“Calming Chemical” Trick Conquers Anxiety for Good
Everyone gets anxious now and then.
Worrying about test results, feeling awkward in a social situation, panicking before a big event. These are natural and HEALTHY responses to whatever life throws at you.
But if you’ve ever suffered from an anxiety disorder, you know there’s nothing natural OR healthy about it.
It’s constant worry for no reason at all. Panic attacks. Irrational fears. Avoidance and social isolation.
In short… it’s debilitating.
The good news is that there’s a way you can combat anxiety NATURALLY by boosting your brain’s “calming chemical.”
A revealing double-blind, placebo-controlled study recently examined the impact of vitamin B6, vitamin B12, or a placebo on 478 individuals.
After one month, vitamin B12 didn’t produce any meaningful improvements.
Vitamin B6, on the other hand, significantly reduced anxiety symptoms. The nutrient also improved visual contrast sensitivity, which is the ability to see small differences between an object and its background.
You may wonder what an improvement in vision has to do with anxiety. Well, it turns out it’s an important indication of HOW vitamin B6 helps combat anxiety. It boosts a brain chemical called GABA.
GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. That’s a bit of a mouthful. But all you really need to know in this case is that GABA is essential for keeping feelings of anxiety, fear, and stress from getting out of control.
Low GABA levels are often seen in conditions like anxiety, insomnia, and even alcoholism.
If you’re battling feelings of anxiety talk to your doctor about adding vitamin B6 to your treatment plan.
If you want to support healthy levels of GABA for balanced responses to a variety of life situations, simply add more B6-rich foods to your diet.
You’ll get plenty of vitamin B6 from meat, poultry, fish, beans, nuts, and bananas.
P.S. Still find yourself struggling with anxiety? Don’t turn to risky drugs. Check out these 6 Drug-Free Ways to Tackle Anxiety first.
SOURCE:
“High-dose Vitamin B6 supplementation reduces anxiety and strengthens visual surround suppression,” Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical & Experimental, First published: 19 July 2022, https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.2852
