What Are The Best Supplements For Occasional Anxiety?*

Dry mouth. Pounding heart. Sleepless nights.

Problems related to anxiety, and how to deal with them, are a growing part of our national conversation about health and well-being, and people are increasingly looking for ways to manage them.*

Finding the Root Cause of the Anxiousness

Our always-connected digital culture, along with the disappearing boundaries between work and personal life, take a lot of well deserved blame for increased anxiousness among adults. Poor diet and not enough exercise are other contributing factors as well.

But lifestyle is not the only culprit.

Changing hormones can have a huge impact on anxiety levels, and these challenges cannot be controlled through behavioral changes alone.  

The key is to uncover the root cause of the anxieties your patient may face. If your patient's experience is relatively minor, magnesium and theanine can help boost serotonin levels in the brain.*

Your patient’s blood work will help you discover elevated cortisol levels, and whether too much or too little of any hormone is making them feel unbalanced. 

Supplements & Strategies For Managing Occasional Anxiety*

In most cases, a combination of lifestyle adjustments and relaxation techniques, coupled with a strategic supplement protocol can help your patient get back on track.*

We say “strategic” because many supplements that help people relax and get focused can also make them drowsy. Tryptophan is great example of this. It’s a great amino acid for relaxation, but it can make you feel sluggish (like you do after a big turkey meal at Thanksgiving). If the patient needs help staying focused, Bacopa may be a good option.* 

Gamma-aminobutyric Acid (GABA)

GABA is another amino acid, produced by the brain to rein in the neurons firing across the grey matter.* If someone doesn't have enough GABA, the neurons can become too active, which can lead to more anxiousness.* GABA production can be supported by vitamin B6 and magnesium.* These might be included with a supplement or taken independently to help boost a patient’s GABA levels.*

Magnesium

Many physicians recommend magnesium as a starting point, especially for people struggling with stress-related stomach issues.*

L-Theanine

This amino acid occurs naturally in green tea. Because of its similarity to the excitatory neurochemical, glutamate, L Theanine is able to block its production, which helps control occasional anxiety and promotes calming.*

B Vitamins

Many B combination vitamins, like niacinamide, offer important benefits for managing anxiousness as well.*

Botanicals

Botanicals are becoming increasingly popular. In addition to Bacopa, you will also find botanicals like passion flower, chamomile flower, lemon balm, and Siberian ginseng in calming formulas.

Relaxation Techniques

Supplements play an important role in helping manage occasional anxiety, but the best results come when they are integrated in a lifestyle that promotes health and relaxation.* Meditation and yoga can have an enormous impact on patients when they embrace these techniques.

Potential Adverse Effects

When helping patients with occasional anxiety, most physicians start them off slow with supplements. Reactions can vary from one ingredient to the next, and people who are taking multiple supplements will want to monitor how they feel. You might start them on a simple mineral, like magnesium, and if things go well, combine it with an amino acid and botanical for a more powerful synergistic combination.*

Dosage is important too. Some supplements that help people focus can increase their anxiety or make them irritable in some cases.

Stress is a natural and usually healthy part of our lives. By helping your patient adopt healthy choices and relaxation techniques, while also using supplements to achieve greater metabolic balance, you can help them find some relief from the frenzied-pace we all seem to move these days.*

When it comes to using supplements, you will want to consider sound research that demonstrates effectiveness, quality ingredients, and any potential side effects, just as you would with any other recommendation. Occasional anxiety is a problem in our society, but it can be managed. It’s just a matter of listening to our patients, isolating the root causes, and applying gentle changes that feel right for them.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.