxious a lot and lose your calm quite often – all this leads to stress building up in your body. Magnesium is perfect relaxant that reduces the amount of hormone ACTH produced in your body. This tricky hormone is responsible for the production of stress-inducing cortisol and adrenaline that mess up your balance on a daily basis. Eat avocado, banana, leafy greens, and legumes to up your magnesium levels.
Glycine
This amino acid has a very calming effect on our brains and is used extensively to promote sound sleep. The idea is same like with melatonin – your body and mind needs healthy sleep to combat stress and reduce its levels while you’re awake. Glycin does a very good job at it by relaxing your brain and lowering the temperature of your body, which makes your sleep long and uninterrupted. You can also say good-bye to daytime sleepiness!
Rhodiola rosea
This miraculous herb that can easily be found in the mountains of Asia is a universal anti-stress remedy. It’s non-toxic and absolutely organic, with naturally formed components that help your body build more resistance to stress. Studies show that it’s of great help to people who are experiencing the burnout syndrome and can also improve the state of people with chronic fatigue. It gives fast results – you will feel better in just 1 week!
Vitamin B complex
Vitamin B complex is a mix of 8 different B vitamins that strengthen your body in various aspects. Studies show that Vitamin B is a great immunity and metabolism booster. When taking a Vitamin B complex, which can be found inside mineral and vitamin supplements, your body reduces the production of homocystein. It’s an amino acid that is associated not only with stress and anxiety, but also with dementia and a number of other diseases. Eat leafy greens, legumes, grains, and dairy products to boost your Vitamin B levels.
Ashwagandha
Ayurveda has been using the amazing properties of Ashwagandha for thousands of years. It’s an adaptogen herb that has been known to fight symptoms of stress, fatigue, and depression. It lowers cortisol levels, reduces anxiety, and improves concentration. Ashwagandha (or ginseng) is also popular for its ability to boost your energy levels, which also improves your immunity and overall well-being.
L-theanine
L-theanine may sound complicated, but you’ll be immediately put at ease once you hear it comes from tea leaves. We all know that green tea has a calming effect on the majority of people, and now you know the exact amino acid responsible for it! Well green tea is much more complicated than that, of course, but drinking it regularly will definitely boost both your health and your mood. You can also take L-theanine as a supplement.
Kava
Native to the South Pacific islands, kava is a shrub that has been used by the locals to prepare various traditional and ceremonial drinks. Kavalacton is a compound found in kava that has great stress-reducing properties. It also relieves anxiety, calms the mind, and has an overall relaxing effect on your body. You can take it in form of supplements, tea, or capsules.
Valerian root
If you own a cat and have some valerian root concoction in the house then you know cats go crazy about this thing. And if cats love it, maybe it’s good for humans, too? Well, in fact it is! Valerian root has been used to calm down nerves and combat anxiety for hundreds of years, long before these terms were even created. Packed with antioxidants and valerenic acid, valerian root will do wonders for your sleep and will immediately calm your mind after you take just a few drops of the tincture.