Natural Supplements For Anxiety - 4 Supplements That Can Help

By Michael D. Nolting


For most anxiety suffers, traditional treatments (including drug therapy and psychotherapy) serve as a Band-Aid, but never fully correct the physiological imbalance that causes anxiety in the first place. Fortunately, natural approaches exist to fight stress by replenishing the body of essential vitamins and supplements missing from the brain or nervous system.Anxiety may surface in a variety of forms, ranging from brief discomfort and uneasiness to full-blown panic disorder. Depending on the patient's condition, sufferers will generally be prescribed SSRI's (selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors) such as Zoloft or Lexapro, in addition to a tranquilizer such as Xanax or Ativan to control attacks.
[Supplements For Anxiety]


Unfortunately, the side effects that accompany these treatments can be just as life altering as the disorder itself. Anti-anxiety medicine has been known to cause drowsiness, short-term memory loss, severe weight gain and nausea. Furthermore, tranquilizers such as Xanax or Ativan are only temporary fixes for intense periods of panic. These drugs have no impact on the essential vitamins and minerals naturally found in the body that can cause anxiety when depleted.Fortunately, there are a variety of natural vitamins and anxiety supplements that can be utilized to restore the body to optimal performance. Each vitamin or supplement listed below is a safe and natural alternative to traditional SSRI treatment or tranquilizers utilized for stress disorders:

Valerian Root (Valeriana Officinalis).Valerian Root is another herbal supplement that is highly regarded for its calming abilities. The root of the plant is ground and used either is tea or pill form. The tea is extremely pungent for people with sensitivity to taste it may be a bit hard to swallow. The pills are generally is gel cap form and are easy to take. Valerian root is thought of as a general sedative and is used to treat both anxiety and insomnia. There are no known side effects, but patients should be careful is they are mixing it with other sedative based prescriptions. This is another herbal supplement that increases the production of GABA in the brain.

How to use it: The herb can be dried and you can eat half a gram three to four times a day. You can mix it in with some muesli and yoghurt since it doesn't taste that great. Alternatively, passion flower can be made into a tea of which you can drink a few cups a day.Chamomile.Another age old herbal supplement which also helps eases your tense muscles which are often a result of stress. It's tasty and because of it being so readily available it is very popular for people with panic disorder and those who suffer from insomnia or even night terrors.

How to use it: Chamomile tea is available in almost all supermarkets and can be taken before bed time to help you sleep soundly.Supplements for anxiety and stress can be an all natural way of dealing with the daily stressors that can interfere with an individual's ability to live life to the fullest. Supplements for anxiety and stress work with your body to smooth out the rough edges of life in a seamlessly effortless way, free from the side effects so often associated with popular prescription medications.

Centrophenoxine/Meclofenoxate - Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors reduce the break down of acetylcholine, an essential transmitter involved not only in muscular function and other somatic (bodily) aspects, but also in cognitive processes such as memory. Additionally, this supplement was proposed to cause up-regulation (increase in density) of dopamine receptors through a compensatory mechanism (inhibits release of dopamine resulting in sensitization of corresponding receptor sites - thus the effects arising from this mechanism will only be felt after the cessation from chronic administration). Overall an interesting nootropic, which helps with focus and the consolidation of new information into long-term memory. Piracetam - Another nootropic from the racetam family that improves cognition. It acts as a positive allosteric modulator of the NMDA glutamate receptor, which proved essential in learning and memory. Dissociative drugs such as Ketamine are NMDA antagonist placing them opposite to piracetam and since depersonalization is a form of dissociation it might prove to be helpful. 1.2g - 12g is a typical dose range. Efficiency varies among individuals so you will have to find the right dose for you. Combines well with Aniracetam, Lecithin, AlphaGPC, Centrophenoxine because they work in synergy.

For thousands of years certain herbs such as passion flower, lemon balm, lavender, valerian, and St. John's wort have been used to relieve anxiety and stress and promote emotional wellness. They seem to be at their most effective when used in as part of full spectrum approach to healing. What full spectrum refers to is a combination of mind and body healing which may include yoga, deep breathing and exercise to provide a backdrop for successfully achieving results.

Relaxation,GABA - A supplement that is essential in regulating anxiety, GABA in this supplement form, does not readily cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) in lower doses. Nevertheless, it indirectly calms you down (the exact mechanism is yet to be elucidated, but as the name suggest it might be involved in regulation of the inhibitory transmitter GABA). Majority of our brain has an inhibitory role not a productive one, when there is lack of inhibition anxiety and/or other symptoms often arise as a result of information overload. Once or twice a day of 750mg should be enough (morning/evening before sleep). This dose can be exceeded, but in such cases it may have paradoxical effects and work against you by increasing anxiety.

A full spectrum approach to healing and relaxing the mind and body may produce a number of additional benefits such as supporting nervous system health, balancing out emotions from those minor unforeseen daily challenges, boosting immune system function, and help in promoting and maintaining a positive outlook. This is in sharp contrast to the headaches, withdrawal symptoms, and stomach upset often associated with prescription medications.

Once you have decided to take the challenge and try one of the many supplements for anxiety and stress you will be faced with many different choices. For me those containing passion flower or lavender seem to work the best for daily daytime use. Valerian root on the other hand creates drowsiness, so unless you are looking for a sleep remedy valerian should be excluded.Also, there are both liquid and tablet formulas. Without a doubt the liquid formula will get into your system faster, and are more appropriate for unexpected stressors. But ultimately it is a personal choice with both types of herbal remedies for anxiety and stress shown to achieve excellent results.




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