Anxiety often results from stress and can cause feelings of worry or apprehension. It is normal to occasionally have anxious feelings. Anxiety can even help you overcome stressful situations, causing you to find solutions for everyday problems. Chronic anxiety may require therapy and medication, but dietary changes and supplementation can help relieve normal or long-term anxiety. Niacinamide, vitamin B6 and tryptophan through food or supplements play roles in improving your condition.
Niacinamide or Vitamin B-3
Niacinamide, a niacin compound, is a form of vitamin B-3, MedlinePlus explains. Deficiencies in this vitamin can lead to anxiety, agitation, depression and mental lethargy. Foods containing vitamin B-3 include meat, fish, milk, eggs, green vegetables, beans and cereal grains. Niacinamide supplementation is FDA-approved for treatment of niacin deficiencies. In severe cases, vitamin B-3 deficiencies can lead to pellagra, a disease with such symptoms as depression, skin disease and dementia. Niacinamide may also be used to treat hallucinations due to drugs, Alzheimer's disease, loss of thinking skills, chronic brain syndrome, depression and alcohol dependence.
Vitamin B-6 or Pyridoxine
Vitamin B-6, also known as pyridoxine, plays an essential role in the proper functioning of the central nervous system. Depression patients have been found to have low levels of vitamin B-6. The vitamin helps manufacture serotonin, a neurotransmitter that provides your body with calming effects and helps with sleep. Vitamin B-6 supplements may relieve conditions for people with anxiety or depression. You can get high levels of the vitamin from spinach, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, Brussels sprout, peas, radishes, kale, okra and bananas. Fish, cereal, liver and yeast also contain vitamin B-6.
Tryptophan
The amino acid tryptophan plays a major role in relieving anxiety and helps in the production of niacin and serotonin. For tryptophan to change into niacin, you need sufficient amounts of vitamin B-6 foods. You also need iron from fortified cereals, bread, pasta, beef, dried beans and lentils. You need riboflavin from such foods as lean meat, eggs, legumes, nuts and green leafy vegetables. Foods with high levels of tryptophan include chicken, turkey, fish, cheese, milk, nuts, peanut butter, peanuts, soy, tofu and pumpkin and sesame seeds.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, including whole-grain bread, pasta and cereal, help produce tryptophan. Carbohydrate foods release insulin into the bloodstream, according to Middle Tennessee State University. Insulin enhances the action of tryptophan by clearing away other amino acids. Tryptophan then travels through the bloodstream to the brain where it converts to serotonin to help provide a sense of calm and relaxation.
