Top 5 Supplements to Decrease Stress

Top 5 Supplements to Decrease Stress

It’s no shock to hear that people are tremendously stressed out today, even before the whole COVID-19 thing. Chronic stress is detrimental to good health - it leads to exhaustion, depression, anxiety, hormone imbalances, insomnia, weight gain, immune system problems like cancer and autoimmune disease, and fuels inflammatory diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. It’s bad for the heart, the brain, the gut….everything. It can be safely said that chronic stress is the #1 killer in our world today. 

Stress is not just bills, life, relationships, the hustle and bustle of today’s pace of life. Stress comes from lots of places - poor diet, bad sleep, toxins like mold, heavy metals, chemicals, and plasticizers, past abuse and emotional traumas, electromagnetic radiation from our “smart” devices…..all of these stress our bodies on the cellular level and lead to cellular damage.  

Stress is a “response” when your cells sense danger, and this elaborate “response” includes hormones like cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline), neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, GABA, and activating certain genetic pathways to turn on certain genes, like inflammatory genes. If you keep this “response” up for too long, you WILL run into serious problems. Here are the top supplements to help support the stress response on a cellular level. 

B Vitamins

B vitamins support an incredible array of cellular functions. In my personal office I have a huge, overwhelming poster of all the metabolic processes in the entire body, and I sometimes joke to patients that “B vitamins support ALL OF THAT.” (pointing to the whole thing)

B vitamins support mitochondria, metabolism, methylation, microbiome…..everything. Specific B vitamins have many specific jobs - B9 (folate) supports the methylation cycle and MTHFR gene (amongst many others of course); B12 (cobalamin) supports energy production and reduces homocysteine, an inflammatory marker; B6 supports neurotransmitter production like serotonin and melatonin, B1, B2….they all have specific jobs and you need them all. 

A general rule of thumb is that when you give one B vitamin, you should give them all, so I like to use a broad-spectrum B complex most often to support the stress response, unless labs show us a specific need. Not all B’s are created equal however, so you want to choose reputable sources that use things like folate instead of folic acid, and hydroxy- or methyl-cobalamin instead of cyanocobalamin. Sometimes I use methylated B vitamins, but not always, sometimes methylated B vitamins can cause anxiety!

My favorite B vitamin product is called 16B, because it contains 16 different B vitamins. 

Magnesium

Magnesium is similar to B vitamins in the fact that it is required for basically every process in the body. Magnesium is a necessary cofactor in over 300 biochemical processes, including the stress response, mitochondrial energy production, metabolism, neurotransmitter production, glutathione recycling, and more. Magnesium is a common supplement taken for its calming effect, its ability to help sleep, and it can also help bowel motility (and if you take too much this could be a problem!)

The reason that magnesium and B vitamins are both so depleted is that they get “used up” at a faster rate under stress, so you need to “refill the tanks” more often. It’s estimated that more than 80% of our population is deficient in magnesium, due to our depleted soil levels, poor food quality, and increased cellular stress. 

Like B vitamins, there are many forms of magnesium, and quality matters. Magnesium oxide is less bioavailable and is used more often for bowel motility. Magnesium glycinate is arguably the most popular. Magnesium chloride is epsom salts that are great to soak in. Magnesium chelate, magnesium citrate, magnesium carbonate….these are just different forms that may absorb differently, and some people notice a better response from taking different forms of magnesium. That’s one of the reasons we carry at least 9 different forms of magnesium in our clinic!

CBD or Hemp Oil

Cannabidiol, or CBD is another supplement that does so many things in the body it’s hard to put into words. Your body has a built-in “system” called the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) that modulates things like hormones and neurotransmitters associated with the stress response, brain function, pain modulation, and more. Things like exercise naturally stimulate your ECS. Taking CBD as a supplement stimulates your own Endocannabinoid System, and decreasing stress and anxiety are two of the top reasons people take CBD, because they feel a distinct difference. Anxiety, sleep, and joint pain are the most common reasons for CBD.

Full spectrum CBD Oil taken sublingually is the best option for generalized stress. We also carry epsom salt bath soaks that combine magnesium with CBD, as well as rollers that combine essential oils with CBD, so you can kill two of these birds with one stone! We have several other articles and videos on our website about the benefits of CBD and why we carry Rooted Apothecary full-spectrum hemp products.

Adaptogenic Herbs

Adaptogenic herbs are interesting. The reason they are called “adaptogenic” is that they have been shown to “adapt” to the needs of the body - sometimes they lower hormones, sometimes they raise hormones, but they bring BALANCE to the endocrine system. Herbal medicine has been used worldwide for 1000’s of years, and as today’s science continues to discover the mechanisms behind how herbs affect our physiology, it becomes more apparent why so many herbs can help with so many different functions. The reason these herbs, like ashwagandha, rhodiola, holy basil, and others have such a broad impact is because they support the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, the control centers for thyroid, adrenal, and reproductive hormones, and an integral part of the stress response. 

This “balancing” of the endocrine system can help support the stress response and bring a general feeling of “calm” over the body, while having measurable impacts on hormone function.

Essential Oils

Many essential oils bring a “calming” feeling through aromatherapy, ingestion, or topical therapy. While there are many blends with names like “serenity”, “relief”, the most popular classic oil for stress relief is lavender. 

Lavender can be diffused around the clock, it can be rubbed on the bottom of kids (or adults) feet, it can be used in a bath...there are many uses, and it’s inexpensive. 

If you are feeling stressed, I recommend any combination of these. Diffuse lavender while you take an epsom salt bath with CBD in it (we sell a CBD-infused bath soak, people love it!), right after you’ve taken your magnesium. Your B vitamins you did earlier in the day :) 

Don’t use just one because you “like it”. Yes lavender will help you feel “calm”, but you need to keep in mind the stress response on a cellular level and make sure you are providing your body with adequate vitamins, nutrients, and herbs to fight the stress response, while also working to decrease your stress inputs from food, relationships, bills, toxins, electromagnetic radiation, social media, news…...it’s overwhelming today and we wish everyone the best of luck - and if you need help, that’s what we are here for!