Finding new ways to manage stress seems to be high on many people’s to-do list. And while yoga, meditation, and mindfulness are all smart activities to center yourself and reduce your anxiety, making sure you are getting all your necessary vitamins for stress may be a good place to start.
It’s important to remember that while supplements can significantly aid in stress management, they should be part of a holistic approach that includes a healthy diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep, says Melissa Snover, registered nutritionist and CEO and founder of Nourished.
Meet the Experts: Julie Stefanski, M.Ed., R.D.N., registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics; Melissa Snover, registered nutritionist and CEO and founder of Nourished; Jim White R.D.N., ACSM EX-P, owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios.
Still, sometimes a boost of a vitamin via supplementation can make a big difference for your stress management. With that in mind, we tapped nutritionists to weigh in on how vitamins and minerals impact stress and how to choose the best supplement for you. Below, find our expert-approved selections for vitamins for stress.
Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not medicines and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases. Be cautious about taking dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing. Also, be careful about giving supplements to a child, unless recommended by their healthcare provider.
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How do vitamins and minerals impact stress?
Vitamins and minerals benefit our physical health, which in turn benefit our emotional health caused by outside stressors, says White. “For example, antioxidants (vitamins A, C, and E) prevent anti-oxidative damage, where damage from free radicals results in oxidative stress.” Thus, these vitamins help regulate our environmental stressors, he explains.
In other words, vitamins and minerals can play a crucial role in managing stress by supporting the body’s physiological functions, says Snover. “Key nutrients such as B-vitamins and vitamin D contribute to the production of neurotransmitters, regulation of the nervous system, and reduction of inflammation, all of which can help alleviate stress,” she explains.
Other ways to relieve stress
It’s important to keep in mind that a dietary supplement won’t cancel out the chronic effects of stress, says Julie Stefanski, M.Ed., R.D.N., registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. “Practicing good self-care by getting enough sleep, limiting alcohol and nicotine, including nutritious foods, and discussing your sources of stress with your healthcare provider and licensed mental health practitioner are important steps to take to deal with chronic and short-term stressors,” she advises.
How we chose the best vitamins for stress
We tapped our experts Julie Stefanski, M.Ed., R.D.N., registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics; Melissa Snover, registered nutritionist and CEO and founder of Nourished; and Jim White R.D.N., ACSM EX-P, owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios, to share their product recommendations and expert insights into how to best choose a vitamin for stress that is right for you. We also pored over numerous online reviews and conducted our own research to select the best supplements for this list.
Why trust us
For more than 70 years, Prevention has been a leading provider of trustworthy health information, empowering readers with practical strategies to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our editors interview medical experts to help guide our health-focused product selections. Additionally, Prevention also examines hundreds of reviews—and often conducts personal testing done by our staff—to help you make informed decisions.
Madeleine, Prevention’s assistant editor, has a history with health writing from her experience as an editorial assistant at WebMD, and from her personal research at university. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in biopsychology, cognition, and neuroscience—and she helps strategize for success across Prevention’s social media platforms.
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