The common link between a lack of vitamins and your mental health
Would you cook your favorite recipe without using the proper ingredients and required amounts? Would the outcome be as tasty as the best time you made it? It would not. Much like a chemist would not get the desired results if they mixed the improper amounts and chemicals. The outcome could be quite dangerous, actually. So why would we ask our brains to do so? Emotions are the result of our brains creating hormones via chemical reactions. What if we told you that your lack of proper nutrition might not be giving your brain the ingredients it needs to healthily compose these hormones? What if we told you this was heightening or even causing your depression and anxiety symptoms?
Anxiety, depression, and mental health have become the ever-growing focus in today’s health world. In fact, nearly one in every five American adults live with a mental illness.[1] Many factors can cause mental illnesses; however, the link between nutrition and mental health is becoming more apparent every day.
When you think of vitamins and nutrients, mental health may not be the first place your mind goes to. Often we think of immune support, muscle building, and overall physical health. With new research on nutritional neuroscience, it is becoming evident that nutritional factors go hand-in-hand with mental health.[2] Nutritional supplementation is just beginning to be considered as a treatment option for depression and anxiety. More and more health professionals are recommending vitamin and dietary supplements to ease and alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Read on to learn more about what you can do to combat these symptoms and conditions.
Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression
Odds are you or someone close to you suffers from anxiety and/or depression. The symptoms of depression can often be challenging to live with, heavy, and if not managed properly, they can become dangerous. They can affect your relationships, friendships, workplace performance, and other essential aspects of your day-to-day life. Anxiety and depression can cause you to stop doing the things you enjoy and perhaps cause you to isolate yourself from friends and family. Symptoms of depression and anxiety include but are not limited to the following:
- Shortness of breath
- Tightness in the chest
- Racing thoughts
- Negative thoughts
- Restlessness, fatigue
- Irritability
- Difficulty sleeping and concentrating
- Feeling empty, sad or worthless
Depression can feel like a heavy weight on your shoulders. Hopelessness and negativity can cloud your thoughts. Proper supplementation, diet, and nutrition may be the answer to combating many of these symptoms.
Can Vitamins Improve Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression?
People will say, “my body is a temple” when speaking about diet and nutrition, but really our bodies are machines. Machines require the proper fuels, oils, parts, and care to properly function, much like our bodies. Only recently have researchers really begun to look into the effect nutrition has on our mental health. From a child to adulthood, dietary habits have been studied and show a clear connection between the disruption of energy balance as well as attention, mood, and anxiety disorders.[3]
What Vitamins help with Anxiety and Depression?
Now that we know the potential impact nutrition has on mental health, let’s discuss some common vitamins and nutrients that are often found to be at inadequate levels in those struggling with depression and anxiety:
Vitamin D
Research on the link between vitamin D deficiency and depression continues to grow with the discoveries of three primary links between this crucial vitamin and anxiety/depression. First, studies indicate that lower levels of vitamin D have been found in people suffering from depression. Second, scientists have discovered vitamin D receptors in several areas of the brain that control emotions and behavior. And third, vitamin D plays a critical role in regulating immunoinflammatory pathways associated with depression.[4] While more research is needed, early trials have shown vitamin D supplementation to reduce the weight of depression symptoms. To learn more about our top vitamin D product, click here.
Vitamin B
Much like Vitamin D, vitamin B plays an essential role in our brain function. One study conducted over a year showed that by increasing vitamins B2 and B6, both men and women noticed an improvement in their mood. This study also showed that in women who increased vitamin B1 experienced a positive shift in their mood within three months. [5] Additionally, vitamin B12 has been linked to brain health as well. Vitamin B is essential for all-around brain function, and trials suggest that in addition to being effective in fighting depression and anxiety, vitamin B may also delay the onset of other mental health concerns such as dementia. Click here to learn more about one of our top Vitamin B products that provides a healthy dose of vitamins B1, B2, B6, and B12 all in one.
Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the most abundant minerals in your body. Numerous studies have linked low magnesium to heightened symptoms of anxiety. Low magnesium can not only be the potential cause of anxiety, but it can lead to other health concerns that also cause heightened stress in the body. Studies continue to be done on magnesium and its effects on mental health, and the results continue to show that it does play a vital role in our mental health. Try our favorite magnesium supplements here.
We hope you enjoyed learning more about the link between nutritional supplementation and anxiety/depression. Our mission is to educate our customers and provide exceptionally high-quality products to improve your quality of life. To be the first to learn more about our products and receive exclusive discounts, follow the link to subscribe to our Freeda community today!
Source
[1] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
[4]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6515787/
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2738337/#CIT3