Daily traffic. Work deadlines. Family squabbles. Rebellious teenagers. Illness. Injury. All of these life experiences add up to big-time stress that can knock you off your feet, spin you around, and keep you dazed. Without some relief, you may feel as if each morning is the beginning of a new melodrama. Poking fun at stress is one way to help you de-stress. But the truth is, that stress is no laughing matter. Whenever you’re filled with tension and anxiety, your adrenal glands, located above your kidneys, pump out stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which give your body that burst of energy it needs to escape danger. Long-term stress causes chronically high levels of stress hormones, which can weaken your immune system, tax your heart and blood vessels, tire you out, and make you more susceptible to illness.
Fortunately, certain dietary and lifestyle changes can help relieve stress and release tension. For starters, get at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise three to five times a week to lift your spirits and melt away feelings of pressure and anxiety. Also, don’t overlook weight lifting and brisk walking, as they can have similar effects.
Another tip for stress control: Limit your intake of caffeine, alcohol, high-fat foods, and sugar. Caffeine and alcohol can raise the levels of stress hormones in the blood and alter brain chemistry. Caffeine also causes nervousness, anxiety, and irritability. Moreover, when you replace nutritious foods with refined carbohydrates like sugar, you lower the amount of vitamins and minerals in your diet, depleting your body of essential nutrients that protect you from the dangers of stress.
Once you have made these changes, you can try a variety of nutritional supplements as added stress protection. Certain vitamins can build up your immune system to prevent stress-related illnesses. Others can boost your energy and lift your mood. Even some herbs can help to calm your nerves, increase stamina, and keep you mentally and physically strong in the midst of turmoil.
Vitamin C: What Happens
Vitamin C gives your immune system the fighting power it needs to prevent many stress-related health problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease, says C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D., founder of the American Holistic Medical Association and director of the Shealy Institute, an alternative medicine clinic in Springfield, Missouri.
What’s more, vitamin C is required to manufacture stress hormones, which can flow excessively if you’re stressed for a long time. After a while, your adrenal glands become exhausted from overwork, and your body’s ability to produce stress hormones declines, says Ray Sahelian, M.D., a physician in Marina del Rey, California, and author of Kava: The Miracle Antianxiety Herb. Once this happens, you could experience excessive fatigue, low blood pressure, and low blood sugar. Supplementing with extra vitamin C is one step that you can take to keep your adrenal glands healthy.
When the going gets tough, take 3,000 milligrams of vitamin C in divided doses daily, says Dr. Shealy.
Welcome the B Family
The B-complex vitamins are a treasure trove of stress relief. They can give you more energy, strip away fatigue, make adrenal gland hormones, and manufacture brain chemicals responsible for keeping you alert and lifting your mood, says Dr. Sahelian. "The B vitamins work in concert with each other, and they play hundreds of biochemical roles in the body," he says.
The members of this close-knit family include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, and vitamins B6 and B12. Pantothenic acid, in particular, plays a major role in the making of adrenal gland hormones and energy production, says Dr. Sahelian.
If you want to combat stress, check with a doctor or naturopath about taking a daily high-potency B-complex vitamin formula that includes 100 to 500 milligrams of pantothenic acid, 50 to 75 milligrams of vitamin B6, and 500 micrograms of B12, says Joseph E. Pizzorno Jr. N.D., president of Bastyr University in Bothell, Washington.
Ginseng: A Stress-Busting Powerhouse
Ginseng is considered the most notable medicinal herb used to restore vitality, boost energy, reduce fatigue, improve mental and physical performance, and protect the body from the negative effects of stress. With ginseng, your initial reaction to stress is likely to be less intense. It’s often referred to as a tonic for the adrenal glands because it tones and maintains their overall health.
| Food for Your Adrenal Glands For a nutritional supplement that claims to zap fatigue, boost energy, and help you cope with stress, some people are turning to adrenal gland extracts. These extracts fall into a category called glandular supplements because they come from the glands of animals such as cows and pigs, on the assumption that what helps them will help you. Advocates of these products claim that adrenal gland extracts can put life back into your own adrenal glands, which have become tired out from pumping so much stress hormone during long periods of stress. At first glance, it seems sensible to assume that an adrenal booster can do some good. Doctors know that unless we have a healthy pair of adrenal glands, we’re more prone to infections and stress-related illnesses. When you’re under a lot of stress, your glands need all the help they can get. The results aren’t certain, however. “It’s believed that adrenal extracts can help people who are under a great deal of stress or who have chronic fatigue, but very little research has been done to prove their effectiveness, and dosages aren’t standardized across the board,” says C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D., founder of the American Holistic Medical Association and director of the Shealy Institute, an alternative medicine clinic in Springfield, Missouri. He notes that some people could benefit, however. To find the right dosage, you may need to try products with various potencies and qualities, according to Joseph E. Pizzorno Jr., N.D., president of Bastyr University in Bothell, Washington. “I suggest taking one-third of the recommended dosage on the label and slowly increasing it every two days unless you notice any signs of irritability, restlessness, or insomnia,” he says. “If you experience any of these symptoms, simply reduce your dosage until they go away. Over time, you should notice an increase in energy and better resistance to stress.” If you don’t feel better in two to three weeks, the supplements are probably not working for you. |
You can find different varieties of the herb, including Siberian ginseng, Asian ginseng, and American ginseng. Asian ginseng is the most widely used for medicinal purposes. They all have similar properties, although Asian ginseng is more of a stimulant than its Siberian cousin, says Dr. Pizzorno. Thus, if you’re acutely stressed or recovering from a long illness, Asian ginseng would be the way to go.
In one study, nurses who had switched from day shift to night shift were given either Asian ginseng or an inactive substance (placebo). Their competence, mood, and general well-being were rated. This study showed that the nurses who took the ginseng were more competent, upbeat, and alert than those who didn’t take the herb.
Because potency varies, as does the concentration of active ingredients, you’ll need to adjust the amount you take depending on which product you buy. You can take 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams one to three times a day if you choose a high-quality crude Asian ginseng root, says Dr. Pizzorno. If you take an extract standardized to 5 to 7 percent ginsenosides, take 100 milligrams one to three times a day.
If you’re taking Siberian ginseng root, says Dr. Pizzorno, you probably should take somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 milligrams a day in divided doses. If you take the extract, take 100 to 200 milligrams of a product that is standardized to 0.8 percent eleutherosides three times a day. Because everyone’s response to ginseng is different, start off with the lower dosage and increase it over time, he suggests.
Women taking Asian ginseng may experience breast tenderness. You can simply reduce the dose or discontinue use to make the symptoms go away, says Dr. Pizzorno.
Cool Out with Kava Kava
This time-honored herb, which has soared in popularity as the best natural stress buster, can calm your nerves and help you unwind. Not only that, it’s fast-acting, so you may see the effects in as little as 30 to 60 minutes.
Kava can actually preempt stress if you take it prior to an expected stressful situation. It’s also a post-stress soother: You can take it to relax tense muscles and wind yourself down after an especially stressful day. You’ll feel at peace and maybe even a little euphoric, says Dr. Sahelian.
The secret behind kava is its anxiety-reducing effect on your brain, says Dr. Sahelian. It contains a group of chemicals called kavalactones that are responsible for its anti-anxiety effects. Animal studies show that kavalactones act on the limbic system, the part of the brain that is the center of emotions.
What’s more, kava isn’t addictive, it won’t lose its effectiveness over time, and your mind will remain alert and sharp even when you take it during the day.
Dr. Sahelian suggests taking one capsule that contains between 40 and 70 milligrams of kavalactones two or three times a day. Start with the lower dosage first to determine whether you feel any of the soothing effects, he says. If you don’t feel any stress relief in two to three hours, you can take another capsule.
