aS FREUD SAID, "The act of birth is the first experience with anxiety." For many of us, feelings of distress remain constant companions: About 19 million Americans suffer from serious anxiety conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder and social phobia, reports the National Institute of Mental Health, while virtually everyone else deals with less debilitating but still harmful levels of anxiety.
Relief is as close as your supplement shelf. "There are many manifestations and degrees of anxiety," says David Bunting, director of botanical and regulatory affairs at Herb Pharm, an herbal remedy company in Williams, Ore. "My tendency would be to use botanical dietary supplements for any degree--but in severe cases only as a medically supervised complement to appropriate treatment."
Certain supplements are best taken for a limited duration. "For something that's short-term--say, anxiety related to an exam or an illness--kava and valerian are good options," says Cathy Wong, N.D., a Boston-based naturopathic doctor and About.com's alternative-medicine expert. "But they're not good for managing long-term anxiety, like a high-stress job."
Remedies for ongoing, generalized anxiety always circle back to lifestyle solutions. Regular workouts and a balanced diet that contains adequate amounts of magnesium and B vitamins can do a world of tensionrelieving good. "One of my first recommendations for someone who has a lot of anxiety is aerobic exercise, as well as calming exercise like yoga or tat chi," Wong says. Both types will help stave off the burnout caused by chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
For occasional anxiety, try these supplements, which may soothe a temporarily troubled mind.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group