Pressure from work, money, health, and relationships in today’s fast-paced life is the main cause of prolonged stress. That is the culprit of our exhaustion, making it so hard for us to do anything effectively.
It seems like stress and anxiety have become an avoidable part of our everyday life, especially for those who work, parents, and multi-taskers. That ‘s why more and more people have become dependent on stimulants or antidepressants to protect themselves from depression and stress. However, it is not a healthy and sustainable way to treat anxiety and can cause many unwanted side effects.
Rejuvenate your energy metabolism!
The ultimate solution to health problems, especially mental health, is always to rejuvenate your energy metabolism from inside out. Lacking any nutrients can lead to a shift in mood, making us susceptible to anxiety, anger, and depression. This means that if you are suffering from chronic stress and anxiety, you may not have enough of the essential nutrients, and it is likely the B vitamins that you are deficient in. And now if you are looking for safe and natural remedies for anxiety, the Vitamin B complex might be the answer.
What is the Vitamin B complex?
B vitamins are a class of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism. Vitamin B has 8 different types, with each having important benefits to the human body. Supplements that have those B vitamins together are called Vitamin B complex.
Eight B Vitamins play quite similar roles but each of them still has its specific functions.
8 types of Vitamin B:
Vitamin B1 (Also known as Thiamin)
Vitamin B2 (Also known as Riboflavin)
Vitamin B3 (Also known as Niacin)
Vitamin B5 (Also known as pantothenic acid)
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B7 (Also known as Biotin)
Vitamin B12
Folate (Also known as Vitamin B9 or Folic Acid if in synthetic form)
Synthetic B vitamins
How can the B vitamin complex help with stress and anxiety?
B vitamins are one of the most common vitamins used to reduce stress and anxiety. B vitamins can help ease stress by lowering blood homocysteine amino acid levels. High homocysteine level is associated with anxiety and nervousness. Therefore, consuming B vitamins can help improve mood, reduce stress and anxiety and replenish energy.
While taking supplements of one single B vitamin can alleviate certain symptoms, taking B-complex alongside with the individual vitamins can show more effectiveness since they work synergistically.
– Vitamin B1 (thiamine: help convert glucose (sugar) in the blood into energy to function. Without Vitamin B1, the brain will run out of energy quickly, directly affecting the mood.
– Vitamin B3 (niacin): Deficiency in vitamin B3 can lead to agitation, anxiety, mental and physical retardation.
– Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): Rarely do people have a deficiency of vitamin B5. However, if this does happen, you may be easily tired and depressed.
– Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): This vitamin is involved in the production of serotonin (mood-regulating hormone), melatonin (sleep control hormone) and dopamine ( “happy” hormone). That is why the lack of it can make you more susceptible to anxiety and stress.
– Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is very important in the formation of red blood cells. Therefore, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to anemia and many other mental health problems.
– Vitamin B9 (folic acid): This type of B vitamin is necessary for the synthesis of DNA and SAM (S-Adenosylmethionine), which is the dopamine “happy hormone” activator.
B-complex helps with symptoms of anxiety
If you have mental health issues, taking B-complex vitamin supplements only is not the solution. However, they may help improve symptoms of depression or anxiety. Studies on adults with mental health problems found that treatment with a B-complex vitamin led to significant improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms.
In conclusion, supplementing B vitamins is a simple and healthy way to help relieve stress and anxiety. But make sure that you do it along with a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle because the healthy mind always comes from a healthy body!