What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and at times can prove beneficial. Unfortunately, there are people who experience an excess of this response, and no matter how unnecessary they may understand the anxiety to be, there is nothing they can do about it because it is not something that can be controlled logically.
From PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) to social anxiety, all the way on to OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), disorders featuring anxiety are the most common mental issues experienced by Americans.
Fortunately for you, if you are one of the millions of people dealing with anxiety on a daily basis (why else would you be here, right?) our Anxiety Stack puts together four of the most effective, safe, and proven anti-anxiety compounds that are available today, each differing slightly in their approach to make sure that the different causes and types of anxiety are all addressed, making this stack the exact day-to-day anxiolytic stack you need.
Rhodiola for Anxiety
Rhodiola rosea has a vast array of benefits and was traditionally used as an anti-fatigue agent and adaptogen. Adaptogens are compounds that improve the body’s ability to adapt to the effects of stress.
Rhodiola supplement’s primary mechanism acts to reduce the stress related effects of prolonged physical and mental exhaustion and preventing the typical burn-out associated with prolonged periods of studying or physical activity [1].
What is incredible about this same study is for the subjects taking Rhodiola, there was less anxiety and an increased sense of well-being, and this was all observed during a period of examination – a time normally associated with very high stress and anxiety levels. This alone gives you an idea of Rhodiola supplement’s usefulness as an anxiolytic during times of stress, but it has proven effective for general anxiety as well.
Through a number of clinical trials, Rhodiola supplements exhibited encouraging results in improving mood and general anxiety [2], and it may be a result of the inhibition of over-activation of the SAPK/JNK pathway.
This pathway is involved in the pathogenesis (the development of a disease or morbid condition) of glucocorticoid resistance found in certain diseases and in patients with major mood disorders [3].
As an anxiolytic, Rhodiola supplement is typically dosed at 300mg-700mg, once a day.
Ashwagandha Powder
Social phobia, more commonly referred to as social anxiety, is a serious problem for many individuals that suffer from anxiety. Fortunately for those individuals, Ashwagandha is an adaptogen like Rhodiola and is very effective in improving social phobia, and it has actually proven more beneficial than many other anxiolytics, while also managing to decrease fatigue and increase motivation and overall quality of life.
These effects are a result of Ashwagandha powder first suppressing corticosterone release (an endocrine response to stress), which then causes an increase in serotonin in the body. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter directly related to mood.
Ashwagandha powder is typically supplemented at doses between 300mg-6g per day. The ideal dose is 500mg taken three times per day for a maximum of 1.5g, but, as always, it is recommend that you start small and work your way up.
Bacopa Monnieri
Bacopa powder was traditionally used in Ayurvedic cultures as a brain tonic to enhance concentration, learning, and memory development. Studies confirm its ability to increase memory is attributed to its saponins (bacosides, bacopasides, or bacopasaponins), which have been shown to facilitate mental retention in avoidance response in rats, and to reverse amnesic affects of certain chemicals, and its other learning enhancements may be due to its hypothesized ability to increase choline uptake [4].
It turns out bacopa powder is also very effective at reducing anxiety and depression as seen in this study [4]. The reduction in anxiety may be a result of bacopa’s hypothesized mechanism of action which affects both GABA and serotonin [4], both of which are directly related to improved mood and decreased anxiety.
A typical dose is 750mg per day.
Fish Oil
Fish oil capsules may not be something you would expect to see in a stack targeting anxiety, but this heart-healthy fat does more than simply help improve heart health.
Because of the links that have been observed between low levels of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and higher Omega-6 PUFAs with inflammation and low moods, researchers wanted to determine for themselves if higher levels of Omega-3s, the kind you find in fish oil, would decrease inflammation along with mood disorders as well as anxiety levels in healthy adults. It turns out, the researchers were right in their assumptions, and test subjects experienced a twenty percent reduction in anxiety!
In the study above, researchers used 2.5 gram per day, but you can start at a gram a day.
Benefits of this Relaxation Stack
- Reduced Social and General Anxiety
- Improved Mood
- Improved Focus
- Overall Well Being
- Reduced Stress and Stress-Related Effects
Sources
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10839209
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20378318
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3155223/
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3153866/
