Natural Supplements For Anxiety - Ask a Nutritionist

Transcript:

Alyssa: Welcome to the Dishing Up Nutrition's midweek “Ask a Nutritionist” program . If you are enjoying the show, let us know by leaving a rating and reviewing it on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback is appreciated and helps others find the podcast. Now onto today's show of answering a question from a fellow Dishing Up Nutrition listener.

The question today is, is there a natural supplement to help with anxiety? Now, while there are some natural supplements we will discuss that may be used as a tool to help manage anxiety, they are not a all out cure. Also, before trying any new supplements for anxiety, please discuss them with a healthcare professional who is a part of your healthcare team, such as your primary care doctor, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, psychiatrist, pharmacist, or registered dietitian to check for any potential medication interactions or concerns.

Hello, I am Alyssa, a registered dietitian here at Nutritional Weight & Wellness. I provide nutrition therapy counseling to clients both in person and virtually from our St. Paul and Eagan, Minnesota offices. Now, everyone can experience anxiety occasionally, particularly when facing a stressful event, like a job interview, exam, or a competition.

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, unease, or nervousness. It is often accompanied by physical symptoms due to the body's sympathetic nervous system being activated. It's part of the body's fight or flight response. Physical symptoms can include increased heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, digestive problems like diarrhea due to the mind/gut connection, and generally feeling on edge.

In normal life, anxiety can be a motivator to help you get ready to take action. Interestingly, the sympathetic nervous system is also activated when a person feels excitement. Anxiety and excitement share many of the same physical symptoms. At the core, the key difference between anxiety and excitement lies in how a person frames the experience and their feelings around it.

Anxiety is associated with a person having a negative appraisal of their feelings. A person experiencing anxiety interprets their physical sensations as signs of danger. They're often focused on potential negative outcomes for a situation, and they may feel a lack of control.

On the opposite side of things, a person experiencing excitement interprets their physical sensations as positive. They're focused on the positive aspects of a situation and are optimistic about the outcome. They feel a sense of control and confidence leading to a more positive mindset around it. Anxiety is about feeling threatened and overwhelmed, while excitement is about feeling prepared and energized for what lies ahead.

Anxiety disorders involve a person experiencing excessive and persistent worry that then interferes with their daily life. Fear and worry become too big and can be difficult to control. Anxiety disorders can show up in different ways and include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and panic disorder.

Anxiety disorders are a common mental health concern. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about one third of U.S. adults experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. They're often treated with psychological therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and medications.

The neurotransmitter connection to moods (& how to support with food)

Research suggests dietary changes may be helpful for people with anxiety disorders. Dietary changes can include making changes to the food you are eating, when and how much you eat by taking certain vitamins, minerals, and other supplements. There is a connection between food and mood.

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that facilitate communication between our brain and other cells in the body. The neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, play crucial roles in helping us regulate our moods, emotional responses, and various bodily functions. Low levels of serotonin are associated with anxiety disorders.

As a key player in mood regulation, serotonin influences feelings of calmness and happiness. It even has a role in helping to make sure that we sleep well at night. So how can we naturally help support our body’s serotonin production? For starters by focusing on eating a balanced protein rich diet. The essential amino acid, tryptophan, is the primary precursor to serotonin.

Tryptophan supports our body's production of serotonin. It is found in foods such as turkey, chicken, pork, beef, salmon, eggs, dairy products, and plant-based options like edamame, tofu, nuts and seeds. At nutritional weight and wellness, we like to take a food first approach when providing nutrition therapy.

The anxiety connection to eating frequency, what & how much

Before adding in any supplements, we first conduct a thorough nutrition assessment. As registered dietitians, we investigate when a person is eating, how frequently a person is eating, along with what and how much they eat. The brain requires a lot of energy to function.

Even in a resting state, when you are sleeping, the brain is working and uses energy. If a person is in the habit of starting the day with just a cup of black coffee, rushing out the door and maybe skipping breakfast or delaying lunch, they're delaying fuel to their brain. People often think about competitive athletes needing to fuel for their sport to optimize performance.

Well, all people, not just competitive athletes need to fuel to eat, to function, to perform, to feel their best in life. The amount of fuel a person needs varies depending on activity and different life circumstances. Under fueling will make it harder for the brain to function. An under fueled brain can lead to worsening anxiety symptoms. Reflecting on my own history and experience with anxiety in my past, my thoughts and feelings of anxiety of worry would spiral more out of control when I was not eating enough and I wasn't following a consistent eating schedule.

Start with breakfast

If you are not already in the habit of following a regular eating schedule, begin today to build the habit of eating a balanced meal during the day about every three to four hours. Start with breakfast. A breakfast that supports serotonin could be a bowl with four to six ounces of lean ground turkey, paired with diced roasted potatoes, fresh arugula, cherry tomatoes, your favorite herbs and spices, plus a few teaspoons of olive oil, or a half a fresh avocado sliced on top.

Add fruit on the side, like raspberries or cherries for a brain supporting breakfast. Also, some people are sensitive to caffeine. They function better without a morning cup of coffee or just with less cups of coffee. They may find that they experience less anxiety when they skip the caffeine or stick to a smaller cup of tea or coffee that they drink with their breakfast instead of on an empty stomach.

Supplement support to consider if needed after food first approach

After food, we can consider supplements, and if any supplements would be of benefit to support overall health and help with anxiety management. It is best to start slowly, not add in all possible supplements at once. Natural supplements are intended to compliment the diet.

Now, not getting enough of certain vitamins and minerals can have a negative effect of how we feel. Three specific ones that come to mind include vitamin D, magnesium and zinc.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D, otherwise known as the sunshine vitamin, since your skin makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, plays an important role in mood regulation. Some research suggests a link between vitamin D deficiency and anxiety disorders.

Supplementing with vitamin D, especially for individuals with low levels of vitamin D, shows promise in helping to manage and reduce anxiety. Research suggests vitamin D3 is more effective in raising the blood levels of vitamin D compared to vitamin D2.

Dosage recommendations for supplementation will vary depending on several factors, including a person's current blood level, their age, where they live in the world, and their sun exposure. In Minnesota, I have many clients who work full-time indoors that find that they need 2,000 international units or 50 micrograms of vitamin D3 daily. And sometimes more in the summer even. Having your vitamin D level checked in the fall around September or October can help determine if you're supplementing adequately through the summer months.

Magnesium

Next up is magnesium. Magnesium is an essential mineral required by every cell in the human body. It affects all body systems in different ways. For instance, magnesium helps in muscle contraction and relaxation. It helps blood vessels relax, lowering blood pressure, and it plays a role in the regulation of neurotransmitter release in the brain.

Ensuring an adequate intake of magnesium from food and if needed from supplements may help decrease symptoms of anxiety. Some of my favorite food sources of magnesium include pepitas, a type of pumpkin seed, almonds, black beans, dairy products, peanut butter, avocado, and whole grains like quinoa. Magnesium supplements come in many different forms, and each has a different bioavailability, meaning how easily the body absorbs the magnesium. The forms of magnesium I most often recommend for anxiety include Magnesium Glycinate or Magnesium L-Threonate. In most studies, looking at magnesium for anxiety, participants took doses between 200 milligrams and 400 milligrams of magnesium a day.

Zinc

On to zinc. It's the second most abundant trace mineral in the body after iron and is present in every cell. It's an essential mineral, meaning your body cannot produce it on its own, so it must be obtained daily from food and or supplements. In the brain, zinc is involved in the synthesis and release of the neurotransmitters, like serotonin.

Deficiencies or lower levels of zinc have been linked to increased anxiety symptoms. Zinc may help reduce anxiety by helping to regulate serotonin receptors and improve GABA function. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps calm the nervous system.

Many foods contain zinc. Oysters are the richest source of zinc. Red meat, poultry, seafood, like crab are also good sources of zinc. Plant sources include beans, nuts, whole grains, and those seeds again, such as pumpkin seeds. The recommended dietary amount of zinc for adults is between eight to 11 milligrams daily.

As a supplement, zinc is often found on its own and in several multivitamin mineral supplements. Excessive zinc intake can lead to symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. So start with food and prior to adding any supplements, and please take time to discuss them with your healthcare providers such as your primary care doctor and/or registered dietitian.

L-theanine

Besides multivitamin and mineral supplementation, including the vitamin D, magnesium, and zinc, another natural supplement to help with anxiety symptom management is L-theanine. L-theanine is an amino acid naturally found in green and black tea leaves that has been shown to reduce stress response and promote relaxation. I like to describe L-theanine to clients as something to help take the edge off and support overall focused relaxation. We recommend starting somewhere between 200 to 400 milligrams for situational anxiety, like public speaking or test taking, but it can also be helpful for relaxing around bedtime.

Consider gut support for mood

Lastly for natural supplements, consider some extra support for the gut to support your mood. 90% of your body serotonin is made in the intestinal tract. A healthy gut supports a healthy brain. Prebiotics are a type of fiber that feeds good bacteria in your gut. Enjoying a variety of fiber rich plants each day will help your body get the prebiotic fiber it needs to feed the good bacteria in the gut.

Foods like milled flaxseed, chia seeds, asparagus, bananas, apples, oats, and avocados all contain prebiotic fiber. They help to feed and support a healthy gut microbiome, which in effect supports your brain and your mood. Some people with anxiety may benefit from taking prebiotic fiber supplements to support their gut and brain health.

Prebiotic fiber supplement options I often start with include Sun Fiber, psyllium husk, or a prebiotic fiber blend, such as Ortho Molecular’s Fiber MGP. When adding a prebiotic fiber supplement, make sure to stay hydrated and start initially with a smaller dose such as a half to one teaspoon.

Summary

So in summary, to help manage symptoms of anxiety, I first recommend food. Eat a balanced protein and fiber rich meal every three to four hours during the day starting with breakfast. Don't delay giving fuel to your brain. In terms of natural supplements, there are some options that we may consider in assisting with anxiety symptom management. Some include vitamin D3, Magnesium Glycinate or Magnesium L-Threonate, Zinc, L-Theanine and prebiotic fiber.

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