Vitamin Supplements For Adrenals

Adrenal glands are famously associated with the fight-or-flight response that helps you respond to immediate and urgent forms of stress. In addition to this survival-mode function, your adrenal glands contribute on a moment-to-moment basis toward maintaining a balance of energy and alertness. Certain vitamins are particularly helpful for ensuring proper functioning of your adrenal glands.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is perhaps the most important vitamin for proper adrenal function, according to Dr. John Lee, author of "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About: Menopause: The Breakthrough Book on Natural Hormone Balance." Your adrenal gland cells use vitamin C at a faster rate than other cells in your body, and most kinds of stress increase those requirements. Vitamin C deficiency will make you more vulnerable to adrenal fatigue and its associated symptoms. Lee adds that the RDA of 60 mg per day is insufficient for anyone under stress from illness, fatigue or psychological stressors. Strive to obtain 1 to 2 g per day under normal conditions and up to 4 g per day when you are experiencing high stress levels.

Vitamin B-5

Pantothenic acid, vitamin B-5, is used in the manufacture of energy, the use of fats and carbohydrates and the production of adrenal hormones and red blood cells, and may be useful in the treatment of low adrenal function, according to Michael Murray, author of "The Pill Book Guide to Natural Medicines: Vitamins, Minerals, Nutritional Supplements, Herbs and Other Natural Products." In a study on laboratory animals conducted at the the United School of Veterinary Sciences at Gifu University in Japan, pantothenic acid supplementation for nine weeks resulted in higher cortisol and progesterone levels, evidence of adrenal gland stimulation. The study appeared in the June 2008 issue of the journal "Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin."

Taurine

The amino acid taurine influences adrenal fatigue by slowing release of catecholamines -- stress hormones -- and preventing spikes in blood sugar that occur during periods of stress, according to a study conducted at the St. John's University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions in New York. In the study, scientists altered the taurine molecule in several ways and found that one method raised the amino acid's protective effects while another had a diminishing effect. The study appeared in the 2006 issue of the journal "Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology."

Vitamin B-6

Vitamin B-6 has been shown to stimulate release of adrenal hormones at doses of 100 mg per kilogram of body weight. Vitamin B-6 and its related forms work in conjunction with taurine to promote the blood-sugar raising effects of catecholamines. As adrenal catecholamine levels rise, vitamin B-6 promotes release of stored sugar by the liver causing a spike in blood sugar.