Natural Ways To Support Anxiety

We’ve asked qualified Nutritionist Rachel Greene for her guide to naturally supporting anxiety. Read on for everything you need to know.

Our Anxiety Tips

The NHS defines anxiety as ‘a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe’. Temporary periods of anxiety are normal during times of stress, but for some people, anxiety can be a constant pressure that affects their daily life. In fact, studies show that 1 in 6 people in the UK currently suffer from depression or anxiety.

There are a variety of ways we can improve our mental health naturally, so why not try one of the following ideas?

1. Yoga

anxiety

We’ve all heard that yoga is excellent for a range of conditions, from stress to chronic fatigue. Yoga trumps its exercise counterparts due to the focus on controlling the breath (‘pranayama’), which is a key part of managing anxiety. Breathwork is a common theme throughout all types of yoga. If slower exercise isn’t your thing, you might prefer a higher energy vinyasa flow or hot yoga class.

Practising yoga just twice a week can improve overall wellbeing and fitness, and reduce stress. You should be able to find yoga classes at most local gyms. If you prefer to work out at home, there is a whole host of online resources to guide your practice.

Find out more about yoga in our blog post.

Health & Fitness

The Health Benefits of Yoga

2020-07-16 09:04:42 • By Katie Lambert

2. Vitamin D

@bellaraefit

Our body makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, and current UK guidelines are that the majority of people should supplement during the autumn and winter months when sunshine is limited.

Vitamin D plays an important role in immunity and is also associated with the regulation of the ‘happy hormone’ serotonin. Vitamin D supplements can increase serotonin levels in the brain. Low levels of this essential vitamin can promote increased symptoms of stress.

3. Reduce Your Caffeine Intake

Caffeine has been shown to induce symptoms of anxiety at levels of 150mg, which isn’t particularly high considering that a medium sized takeaway coffee contains an average of 250mg of caffeine. Furthermore, the half-life caffeine of can be anywhere from 4-10 hours depending on the individual’s metabolism, which means that an afternoon cup of coffee (or tea) can affect our sleep several hours later.

Sleep and anxiety have a two-way relationship. Reduced ability to fall asleep can be a symptom of anxiety, whilst limited sleep can also trigger anxiety. To maintain sleep hygiene, low caffeine alternatives include herbal teas, green teas and decaffeinated teas and coffees.

4. Magnesium

@abbiecurls

There’s a reason that people who live by the ocean are more relaxed and it’s not just the gorgeous views. Seawater is naturally high in magnesium which is a mineral essential for over 300 different reactions that occur in the body. Supplementation of this important nutrient can help reduce symptoms of mild-moderate anxiety, as well as improve symptoms of PMS (with an even greater improvement shown when combined with vitamin B6).

Magnesium deficiency can also present with similar symptoms to anxiety, including nervousness, poor sleep, irritability and reduced sports performance. Not able to get the beach? Myvitamins Zinc & Magnesium Tablets are an easy way to increase your intake of two essential minerals.

To see our full range of vitamins and supplements, and to learn more about wellbeing, click here.

References

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/generalised-anxiety-disorder/
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/statistics-and-facts-about-mental-health/how-common-are-mental-health-problems/
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/anxiety-symptoms/
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/news/2020/covid19-anxiety.html
Grober. U., Werner. T., Vormann. J., Kisters, K. (2017). Myth or Reality—Transdermal Magnesium? Nutrients, 9(8): 813
Boyle. BN., Lawton. CL., Dye L. (2016). The effects of magnesium supplementation on subjective anxiety. Magnesium Research, 29 (3), pp 120-125.
Lakhan. S.E., Vieira. KF. (2010). Nutritional and herbal supplements for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders: systematic review. Nutrition Journal, 9(42), https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-9-42
Raub. J.A. (2002). Psychophysiologic Effects of Hatha Yoga on Musculoskeletal and Cardiopulmonary Function: A Literature Review. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 8(6), pp. 797-812
Lakkireddy. D., Atkins. D., Pillarisetti J., Ryschon K., Bommana. S., Drisko. J., Vanga. S., Dawn. B. (2013). Effect of Yoga on Arrhythmia Burden, Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: The YOGA My Heart Study. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 61(11), pp. 1177-82.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/phe-publishes-new-advice-on-vitamin-d
Casseb., G., Kaster. M., Rodrigues. A (2019). Potential role of Vitamin D for the management of of depression and anxiety. CNS drugs, 33 pp. 619-637
Armstrong. D., Meenagh. G., Bickle. I. Lee. A, Curran. E.S., Finch. M. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with anxiety and depression in fibromyalgia. Clinical Rheumatology, 26, pp. 551-554
https://cspinet.org/eating-healthy/ingredients-of-concern/caffeine-chart.
Childs. E., Hohoff. C., Deckert J., Xu K., Badner. J., de Wit. H. (2008). Association between ADORA2A and DRD2Polymorphisms and Caffeine-Induced Anxiety. Neuropsychopharmacology, 33 pp. 2791-2800
Woelk. H., Arnoldt. KH., Kieser. M., Hoerr. R. (2006). Ginkgo biloba special extract EGb 761® in generalized anxiety disorder and adjustment disorder with anxious mood: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 41(6), pp. 472-80
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg113/chapter/2-Research-recommendations#the-effectiveness-of-chamomile-and-ginkgo-biloba-in-the-treatment-of-gad

Rachel Greene

MSc Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr)