Everyone feels stressed from time to time. Stress can result from anxiety disorder, or everyday stressors such as work or school. However, stress can also occur when hormone levels are off balance or from a lack of sleep or energy. Some of these triggers can be lessened through simple lifestyle changes; others can be corrected through vitamin use.
What is Stress?
Stress causes worry, nervousness and an increased heart rate. Stress may also result in increased blood pressure, which over time can cause hypertension. Good stress that occurs as part of the natural fight-or-flight syndrome, activated in situations in which you feel threatened. It causes an adrenaline rush as a response to these threats, helping you to think and respond more quickly. Bad stress occurs as part of a major event such as grief, divorce or moving.
Causes
When you are stressed, the hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce increased adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones surge through the bloodstream, increasing the heart rate, breathing, metabolism and blood pressure. In response, the vessels open and grow wider to allow a rush of increased blood flow; this reaction puts your muscles on alert for danger. In addition to these responses, the pupils widen to allow better vision.
Vitamins that Combat Stress
B-complex vitamins are used to metabolize energy in the body, as well as balancing out the hormones secreted by the brain. According to the book "De-stress Weigh Less," eating more foods that contain B vitamins was shown to increase energy and decrease stress. Some of these vitamins promote a balance in moods; others ease symptoms of stress caused by deficiencies. Vitamin B-1 promotes good digestion and helps with metabolism. Deficiency in vitamin B-2 causes trembles, sluggishness, nervousness and fatigue. Vitamin B-3 deficiency causes anxiousness, weakness and memory loss. Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine) is a natural mood elevator.
Types
You can take B vitamins in a capsule labeled 'B-complex." B-complex vitamins combine B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5, B-6, B-7, B-9 and B-12. You can purchase each individually, but since there are so many, some people choose a B-complex for convenience. You can also get your recommended daily allowance by taking a multivitamin. Certain foods such as fortified bread, grain or cereal contain B-complex vitamins --in some cases, 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance.
Considerations
In addition to taking B-complex vitamins, eat foods that contain B vitamins: fortified cereals, grains and bread, legumes and poultry.
