Vitamins for Stress

With so much stress in our everyday lives, what vitamins for stress should we be taking? When the mind is stressed, the body wanes and the vitamins and minerals it needs are used up much more rapidly. For this reason, it can be a great idea to take vitamins for stress to help minimize the damage stress can have on your body. Many stress symptoms can be relieved by proper nutrition and there is no better place to start than to make sure you are getting in enough daily vitamins that can help combat extreme stress levels. Below are some important vitamins and a recommended daily amount that you can take to help ward off stress.
 
Vitamin A: 15,000 (10,000 for pregnant women) international units daily. This vitamin helps adrenal gland function and promotes healthy growth of epithelial cells, including those lining the blood vessels.

Vitamin B-complex: 100 milligrams daily. These vitamins help the nervous system function properly, reduce anxiety and immune system damage, and improve brain function.

Vitamin C: 3,000 to 10,000 milligrams daily. Vitamin C is an extremely powerful antioxidant that boosts the immune system and is needed to produce connective tissue. This helps maintain the structure of tissues, including blood vessels. Vitamin C reduces some allergic responses and helps offset the depletion of adrenal gland hormones caused by stress.

Vitamin E: 400 international units. Vitamin E is the strongest antioxidant and works with Vitamin C and selenium to help strengthen the immune system, fight heart disease, promote healthy nerve function, and minimize the damage to muscles caused by free radicals.

Calcium: 2,000 milligrams daily. Calcium relaxes muscles, builds bone, reduces intestinal irritation, and lowers blood pressure.

Magnesium: 1,000 milligrams daily. Magnesium is vital for nerve conditioning, muscle contraction, and transmission of impulses through the nervous system. It works in the production of energy from sugar and reacts with calcium to affect functions such as heartbeat. Low intakes of magnesium are associated with high blood pressure and heart disease.

Additionally, some specially formulated supplements for stress are highly effective at helping individuals during high stress periods in their lives. Like all vitamins and supplements, these only help if used in conjunction with a well-balanced diet and exercise. As always, please consult a physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.