Best 8 Natural Supplements for Social Anxiety
Are these powerful biochemical compounds or just a waste of money?
Note: Before taking any supplement, it's important to talk to your doctor to see if this supplement is a good choice for you. Some supplements can interfere with your treatment and harm your health, particularly if you are taking other medications.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, medical professional, psychologist, etc. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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Taking a supplement can be tricky.
Supplements are often touted as miracles in pill form with no side effects or some people consider them useless and it has no impact.
My take?
I highly recommend straightening out your diet first and then adding supplements or doing both simultaneously.
Actually, when I think back to my journey - supplements and nootropics played a pivotal role in my brain’s development. I thought “if I’ve been eating junk for almost 2 decades….my brain is gonna need some more firepower.”
Today I’ve learned, your diet is 80% and supplements are 20%.
Some supplements are crap, filled with artificial oils and chemicals, and others are very high-quality ingredients that will make your body and brain work better.
Below is a list of the top supplements I would take for social anxiety.
Note: I have tried to rank these from most important to least important according to the general data. However, keep in mind this is entirely dependent on your diet, your goals, and individual biochemistry.
1. Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids
A study done by the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the Medical University of Vienna in Austria found that those who take Omega 3’s reduce the risk of progression to psychotic disorder and may offer a safe and efficacious strategy for indicated prevention in young people with subthreshold psychotic states. Another study found a vital role in Omega-3 fatty acids in psychiatry primarily in mood disorders but also in psychotic disorders, attention-deficit disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and personality disorders from the Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School.
2. Vitamin D
The moment when I began to consume quality food with high levels of bioavailable vitamin D I watched my entire life change. I also supplement with an Omega 3 + Vitamin D formula. Not only did I have more energy but my asthma, skin rashes, brain fog literally went away overnight, confirmed by my Doctor’s test results. I’ve found 3 credible studies that show a correlation between low vitamin D status with a range of adverse neuropsychiatric outcomes. You can take a look at the studies in-depth.
3. GABA
Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) is an amino acid in the body that acts as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. GABA limits nerve transmission, which inhibits (prevents) nervous activity.
Without the right levels of GABA in your body, nerve cells are activated too often, making mental illnesses worse such as social anxiety disorder (SAD), depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Low GABA activity has been shown to cause more severe symptoms, while proper levels of GABA may help calm symptoms and make them more manageable for you in your everyday life.
Taking a GABA supplement can be foundational in calming the mind.
4. Vitamin B12 (and other B vitamins like B1, B3, B6)
The Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Research found remarkable results in a study:
“The correlation between depression & Vitamin B12 deficiency is an actual problem because it is a common condition with serious medical, social and financial consequences and a poor prognosis. Vitamin B12 was found to be an effective option for treatment and prophylaxis of depression/anxiety.”
5. Magnesium
Magnesium is a supplement that has honestly changed my life. I experience such a vivid difference when I take it via a supplement or eat magnesium-rich foods and when I don’t. If I feel anxious in the morning I will take a quality magnesium supplement. But, if I don’t I’ll just take one at night before I go to bed because it has shown to impact sleep. A study from the University of Innsbruck in Austria found that deficiency in Magnesium has been linked to inducing anxiety.
6. High-Quality Probiotics
A joint study from the College of William and Mary, Department of Psychology and the University of Maryland found that for those high in neuroticism, higher frequency of fermented food consumption was associated with fewer symptoms of social anxiety. Taken together with previous studies, the results suggest that fermented foods that contain probiotics may have a protective effect against social anxiety symptoms for those at higher genetic risk, as indexed by trait neuroticism.
7. Zinc + Copper
Based on the results presented in this study, they suggest that the low levels of zinc, may cause lower GABA and glutamate, having an anxiogenic effect, and that zinc supplementation, raising GABA levels, may help improve anxiety symptoms. Another study found that individuals with chronic anxiety had significantly higher plasma levels of copper and very low levels of zinc, had their anxiety improved significantly with zinc supplementation.
8. 5-HTP
Your brain needs 5-htp to produce serotonin, a key neurotransmitter in regulating your mood and social anxiety. One study found that patients with panic disorder experienced reduced anxiety and feelings of panic when taking 5-HTP. Start with a low dose, additionally 5-HTP has been linked to helping people with sleep issues.
Conclusion
Try one of the top 3 if you’re skeptical.
Adjusting your diet will be massive. Adding supplements on top of that is like adding nitrous to your jet pack flying sky high!
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