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Extra B vitamins

photo credit: shutterstock

If you take individual B vitamins, also take a good B complex supplement to help prevent imbalances among these vitamins, which work together. In a study of people with panic disorder, OCD and depression the B vitamin inositol in amounts of up to 18 grams daily was as effective and had fewer side effects than an anti-anxiety medication. This reflects my clinical experience, where I’ve found inositol to be very helpful with clients with obsessive and ruminating thoughts.

Vitamin B1 is important for blood sugar control and this has a major impact on anxiety. Vitamin B3 is involved in many enzymatic processes and plays a key role in serotonin synthesis. At doses of 1,000 to 3,000 mg a day, it may be helpful for anxiety. Vitamin B5 is very important for the adrenals and therefore helps with modulating stress.

Folic acid and vitamin B12 are important for depression, and given the links between anxiety and depression, they may also be helpful for anxiety. They also support heart health, which is important if you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks, which stress the heart.

Get the nutrients naturally

Good food sources of the B vitamins include liver, meat, turkey, whole grains, potatoes, bananas, chiles, legumes, nutritional yeast and molasses.