Traditional Chinese medicine holds the adrenal glands, along with the liver, as the most important organ in the body and most central to people's well-being. A high-stress lifestyle that starves the body of the nutritional support required, impaired sleep and a lack of relaxation can place a burden on the adrenals, in some cases resulting in adrenal fatigue. Some vitamins provide enhanced nutritional support for these walnut-sized glands.
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B5, also called pantothenic acid, plays an important role in the health of the adrenal glands. These key organs require sufficient levels of the nutrient at all times, and this need can increase significantly during times of sustained stress or in episodes of adrenal fatigue. The body converts pantothenic acid into an intermediary called pantothene, which itself acts as the precursor for acetyl co-enzyme A, a necessary factor in the production of many adrenal hormones. Sufferers of adrenal fatigue often use pantothenic acid at around 600 to 1,200mg per day.
Vitamin C
Many people recognize vitamin C as one of the body's main antioxidants. Vitamin C, often called ascorbic acid, provides antioxidant support to all cells of the body, but the adrenal glands stand out as one of the primary users of this nutrient. The adrenal cortex must have sufficient levels of vitamin C to produce healthy levels of cortisol, the body's main stress hormone. Before more advanced modern testing, serum levels of ascorbic acid were used as a measure of adrenal function, which underlies the important link between vitamin C status and adrenal health. Dr Rodger Murphree, a board-certified chiropractic physician who has written five books on dealing with difficult medical problems, recommends that those with adrenal fatigue use at least 1,800mg of vitamin C each day.
Magnesium
Underestimating the importance of magnesium can cause problems in individuals with adrenal fatigue. As a component of more than 300 enzymes in the body, magnesium plays a role in hydration, insulin sensitivity and blood-sugar level management and energy production. All of these aspects can be disturbed in adrenal fatigue, which accentuates the need for this important mineral at this time. Sustained stress can also deplete the body of magnesium. Perhaps the most important benefit of using magnesium centers around its ability to promote deep and relaxing sleep, which results from the mineral's muscle-relaxant properties.
