The current pandemic has added a lot of stressors to an already stressful life. Work, money, health, all these factors already account for the most common reasons for stress. Add the extra Covid-19 attributed stress and it won't be uncommon to feel symptoms like fatigue, headaches, upset stomach, nervousness, and irritability or anger.
Usually stress can be fought off with regular exercise, adequate sleep, and good nutrition. However, there are several vitamins and supplements that can help just as much.
1) Melatonin
Stress is strongly linked to insomnia. That said, adequate quality sleep may not really be the easiest to achieve if you are under stress, further worsening its severity. Melatonin is a natural hormone that regulates your body's circadian rhythm, or sleep-wake cycle. Levels of the hormone increase in the evening when it's dark to promote sleep and decrease in the morning. A natural hormone, supplementing melatonin does not affect your body's production. Melatonin is also non-habit-forming.
2) Ashwagandha
An adaptogenic herb native to India, it has forever been used in Ayurveda. It is thought to enhance your body's resilience to physical and mental stress. The properties of ashwagandha have been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as lower morning cortisol levels. A study investigating the safety and efficacy of supplementing with ashwagandha in people with chronic stress noted that taking 600 mg of ashwagandha for 60 days was safe and well tolerated.
3) Rhodiola rosea
Rhodiola is an herb that grows in the cold, mountainous regions of Russia and Asia. It has always been known as an adaptogen, a natural, non-toxic herb that stimulates your body's stress response system to increase stress resistance. Its properties are linked to two of the herb's potent active ingredients – rosavin and salidroside. It has been shown to improve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue and stress-related burnout.
4) Glycine
Glycine is an amino acid that your body uses to create proteins. Studies suggest that it may increase your body's resistance to stress by encouraging a good night's rest through its calming effect on the brain and ability to lower your core body temperature. A lower body temperature promotes sleep and helps you stay asleep during the night.
5) B Complex vitamins
These vitamins usually contain all eight B vitamins. They play an important role in metabolism by transforming the food you eat into usable energy. Food sources B vitamins include grains, meats, legumes, eggs, dairy products, and leafy greens. High doses of B vitamins have been suggested to improve symptoms of stress, such as mood and energy levels by lowering blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine. The eight B vitamins may improve mood and reduce stress by either lowering homocysteine levels or maintaining healthy levels of this amino acid.
