As we saw in the previous article, “Food to Better Manage Stress” which explains the healthy foods that reduce stress and anxiety. Certain nutrients are essential for you to combat stress. However, the amounts necessary to obtain the beneficial effects of these nutrients require higher food consumption. This can lead to certain tiredness, disgust, or even excessive energy contributions leading to weight gain. Taking anti-stress food supplements is therefore valuable in such a situation, so as to meet nutritional needs without increasing energy intake.
Experts recommend a raw diet/food because it provides other necessary nutrients along with the one that will combat stress.
Omega 3
While talking about anti-stress food supplements, we already have seen in a previous article that the nutrients that help combat stress all have an action on cortisol, the stress hormone. This hormone follows a very precise secretion during the day. Its blood concentration is high upon awakening to mobilize the energy resources necessary for the proper functioning of the body. However, its concentration is almost zero in the evening, at bedtime, which allows an efficient secretion of melatonin and conducive to falling asleep.
Omega 3, which is found mainly in fatty fish or vegetable oils such as rapeseed or flax, can limit the production of cortisol during the day and therefore reduce the catabolic effects of this hormone.
You could definitely eat more fatty fish or vegetable oils, but it has two risks:
• Oily fish are the ones that accumulate the most toxic waste because these are stored in the fatty tissue.
• Vegetable oils rich in omega 3 are very sensitive to heat, but also to the open air. Their conservation is therefore difficult.
A safe solution is to consume omega 3 in the form of food supplements to ensure a quality intake.
Note that you have to take EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) according to your body weight.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the main anti-stress food supplements. You can eat 5 fruits and vegetables per day. It’s very necessary. But if we refer to the studies which exploit the vitamin C on the secretion of cortisol, we notice that we have to consume a very high quantity of raw foods to meet our daily requirements. This is not physically possible to do every day. So, the solution is therefore to supplement yourself.
Several solutions are available to you:
• Favor natural supplementation like acerola
• Prefer chemical supplementation in the direct form of ascorbic acid.
In the latter case, you should then increase the number of daily doses. Because this form absorbs less vitamin C, which is the pure molecule. It will, therefore, be necessary to multiply the catches to ensure a correct intake.
Magnesium
Dark chocolate, oilseeds, cereals, seafood, pulses… Consuming these foods is excellent for your health, especially since they contain magnesium. This mineral is a natural muscle relaxant whose effects on the nervous system and, more generally on stress, are proven.
But here, consuming these products every day can quickly become monotonous, cause transit concerns, or even represent a significant budget and energy intake. In this case, you then should consider using magnesium supplementation. Especially if you are an athlete, your daily needs are much higher.
Three forms of magnesium are distinguished by their bioavailability. They are”
- Magnesium-citrate
- Magnesium-bisglycinate
- Magnesium-aspartate
Phytotherapy and Anti-Stress
Let’s define phytotherapy first. The herbal medicine ( Phyto plant) is a traditional medicine ancestral based on the use of natural pharmacological properties of the molecules contained in plants. Western medicine manufactures of controlled drugs use some of these properties in allopathy,. In recent years, herbal medicine has climbed the podium steps. It is certainly the oldest medicine, but with the rise of the internet herbal medicine is becoming more and more talked about in each and every field these days.
Ashwagandha, Relora, Rhodiola … are herbs or combinations of herbs that seem to have an impact on several levels. Some recognize their effects on the quality of sleep, stress management, or even the regulation of appetite linked to stress.
Rhodiola is a plant that is found in many dietary supplements because studies abound on it. It would have the capacity to increase the mental capacities and the concentration, but also to reduce the secretion of cortisol.
All the molecules that influence your cortisol secretion are interesting.
However, there are many effective methods that, when combined with these dietary supplements and a healthy diet, will help you reduce stress.
Read More: “Stress Management Guide“
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