NUTRIENTS FOR STRESS

Multivitamins are a good all-round mood and mind enhancer

People who are under excessive stress need to have an increase in the B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, copper, chromium, selenium and vitamin E.

The B Vitamins: Stress Relief Vitamins

- Provide greatest benefit when they are supplemented as a balanced B-complex
- Associated primarily with the nervous system function and brain activities such as good moods, thinking and memory

B1 (Thiamin)
– helps in nervous system function, reverse fuzzy thinking
– release energy from carbohydrates
– symptoms of deficiency include confusion, loss of balance, weakness and heart damage
– food sources include beans, peas, nuts, seeds and whole grains

B2 (Riboflavin)
- converting proteins, fats and carbohydrates into energy
- deficiency lead to adrenal cortex dysfunction
- found in most vegetables, nuts, legumes and leafy greens
- helpful in reducing migraine headaches

B3 (Niacin)
- important for normal mental function
- release of energy from foods
- low levels lead to anxiety, depression, apprehension, emotional instability, hyperirritability and memory impairment
- food sources include bran, nuts, seeds, wild rice, brown rice, whole wheat, almonds and peas

B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
- a vital role in the production of adrenal hormones
- deficiency lead to a decreased resistance to stress
- found in salmon, yeast, vegetables, dairy, eggs, grains and meat

B6
- vital for the utilization of amino acids; the building blocks for proteins
- deficiency is marked by depression, irritability, nervousness, muscle weakness, dermatitis, slow learning, numbness and cramping in the extremities
- required by nervous system
- needed for normal brain function to produce dopamine, serotonin and GABA (gamma amino butyric acid); neurotransmitters for promoting feelings of well-being, relaxation and calmness
- especially important for women experiencing bouts of depression, irritability, moodiness, fatigue and decreased sex drive
- food sources include lentils, lima beans, soybeans, sunflower seeds, bananas, avocados, buckwheat and brewer’s yeast

B12
- deficiency associated with depression, dementia, heart disease, low energy, poor memory, problems in thinking, low stomach acid and elevated homocysteine levels
- found in liver, trout, salmon and beef

Folic acid
- needed for DNA synthesis
- low folate levels were more likely to have melancholic depression
- symptoms of deficiency include irritability, weakness, forgetfulness, megaloblastic, anemia, weight loss, apathy, hostility, paranoid behaviour, palpitations, headaches, gastrointestinal disturbances and diarrhea
- good sources are dark green leafy vegetables, oranges, most fruits, brown rice, beans, asparagus, soybeans and brewer’s yeast

Vitamin C
- to ease irritability and fatigue
- brain levels are significantly higher than levels in the blood
- needed to make certain neurotransmitters
- take the non-acidic form if you have stomach upset

Magnesium
- involved in the activation of more than three hundred different enzymes
- vital to health
- symptoms of deficiency include muscle cramps, muscle spasms, hyperventilation and weakness
- low levels increase a risk for developing high blood pressure, heart disease, insomnia, kidney stones, multiple sclerosis, headaches and menstrual cramps
- sources include wheat bran, wheat germ, nuts, blackstrap molasses, legumes and whole grains
- necessary for sustaining bone density and cellular metabolism related to digestion, adrenal function and liver function