How Do I Treat Anxiety With Natural Vitamins?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 18 percent of Americans experience symptoms of an anxiety disorder every year. While anxiety itself is a normal human reaction, anxiety that causes significant impairment in your life is considered a medical condition. In many cases, treatment is prescribed in the form of medication, psychotherapy or both. Many prescription medications for anxiety however, can cause unwanted side effects including fatigue and confusion. Fortunately, certain vitamins can help relieve anxiety, with much less risk of adverse effects. Always consult your personal health care professional before you begin taking vitamins.

Step 1

Take a natural B complex supplement. B vitamins are water-soluble and include B12, B6, B3 and B5. According to Social Anxiety Disorder Resources, low levels of several of the B vitamins can lead to a decline in mood, depression and anxiety. Generous amounts of B vitamins are found in meat, milk and eggs, but many people do not eat enough of these foods to replenish the B vitamins, which are not stored by the body. In addition, B vitamins may actually be depleted when you feel stressed or anxious, because you are releasing more stress hormones, and your body requires more B vitamins to process the increased activity.

Step 2

Take a magnesium supplement daily. A 1994 review written by M.S. Seelig at the University of North Carolina and published in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" explains that stress increases the body's use of magnesium. Magnesium provides protection from damage done to the cardiac muscle by hormones that are released in response to stress. As a result of stress, magnesium stores are depleted, leaving your body more vulnerable to the effects of anxiety. Magnesium also elicits the relaxation of the walls of the vascular system, which can lead to feelings of relaxation, rather than vasoconstriction which can lead to high blood pressure and additional anxiety.

Step 3

Take a vitamin D supplement daily. According to the Vitamin D Council, vitamin D helps to provide oxygen to your brain and can protect your body from damage from free radicals, which are a byproduct of the stress response. In addition, vitamin D is what your body produces when your skin is exposed to sunlight. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is common in people who live in northern hemispheres, where sunlight during the winter months is sparse. Some symptoms of SAD include depression and anxiety. Both of these are relieved with the administration of supplemental vitamin D. Check with your doctor to determine how much supplemental vitamin D you need. A simple blood test can reveal if you have a vitamin D deficiency.

Step 4

Take 5,000 to 10,000 mg. of vitamin C in divided doses daily. According to Women's Health Services, vitamin C can help restore the body to its original state after a stress-response reaction. Additionally, vitamin C is often depleted when you feel anxious, which stimulates the stress response. Your body doesn't store vitamin C, so you need to replenish it daily, through foods and supplements.