What Vitamins Should I Take When Under Extreme Stress?
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. Healthy food sources of this vitamin are cod liver oil, liver, beef, oysters, butter, whole milk, and vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, mangoes, spinach, and greens.
Vitamin B-complex: 100 milligrams daily. These vitamins help the nervous system function properly, reduce anxiety and immune system damage, and improve brain function. Also include 50 milligrams daily of pyridoxine (B6), which influences neurotransmitters and helps convert tryptophan to serotonin. You can find this vitamin in food sources such as chicken, fish, pork, eggs, soybeans, brown rice, and oats.
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. This vitamin is found in citrus fruits and their juices, red bell peppers, black currants, guava, strawberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and papaya.
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. This vitamin can be found in food sources such as hazelnut oil, wheat germ oil, almond oil, mayonnaise, sunflower oil, wheat germ, whole-grain cereals, eggs, and fortified cereals.
Calcium: 2,000 milligrams daily. Calcium relaxes muscles, builds bone, reduces intestinal irritation, and lowers blood pressure. Calcium can be found in food sources such as milk and dairy products, kale, turnip greens, canned salmon, sardines with bones, and soybeans.
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. You can find magnesium in such food sources as whole grains, nuts, avocados, beans, and dark green leafy vegetables.
