12 Best Supplements For Anxiety | Panic Attacks

Are you struggling with anxiety and looking for natural ways to manage your symptoms?If so, you may have considered trying supplements as a complementary treatment option. There are plenty of anxiety relief supplements that claim to help with anxiety, but it can be overwhelming to determine which ones are the most effective and safe. In this blog post, we will review the best supplements for anxiety in 2023, based on the latest research and expert recommendations.

We will discuss how each supplement works, its potential benefits and risks, and how to use it safely and effectively.

Whether you are new to supplements or have been using them for a while, this post will provide you with valuable information to help you make an informed decision about which supplements may be right for you.

If you struggle with severe anxiety, we suggest that you work on your gut microbiome with certain foods.

You can pair it with other supplements for anxiety disorders like magnesium (stressed), inositol (panic attacks), and vitamin d supplementation. We know that a variety of gut bacteria play a role in anxiety disorders.

The majority of people with anxiety should look into – magnesium, kava, inositol, ashwagandha, saffron, and have more green tea.

1. Magnesium – Best for general anxiety disorder
2. KAVA – not recommended unless under doctor supervision
3. Inositol – best for panic attacks
4. Ashwagandha – best for stress and anxiety
5. Lavender – this is best to feel calming
6. Red Clover Extract– not recommended unless under doctor supervision
7. GABA – be careful and it’s not recommended unless under doctor supervision
8. Saffron – best for anxiety, depression, ADHD and obsessive tendencies
9. 5-HTP – be careful and it’s not recommended unless under doctor supervision
10. L-Theanine quite calming – can supplement but we suggest drinking more green tea
11. Multi-Vitamin – great if you have attention issues or some anger
12. Vitamin D – most people need to supplement with vitamin d for their mental health
13. Omega 3 Fatty Acids – we like this for depression, inflammation, and ADHD

Anxiety disorders are a group of psychiatric disorders including social anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic disorder, PTSD, OCD, and phobias.

• inner turmoil
• nervous behaviour
• excessive rumination (replaying same thought)
• having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
• feeling nervous, restless or tense
• having an increased heart rate
• breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
• sweating
• sweating

• feeling weak or tired
• trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
• trouble sleeping
• experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems (diarrhea)
• having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety

While not classified in the DSM, we’ve talked about the signs of high functioning anxiety before.

While we need a certain amount of anxiety to survive, too much becomes a problem in our lives.

Someone with a generalized anxiety disorder will interrupt non-threatening signals as threatening, thus maintaining an unnecessarily high state of worry and arousal.

Underlying the exaggerated fear response is a network of brain structures that function improperly in a response to a stimulus.

The amygdala, which controls our fear response and fight or flight, is often overactive.

On the opposite end, the prefrontal cortex, which inhibits the fear generation of the amygdala, is under-active.

There are often other parts of the brain that are under-active, the hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex, striatum, and insula can also be involved with anxiety.

Some of these “malfunctions” may be accompanied by disturbances in neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, GABA), a dysfunctional HPA axis, altered immune functions, changes in heart rate variability, cognitive functions, and neurotrophic factors (BDNF and nerve growth factor)

Just like prescription medications, not all supplements are created equal.

It’s important to choose a quality supplement over the cheapest and more of them.

The ones you can get off of the shelf are most likely not good, there have been tests on them and they have quality problems.

Poor supplements may contain lead, arsenic, or plastics… yes even the ones that say “natural”.

I’ve gone through and found quality supplements from trusted brands.

As a practitioner, quality is the most important factor to consider when looking for a trusted source to provide health products for patient wellness.

Fullscript offers practitioner-grade supplements of the highest quality.

The Quality of supplements is crucial as they help keep you healthy!

If supplements aren’t manufactured and resold under quality supervision, they can end up with expired ingredients, cross-contamination, improper labels, and other severe issues that can risk your health.

Dietary supplements and wellness products are approached differently than pharmaceuticals. In Canada, Natural Health Products (NHPs) are regulated by Health Canada under the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD).

Fullscript is incredibly easy to use, is certified carbon-neutral (important if you’re going to be shipping as a company).

You can order once or you can use the authorship feature, so you don’t run out of your supplements.

Do you have to use Fullscript? No.

You can still find quality supplements in stores but it’s hard. I constantly look for these and have found some for sure.

Remember that it’s a highly profitable business sector and they spend a lot of money on advertising – they are designed to sell you.

Not all magnesium does the same thing. There are different types of B12, some better and more effective than others.

Some formulations will make you deficient in other nutrients. This is why I highly suggest practitioner-grade supplements, they focus more on the quality and purpose of the supplements rather than selling you to make a profit (though, that’s their goal too).

• Traditional prescription medications for anxiety disorders often come with unwanted side-effects
• More people are learning to natural based medicine for treatments first
• There is hard science for the benefits of supplements for anxiety
• Easier to stop them than pharmaceuticals and anxiety medication
• Less chance for addiction or abuse
• Natural remedies can address not only the symptoms of anxiety but also the underlying causes, such as nutritional deficiencies, lifestyle factors, and stress management.
• Cost-effective: Natural remedies are often more affordable than prescription medications and can be easily incorporated into a person’s daily routine
  
• Some people simply prefer to use natural remedies rather than relying on a prescription medication
  

Why supplements for generalized anxiety disorder might be an appropriate start for you to manage your anxiety.

There are many pharmaceutical drugs that have been developed which can help alleviate anxiety, they often come with unwanted effects.

It’s hard to call them side-effects nowadays because we know a lot more about the human body than we did years ago.

We know that we can’t direct just one aspect of the body, the body works in complex systems.

For these reasons, there are a lot of people out there who are skeptical about jumping right into these types of drugs to control their anxiety.

These people are looking for other approaches and want to control their anxiety in more of a “natural” way and not rely on certain medications to manage anxiety.

With this all in mind, let’s look at what the science currently says about natural supplements for anxiety.

Certain supplements are especially effective at calming and balancing the brain, which can lessen feelings of anxiety.

Anxiety, panic attacks, and depression are common mental health issues that can have a significant impact on one’s daily life.

While therapy and medication are common treatments, many people also turn to supplements to help manage their symptoms.

With a wide variety of supplements on the market, it can be difficult to determine which ones are effective and safe. In this article, we will explore some of the best supplements for anxiety, panic attacks, and anxiety with depression, based on scientific research and expert recommendations.

Magnesium is used for more than 300+ different biochemical reactions in your body, it’s vital to make energy, plays a key role in blood sugar regulation, and it has a calming effect on neuronal function.

Low magnesium is associated with inflammation, diabetes, seizures, anxiety, and depression.

Magnesium is an essential dietary mineral and the second most prevalent electrolyte in the human body.

Magnesium deficiencies are common in the western diet because grains are poor sources of magnesium. Magnesium supplements can help with reducing anxiety symptoms.

In Canada, magnesium, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D deficiency (see Box 1) were the nutrients with the highest prevalence of inadequate intakes.

Other prominent sources of magnesium, like nuts and leafy vegetables, are not eaten as often.

It is possible to fix a magnesium deficiency through dietary changes.

Magnesium supplement can fix a deficiency, it acts as a sedative, reducing blood pressure and improving insulin sensitivity.

68 percent of Americans eating the standard American diet do not consume enough magnesium.

This mineral is found in green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and Swiss chard; legumes; nuts; and seeds.

In general, the foods that contain dietary fibre provide magnesium but the degradation of our soil has drastically reduced the magnesium content in our foods – which may explain why magnesium deficiency is prevalent.

Maintaining healthy magnesium levels is also associated with a protective effect against depression and ADHD.

The intestinal absorption of magnesium varies depending on how much magnesium the body needs, so there are not very many side-effects associated with supplementation of magnesium.

A 2010 review of natural treatments for anxiety found that magnesium could be a treatment for anxiety

If there is too much magnesium though, the body will only absorb as much as it needs.

If you take too much magnesium for your body, it may cause gastrointestinal distress and diarrhea – a tummy ache and may poop your pants… start low and work up to it!

Magnesium supplements for can help reduce anxiety symptoms.

Magnesium is my favourite supplement for anxiety and maybe the best natural stress relief supplement.

Kava has been traditionally consumed by people from various Polynesian cultures.

It was primarily used ceremonially and as an intoxicant (like alcohol).

Unlike benzodiazepine drugs, which impair cognition long-term, when standardized extracts of kava root are taken at recommended dosages (between 60 and 300 mg per day) most people don’t experience any impairment of their cognitive abilities.

Kava has been studied thoroughly in both clinical trials and case studies.

Animal studies show that the anxiolytic effect of kava may be due to its ability to block serotonin receptors in the brain. Kava has been shown to interfere with noradrenergic neurotransmission and bind to both gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, both of which regulate mood. It has been suggested that kava may help alleviate symptoms associated with a generalized anxiety disorder by affecting vagal heart rate control (Watkins 2001).

Kava may have the most amount of evidence and it can have significant anti anxiety effects.

It also tends to be regarded as a safe and effective anxiety-reducing supplement alternative to Benzodiazepine drugs (prescription medication) without the addiction factor

One study looked at introducing Kava at 50mg (WS 1490 extract) when the current Benzodiazepine dosage is reduced by 50%, to later replace the benzodiazepines with 300mg WS 1490 extract daily.

This substitution appeared to be effective, and Kava does not appear to be significantly more or less effective than some standard drugs used to treat anxiety.

Animal studies using injections show the anti-anxiety effects of Kava and its kavalactones can be very rapid and occur as soon as it hits the brain.

A meta-analysis established the range of 210-240mg for Kava to be more effective than placebo at reducing anxiety in the short-term (1-24 weeks)

Inositol is a type of sugar that influences both the body’s insulin response and several hormones associated with mood and cognition.

While it’s not actually a vitamin, it’s commonly referred to as vitamin B8.

It also has antioxidant properties that help fight the damaging effects of oxygen-free radicals in the brain and other body tissues.

Inositol is found naturally in cantaloupe, citrus fruit, and many fibre-rich foods (such as beans, brown rice, corn, sesame seeds, and wheat bran).

It is believed that inositol improves depression, anxiety, and mental disorders by stimulating the release of the “feel-better” hormones serotonin and dopamine.

The benefits of reducing anxiety with inositol have mainly been seen in people with panic disorder. It can have significant anti anxiety effects.

A small study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology investigated the effect of Myo-inositol on 20 people with panic disorder.

After being provided with a daily 18-gram dose of Myo-inositol for four weeks, the participants were given a daily 150-mg dose of Luvox (fluvoxamine)—a commonly prescribed psychiatric drug—for the four weeks. When compared to a matched set of individuals not given Myo-inositol, those who were given Myo-inositol had an average of 2.4 fewer panic attacks per week.

Ashwagandha is an Indian herb usually consumed in a root extract.

It’s one of my favourites (along with maca) because it’s an “adaptogen” – it may help correct imbalances in the hormonal and immune systems.

It’s also great for restoring the biological functions disturbed by chronic stress.

Ashwagandha has been shown to reduce mood fluctuations and anxiety in 51 women with menopausal syndrome and some researchers have suggested that it may be useful in treating anxiety disorders in conventional psychiatric practice

Evidence suggests potent anti-anxiety effects in the context of chronic stress and anxiety disorder, with lesser potency in standard forms of anxiety not related to stress.

In 2012, a study looked at 64 randomized volunteers and asked the subjects to take either ashwagandha or a placebo twice a day for 60 days.

The group with the ashwagandha contained 300 mg of the concentrated extra made from the root.

During the treatment period, regular phone call check-ins that the volunteers were taking the herbs or placebo and to note any adverse reactions.

The group taking the ashwagandha for anxiety showed a significant reduction in anxiety scores after the 60 days relative to the placebo – without side effects.

More notably, the serum cortisol levels were substantially reduced in the herbal group – a marker for stress. Cortisol is commonly known as the stress hormone and goes up when we are stressed.

High levels of cortisol long-term create problems done the road which include fatigue, mental fogginess, and damage to brain structures for emotion and memory.

Anxiety supplements like ashwagandha are best for reducing anxiety symptoms, anxiety and stress, or a way to manage anxiety

Lavender has been traditionally used in herbal medicine for centuries for its anti-anxiety and calming properties.

Lavender is one of few essential oils used in aromatherapy with evidence for general anxiety reducing effects, alongside rose oil having some evidence.

Lavender supplementation can temporarily alleviate anxiety.

Though lavender does not have a sedative effect, lavender aromatherapy can improve sleep quality, as well as reduce insomnia. Some evidence suggests lavender can increase slow-wave sleep patterns.

There is some evidence to suggest lavender may offer benefits for people suffering from dementia, but it is very preliminary and much more research is needed.

GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, is a neurotransmitter produced in the brain and nervous system. It plays an important role in regulating anxiety levels and has become a popular supplement for people looking to reduce anxiety symptoms, tension and stress.

The effects of taking Gaba as an anxiety supplement are varied but generally include improved mood, better sleep quality, decreased feelings of worry or fear, and increased mental clarity and focus. Studies have found that it can help alleviate symptoms of depression and even reduce physical symptoms associated with stress such as fatigue or muscle tension. Additionally, Gaba can be used to enhance athletic performance due to its ability to boost energy levels while decreasing fatigue.

Gaba is one of many dietary supplements which can help reduce anxiety symptoms.

Given its wide range of potential benefits, Gaba is a natural choice for those suffering from anxiety related disorders seeking relief without resorting to medications like benzodiazepines.

Saffron can help reduce different anxiety and antidepressant properties.

Saffron extract may support mental health by increasing levels of dopamine and norepinephrine.

Saffron supplementation improved anxiety symptoms in a study of 60 patients after 12 weeks.

You may not have heard of Saffron, mainly because it’s the world’s most expensive spices – it’s worth more than gold.

It is grown mostly in Iran, Greece, Spain, and Italy.

Its traditionally consumed to help digest spicy food and soothe an irritated stomach.

Saffron is my favourite spice because there has been significant research showing that it can help boost serotonin and benefit mood, memory, and sexual function (hello!).

It can also help with symptoms of PMS, and when it’s combined with methadone, it can help alleviate withdrawal symptoms of patients undergoing treatment for opioid addiction.

Though there are limited human studies on the subject of saffron and depression, they are still high quality.

The studies that exist are against placebo but also against reference drugs such as the SSRI fluoxetine – these are strong markers for its beneficial effects!.

These studies show that saffron, at the recommended dose, has antidepressant properties comparable to the reference drugs.

5-HTP is a compound which gets converted into serotonin in the brain.

Serotonin is one of the principal neurotransmitters involved in happiness and anti-depression.

5-HTP has been used with success to restore serotonin levels in those that may suffer from decreased serotonin levels, such as the depressed and those with high levels of body inflammation (typically seen in metabolic syndrome).

A study found that patients with panic disorder experienced reduced anxiety and panic when taking 5-HTP, although the study also found that patients who did not have panic disorder did not experience the same reduction in their symptoms of anxiety.

5-hydroxytryptophan, or 5-HTP, is the precursor to serotonin.

This neurotransmitter is sometimes touted to be responsible for happiness.

5-HTP is a simple way to increase brain serotonin levels.

It does this by bypassing the rate-limiting step, and users reap either the rewards or the hazards of increased brain serotonin.

It’s more available than L-tryptophan and easily taken up in the brain – 70% vs 3% of L-tryptophan.

It’s about 5-10 times more powerful than L-tryptophan, 5-HTP boosts serotonin levels in the brain and helps calm ACG hyperactivity. The ACG is the anterior cingulate gyrus, you can think of it as the brain’s gear shifter.

Several double-blind studies have shown it is also an effective mood enhancer and appetite suppressor.

5-HTP has been used with success to restore serotonin levels in those that may suffer from decreased serotonin levels, such as the depressed and those with high levels of body inflammation (those with metabolic syndrome).

L–theanine is thought to work by decreasing “excitatory” brain chemicals that contribute to stress and anxiety while increasing brain chemicals that encourage a sense of calm.

L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea.

It’s able to cross the blood-brain barrier and can increase dopamine.

It also increases GABA and serotonin, it seems to tend to have a balancing effect on the brain. L-Theanine is one of the main active ingredients found in green tea, alongside caffeine and green tea catechins.

It helps promote relaxation and reduce drowsiness, making it potentially synergistic with caffeine.

Studies suggest L-theanine’s greatest benefits are a reduction in anxiety, stress, and a greater ability to relax.

These effects will also likely lead to an increase in sleep quality due to a night of deeper sleep, though I don’t suggest it for insomnia.

A double-blind study with 80 healthy males aged 18 to 42 compared the use of a daily multivitamin-mineral formula with a placebo control for 28 days.

The multivitamin contained B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Compared to the group taking the placebo, those taking the multivitamin showed significantly lower self-reported anxiety and perceived stress.

If you’re looking to feel better fast, now and later, you’ll need to give your brain the nutrition it requires.

There’s plenty of evidence that many aren’t getting enough to it.

A study from UBC found Canadian fruit and vegetable consumption down by 13 percent.

A piece in the Journal of the American Medical Association also asserted that most adults don’t get all the vitamins they need through diet alone and recommended a daily vitamin supplement for everyone because it helps prevent chronic illness.

If you want to look at the number of Canadians deficient in certain vitamins, you can look here.

Close to 90% of Canadians are deficient in Vitamin D, followed by magnesium, vitamin A, calcium, zinc, vitamin C, and folate.

I believe some of these numbers are higher than they appear as well.

In the last 15 years, there have been more than 25 reports of the mental health benefits from multivitamin/mineral formulas consisting of more than 20 minerals and vitamins.

There are two randomized controlled trials conducted after the 6.3 magnitude earthquake in February 2011 in New Zealand and the devastating flooding in southern Alberta in June 2013.

Both of those trials showed the reduction of acute stress and anxiety scores in those taking a multivitamin/mineral.

Specifically, in the New Zealand earthquake study, the incidence of PTSD decreased from 65% to 19% after one month of treatment, the controlled group showed little improvement.

Both of these trials suggest that multivitamin/mineral complexes could be an inexpensive public health intervention for normal populations following a natural disaster.

A study in 2010 tested the effects of taking a multivitamin versus placebo on 215 men between the ages of 30 and 55.

After the month of supplementation, the multivitamin group reported improved moods and showed better mental performance. They also had a greater sense of vigour, less stress, and less mental fatigue after completing mental tasks – making them both happier and smarter.

The 2018 study found that nutritional status plays an important role in mental health, and poor nutrition may contribute to the pathogenesis of mental illness. Broad-spectrum supplements with a focus on optimizing vitamin D status may provide a new paradigm for the treatment and prevention of mental illness.

A placebo-controlled study looked at the effects of multivitamins on 81 healthy children and found those who took multivitamins performed better on 2 out of the 3 attention tasks.

A 2018 review study suggests that a low intake of omega-3 fats can raise the risk of anxiety and depression and that taking omega-3 supplements could help prevent or treat these conditions.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to our well-being and brain health.

According to researchers at Harvard School of Public health, low levels are one of the leading preventable causes of death.

We do not get enough dietary omega-3 fatty acids, heck most Canadian kids are deficient in omega-3s, according to this article

We know that at least 40% of Canadians aren’t getting enough omega-3s

Low levels of EPA and DHA, the two most important omega-3s that we know about are associated with

• inflammation – HERE or HERE (inflammation has also been linked to depression)
• heart disease – HERE
• ADHD – HERE
• depression and bipolar disorder – HERE
• obesity – HERE
• suicidal behaviour – HERE HERE HERE

In a 2020 study from the Amen clinic, the research team correlated the SPECT scans of 166 patients with their EPA and DHA levels found that those with the lowest levels had lower blood flow (the number one predictor of future brain problems) in the right hippocampus and posterior cingulate (one of the first areas to die in Alzheimer’s disease)

In another study by the Amen clinic, they tested the omega-3 fatty acid levels of 50 consecutive patients not taking fish oil (the most common source for EPA and DHA) who came into their clinic.

They found that 49 had suboptimal levels.

On their cognitive testing, they found another correlation between low omega-3 levels with decreased scores in mood.

The difference between fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids is that fish oil refers to a solution of fatty acids where the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are dominant.

Fish is the most common source of fish oil, but an artificially manufactured EPA/DHA dominant mixture from any source could be considered fish oil.

Typical fish oil can contain small amounts of other omega-3 fatty acids, usually DPA and fatty acids that don’t belong to the omega-3 category.

Alpha-linolenic acid (found most abundantly in nuts and seeds), is an omega-3 fatty acid that can be turned into EPA and DHA but is not itself a fish oil fatty acid and the conversion rate is low in many people.

In conclusion, while there is no single supplement that can cure anxiety, several natural remedies have been shown to reduce the symptoms and provide relief to anxiety. The supplements discussed in this article – such as magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and lavender – have all demonstrated promising results in clinical studies and are generally safe for most people.

We think supplementation for anxiety can be key for many people, but we know that if our gut microbiome is off – so is everything else in our body and mind. 

If you do have anxiety, supplementation can be a nice alternative approach to addressing your anxiety.

It should not be your only approach to it but we’ve found it can help reduce anxious thoughts, 524 feel calm, improve sleep and improve the effects of working with a therapist or counsellor.

Anxiety has “software” and “hardware” issues.

The hardware is your neurotransmitters, inflammatory markers, or nerve cells. You need the necessary stuff to build these, either with diet or supplements.

The software is how you talk to yourself, your thoughts, and your previous traumas. You need both working together to have a supercomputer (your brain)working optimally.