Whether it’s a career or relationship problem, your brain thinks of the worst scenarios that probably don’t exist. Result? You feel restless all the time. There is uncertainty in your mind, and you’re constantly in the fight or flight mode.

Life keeps happening. And you feel lost in your own world and land up in an unhealthy lifestyle. These unhealthy lifestyle patterns can affect your eating habits, leading to an unbalanced diet. 

Thus, an imbalance in your diet can keep you away from essential nutrients such as vitamins D and A, leading to anxiety issues. A recent study showed that 88% of Indians suffered from anxiety.

If not treated properly, it can affect your physical and mental health. Thus, to fill this nutritional gap, you might think of consuming supplements to get rid of your restless nature. But again you’re concerned about its need, effectiveness, safety, and long-term use. 

We talked to psychiatrist, Dr. Sayali Ahirrao, who shared her insights and also gave some tips to follow. 

Why do we need supplements?

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, anxiety is a feeling of persistent worry that doesn’t allow you to relax. It can also lead to physical symptoms such as:

• headaches
• uncontrolled trembling
• sweating
• muscle tension and aches, among others

You might have an unbalanced and poor diet due to an unhealthy lifestyle, pollution, and stress. In such a case, your body is unable to absorb enough vitamins and minerals from the food you eat. That’s why you need to fill the nutritional gap by consuming dietary supplements.

If there is dysregulation of neurotransmitters such as GABA, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, it can be a cause for anxiety. In such a case, supplements can help your body absorb these neurotransmitters and make you feel calm and relaxed.

In 2020, the market value of B complex/B12 vitamin products in India amounted to approximately 281 million U.S. dollars. The country had seen an increased consumption of vitamin and mineral supplements due to an increased focus on health and wellness, prevention, and self-care.

Are supplements really helpful?

Well, the answer to this question is not that simple as it depends on the individual and their specific needs. People who have mild-to-moderate anxiety could benefit from supplements. 

However, in severe cases, you need to consult a healthcare professional. The reason is that supplements can interact with other medications and may not be safe or effective for everyone. 

As Sayali says, “Supplements should be used if you are suffering from a dysregulated nervous system, but not always. It all depends on person to person, and it’s subjective as symptoms are different and variable.”

A dysregulated nervous system can manifest in many ways, where you might feel shut down, sluggish, or agitated. You might feel like you’re always on edge, and even a small incident can trigger an emotional response.

Supplements can be helpful in such cases where your diet is not able to provide you with essential nutrients needed for your mental and emotional well-being.

Are supplements safe to use?

Supplements, not only for anxiety but for any purpose, are good if taken only for a short-term period. They can make you feel better and improve the quality of your life.

According to an article in the American Cancer Society, many people assume dietary supplements are safe along with prescribed medicines. But is this the case? Certainly not. 

The reason is that certain supplements can block or speed up the body’s ability to break down some medicines. Due to this, a person can have too little or too much of the medicine in their bloodstream. Thus, it is always better to talk to your doctor or nutritionist to ensure the safety of dietary supplements. 

When are supplements suggested?

Anxiety supplements are mostly suggested when nutrition deficiencies are due to poor appetite or chronic disease.

A person who is on multiple medications may be unable to absorb the nutrients from food. Malabsorption is caused by intestinal issues, and lifestyle and diet changes can also be the reason. 

Also, some people might not be able to absorb minerals and vitamins such as magnesium, vitamins A, C, and D from food, which are important to enhance your mood.

Apart from this, some essential nutrients that help in mood regulation are lost in sweat and urine.  Due to this, your body lacks a sufficient amount of vital minerals and vitamins. In such cases, you are given anxiety supplements to relieve your stress and make you feel calm and relaxed by uplifting your mood.

Can you use anxiety supplements daily?

Again, the answer isn’t that simple when it comes to using anxiety supplements daily because every individual has different needs based on their diet and food choices.

For instance, if you avoid eating meat, you might lack B12, a vitamin that is helpful in reducing anxiety symptoms. 

In another example, if you don’t eat enough fruits in your daily diet, your body might be lacking vitamins C, D, and A, again which help with anxiety and stress.

In this case, you can consider taking anxiety supplements daily under the strict guidance of an expert nutritionist or your healthcare provider. 

Common supplements in India

Let’s have a look at the most common anxiety supplements in India. 

1. Vitamin D: A deficiency of vitamin D can be due to a lack of sunlight, leading to mental health issues. Also, an unhealthy lifestyle, like a lack of exercise, can make you feel inactive. Lower levels of vitamin D are associated with multiple mental disorders, including schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. 

A study showed that in 30 patients suffering from restlessness, Vitamin D supplementation for 3 months significantly improved symptoms of anxiety. 

In a similar study in 51 women with type 2 diabetes, vitamin D fortnightly decreased inflammation and reduced anxiety symptoms over 4 months. 

2. Magnesium: Magnesium can help level your cortisol, which is one of the stress hormones in your body. It can also help regulate neurotransmitters in your brain and make you feel calm and relaxed. 

3. Melatonin: Melatonin is a hormone produced by your body to regulate the sleep cycle. Irregular sleep shows low melatonin levels in your body, which can lead to restlessness issues. In such a case, melatonin supplements can help ease your anxiety.

In a meta-analysis study on the effects of melatonin intake on depression and anxiety in postmenopausal women. It was found that melatonin significantly reduced menopausal depression and improved menopausal anxiety. 

4. Omega-3 fatty acids: Derived from fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids have a number of biological effects on the body. Brain membranes contain a high proportion of these fats. Thus, a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids can lead to various behavioral and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, it becomes essential to include omega-3 supplements in your diet, especially if you’re a vegetarian. 

5. Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha helps fight inflammation and normalizes cortisol levels, which reduces the stress response. It also eases anxiety by stabilizing your mood and increases stamina by revitalizing your body and mind. 

A study showed that Ashwagandha can have positive effects and improve the quality of life in healthy individuals with mild-to-moderate stress and anxiety. 

Top anxiety supplement providers in India

• Himalaya Wellness
• Amway India
• HealthKart
• Zenith Nutrition
• Organic India
• Baidyanath
• Earthful

Factors to consider while choosing supplements

There are many factors to consider while choosing anxiety supplements. First and foremost, these supplements are not FDA-approved. So, there won’t be any potential adverse effects listed on the product.

If you choose over-the-counter products without consulting an expert, tell your doctor about them while consulting for any health problems. Your doctor will be able to recognize the signs and symptoms if these supplements are interfering with your medicines.

It’s also important to know there can be some side effects due to these supplements, such as:

• Elevated blood pressure
• Racing or irregular heartbeat
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Digestive symptoms

Apart from this, you need to be aware and knowledgeable while using such supplements.

Whether it is advertised as natural, herbal, or non-drug, ask the pharmacist, doctor, or nutritionist about its safety and effectiveness. You’ll need to check whether they can be used alone or in combination with other supplements for better results. 

Another factor to consider is that some essential vitamins are water-soluble, and some are fat-soluble, like vitamins A, D, E, and K. These vitamins need fat for absorption and can be stored in body tissues and liver for a long time. Therefore, large doses of fat-soluble vitamins can cause toxic effects on your body. 

It’s important to stay within the recommended daily dose suggested by your healthcare provider. Always consult your doctor for the ideal dosage and in which form you should take the supplements. 

Tips to cope with anxiety

Anxiety supplements should be used only for short-term purposes. To deal with anxiety at the root level, seeking therapy is the best answer.

Dr. Sayali shared her tips on how to cope with your restlessness issues. 

She says, “Whenever you feel restless, whether you are in an office /on the road / in a lift / in a social gathering, or any crowded place, do these 3-3-3 actions:

• Look for 3 things around you 
• Move any 3 body parts 
• Listen to 3 sounds at that point in time

You can also do eye rotation clockwise and anticlockwise 5 cycles each. Then, immediately shift your focus to breathing and start walking. A person can walk straightforwardly or even backward or diagonally.

These simple tips/actions help calm down your nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system, which becomes active and starts working effectively.” 

Apart from this, Dr. Sayali also suggests the following exercises to stimulate your vagus nerve, such as:

• Breathwork
• Pranayama 
• Yoga 
• Grounding 

“The above tips you can follow in daily life as I have seen effective results in my clients. Along with therapy, application of breathwork, meditation can effectively overcome anxiety issues and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which has a calming effect on your body.“

She further elaborates, “In a calm state of mind, a person feels efficient and does their routine work with ease. There are other modalities, too, to cope with restlessness; however, all the above methods require commitment and practice. Once a person achieves this state, it becomes easy for them to cope with anxiety and helps to identify their own triggers.”

When should you consult a therapist 

When should a person seek therapy instead of relying on supplements? If you’re not seeing any positive results from using anxiety supplements as suggested by your healthcare provider it’s time to think of a therapy session. 

Also, if you’re ready to take charge of your mental health issues, therapy is the best option.

Dr. Sayali says, “When a person is willing to work on oneself by choice, then they can choose therapy sessions instead of supplements. Also, when a person has started developing anxiety-related issues recently, then they can adopt therapy sessions. 

Therapy is a long-term, deep process. It requires patience, cooperation, and faith, and you are bound to see long-term results. Supplements might give you short term results. Whereas therapy helps you deal with anxiety at its root cause without any side effects.”

We hope you now know why you need anxiety supplements and when you should use them under expert’s guidance. Although it is always suggested to have a healthy diet for your mental and emotional well-being.

But if nothing seems to work on your anxiety issues, we suggest you go for therapy. As Dr. Sayali says, “For a human to evolve, it’s important to understand and identify their own thought patterns and triggers, and consciously work upon them to get better results.”