Five stress-relieving vitamins and supplements

To fight stress, there are many, many options. But sometimes, exercising regularly, eating right, and getting enough sleep may not be enough to reset you, particularly when you’re faced with these stressors every day. That’s when getting some extra help could come in handy.

Here are five supplements and vitamins that could give your body and your mind that bit of extra resilience to mitigate the stress of life as a physician.

Vitamin B

Top on the list of stress relieving vitamins and supplements are the B vitamins. Eight B vitamins make up the B complexes, which are essential for heart and brain health. They include thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), vitamin B6, biotin (vitamin B7), folic acid (folate), and vitamin B12.

The B vitamins are found in a variety of foods, including grains, meats, eggs, dairy products, leafy greens, and legumes. Each B vitamin has its own role in helping the body run smoothly. As a group, they are important for your nervous system, cell metabolism, red blood cell production, and converting food into energy.

Several studies have linked high doses of the B vitamins with reduced symptoms of stress, which may occur because the B vitamins work to lower serum homocysteine levels. High levels of this amino acid are associated with stress and increased risks of heart disease, dementia, and colorectal cancer.

Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea)

Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb grown in the cold mountains of Russia and Asia. Used for hundreds of years in Chinese and Ayurvedic healing, adaptogenic herbs are non-toxic plants that are purported to help the body resist stressors—both chemical and biological. Rhodiola’s adaptogenic properties are linked to two of its active ingredients: rosavin and salidroside.

Glycine

Glycine is thought to increase the body’s ability to resist stress by promoting a good night’s sleep. It has calming effects on the brain and can lower the core body temperature, which in turn, promotes sleep.

Glycine is an amino acid, and as such, is a building block for protein. Glycine also stimulates production of serotonin, the feel-good hormone, and helps regulate nerve impulses in the CNS, specifically those in the spinal cord, retina, and brainstem. Primary dietary sources for glycine are foods rich in protein, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and legumes. Cereals, and pastas are also good sources of this amino acid.

Ashwagandha.

Ashwagandha may reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Like rhodiola, ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an adaptogenic herb. It is also called Indian ginseng, poison gooseberry, and winter cherry. Native to India, ashwagandha has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. And, like rhodiola, it is thought to bolster the body’s ability to resist both physical and mental stress.

Ashwagandha is traditionally taken as a powder mixed with honey and warm milk.

L-theanine

L-theanine is a natural compound found in tea leaves that has been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation.  Perhaps the most familiar and studied source of L-theanine is green tea, but it is also found in black tea.

In a large review involving almost 68,000 participants, researchers found that drinking green tea was associated with reduced anxiety and improvements in memory and attention. They attributed these effects to the synergistic effects of the caffeine and L-theanine contained in the tea.

The article has been taken from medical journal MDLinx.