Stress has become a part of our lives now. Although we know it is bad and we do know how to avoid stress at times, most of the time it becomes difficult for us. What with the lack of time, the ever-increasing work pressures, and the situations at home that threaten to go out of control off and on, most of the times, we find ourselves weak to deal with stress. So, if you could find some easier way to protect yourself from the harmful effects of stress, why not. That is exactly what supplements do for you. They do this by boosting your immune system (body's defense mechanism).
Harmful Effects of Stress on the Body
Stress directly or indirectly affects the normal functioning of the body, triggering the development of many disorders and diseases such as:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Headache/Migraine
- Eating disorders
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Peptic ulcer
- Poor immune functions
Supplements That Help You Fight Stress
There are many supplements in the market today that help you strengthen your immune system and in turn helps your body fight the harmful effects of stress.
1. Vitamin C
- Benefits: During stress, cortisol levels are highly elevated. Vitamin C helps modulate these high levels of cortisol. It is also a connective tissue regenerator and helps in the proper functioning of the immune system.
- Studies: A randomized study was conducted involving marathon runners who were either given 500 mg of vitamin C a day, 1500 mg of vitamin C per day, or a placebo for 7 days before the race, the day of the race, as well as 2 days after the race, and their post-race cortisol levels were checked. The researchers found that those who took 1500 mg had significantly lower cortisol levels than those who took 500 mg and who took placebo.
In another study, the level of cortisol were checked after subjecting the subjects to Trier Social Stress Test (this is a psychologically induced test that subjects the volunteers to a 15-minute session of mock job interview followed by a mental arithmetic challenge). Out of the 120 volunteers who participated in this study, some were given 3000 mg of vitamin C and some were given placebos. Not surprisingly, the volunteers who were given 3000 mg of vitamin C had lower cortisol levels than the other group. This study was published in the journal Psychopharmacology. - Recommended Dose: 1,000 to 3,000 mg per day
2. Omega 3 Fatty Acids
- Benefits: This is abundant in fish oil. Omega 3 has numerous health benefits, some of which are related to coping with stress, bone health, and cardiac health. Omega 3 helps individuals cope up with psychological stress and lowers cortisol levels. Apart from this, Omega 3 is also found (supported by numerous research) to either prevent or improve Alzheimer's disease, aggression, depression, bipolar disorder, memory loss, and learning difficulties.
- Studies: One study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health points to a connection between low omega 3 and the incidence of aggression, depression, and anger. There are two types of omega 3 fatty acids - EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) - which are found only in fish and marine organisms. Studies have shown that lower doses of these two types of omega 3 are linked to anger, depression, and aggression.
- Recommended Dose: 1 to 4 g per day
3. Lycopene
- Benefits: This bright red-colored pigment is present in tomatoes, red carrots, watermelons, and papaya. Studies support the claim that the more your intake of tomatoes, the lesser will be your cancer risk. Lycopene have been found effective in the prevention of certain types of cancer. Lycopene has high antioxidant properties which lowers the stress hormone levels in the body. Apart from lowering physiologic stresses, antioxidants have been found to be effective in prevention and cure of diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. It guards against aging of the skin (delays wrinkling!). Lycopene is also helpful in tackling fertility problems in men.
- Studies: Lycopene's high antioxidant properties made it 100 times more efficient than vitamin E when test tube studies of singlet-oxygen quenching action was carried out.
- Recommended Dose: Optimum dose is not established, but generally ranges from 4 to 8 mg daily.
4. Coenzyme Q10 (Also Known as Ubiquinone)
- Benefits: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a very good antioxidant that gets rid of free radicals, which in turn have many harmful effects on the body, including the development of cancer. Stress causes a lot of depletion of energy and makes you very fatigued. Taking supplemental Coenzyme Q10 will increase your ability to combat the fatigue associated with stress by replenishing your energy reserves. Apart from this, supplementation of CoQ10 has been found to be beneficial in numerous health conditions such as migraine headaches, blood pressure, periodontal disease, radiation injuries, cardiac arrest, Parkinson's disease, not to mention its role in increasing the lifespan of an average individual.
- Studies: Dr. Ray Sahelian, M.D., author of "Mind Boosters," writes about his experience with Coenzyme Q10. He says that he got just mild effect from 30 mg of Coenzyme Q10, just feeling a little higher energy level. However, when he took 60 mg, he started to notice significant improvement in his energy levels as the day progressed, and he was able to be more physically active. His focus, motivation, and productivity increased considerably, and he was even looking forward to talk to people even towards the end of the day. He says that on the dose of 100 mg of CoQ10, however, he felt too energetic and alert to the extent that he was way too alert to get sleep during night. He was also of the opinion that more than 30 mg of Coenzyme Q10 should be taken only after medical supervision.
- Recommended Dose: About 60 to 100 mg per day.
Some decades back, people were less stressed, there was less to no pollution, and pace of life was a much slower. During those times, we got all the energy and nutrients from our food (the food also was free of toxins!). But current times demand something extra, even in our food. Therefore, supplementing our food provides us the extra boost to perform optimally.
