The United States is one of the most stressed out countries in the world. According to studies, the stress levels of Americans is 20% higher than the worldwide average. 

 

There are a number of reasons why that stress exists, but one of the biggest, more recent causes of astronomical stress not just in the United States but across the globe is the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

The top causes of stress

COVID-19 Pandemic: By looking at the number for Americans, we see that nearly 80% of U.S. adults source the pandemic as a significant cause of stress in their lives and 67% of adults say their level of stress has increased since the pandemic began back in 2020. 

 

Inflation: Another top source of stress is inflation and what those rising prices mean for people who are already working hard to pay their bills. 

 

Health care: Health care is a complex thing to navigate in the United States and over 66% of adults in the U.S. feel the weight of healthcare stress.

 

Mass shootings: As mass shootings are on the rise, Americans find that this has become one of the top 5 sources of stress. 

 

Climate change: Concerns about our planet and its fate has over 55% of Americans feeling stressed.  

 

Long-term well being of the country: Americans are getting increasingly worried about what the future of the United States may look like. A 2020 study showed that 71% of Americans thought the country was at its lowest point in the nation’s history. 

 

Though those are the top sources of stress in studies and surveys done, there is a wide range of other things that can lead to stress that are not included above. 

 

With all of this information, there is no denying that stress is a major issue in the United States. 

 

But what are we doing to cope with this stress? We don’t necessarily have the power to change certain situations to make them less stressful, but what we do have is the power to change our mindset around these stresses. 

 

And one great way to do that is with the help of supplements that can boost your brain health and calm down your anxiety. 

 

Supplements to reduce stress

Supplements are a great resource for helping with stress that many people aren’t tapping into. To help you take advantage of this natural hack to peace and less stress, here are the supplements you should consider taking.

 

Rhodiola Rosea

This adaptogenic herb is powerful when it comes to mental health, which is why we included it in our Mood Chews. 

 

Studies have shown that Rhodiola Rosea can have therapeutic effects on people suffering from depression.

 

Rhodiola Rosea also helps stimulate the production of neurotransmitters in the brain that are necessary for both healthy neurological and emotional functionality. These neurotransmitters are what make it easier for our body to deal with stressful situations and feelings in a healthy way. 

 

Magnesium

This vital nutrient has been dubbed the “original chill pill” as it helps to keep the body and mind calm. 

 

It does this by blocking calcium and glutamate from activating the NMDA receptor, which means the signals that your body should be stressed are cut off (this is a good thing). On top of that, magnesium also blocks the activation of ACTH. ACTH is the hormone that triggers your body to release the stress hormones of cortisol and adrenaline.  

 

GABA

One of the key ingredients of our Mood Chews, GABA is the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. 

 

What does this mean? 

 

It means that GABA halts our body’s trigger response to go into fight-or-flight mode. This mode is necessary to be in when we are in an actual life-threatening situation, but when you are stressed, your body lives in a fight-or-flight mode. This is one of the reasons why stress takes such a toll on physical and mental health.

 

Vitamin D

This vitamin plays several different roles in the body, but a more recent discovery shows that vitamin D may have the ability to help with reducing stress by reducing inflammation.

 

Though a vitamin D deficiency does not necessarily cause stress and anxiety to spike, studies show that among people who suffer from stress and anxiety, many of them were vitamin D deficient. 

 

L-theanine

This key amino acid is not produced naturally by the body, so food and/or supplementation is the only way to get it. 

 

L-theanine is so important when it comes to stress because studies show that L-theanine promotes the brain’s production of an alpha-wave pattern which puts the body and mind into active relaxation, a state that is similar to that experienced when meditating. 

 

GABA and L-theanine work together in the sense that L-theanine promotes the release of GABA.

 

Ashwagandha

This adaptogenic herb works similarly to Rhodiola Rosea as it helps to provide your body’s more strength to deal with physical and mental stress. 

 

Studies show that adding ashwagandha to your daily life will significantly reduce feelings of stress. 

 

Summary

Sometimes stress feels like it’s coming at you from all angles and that there’s no way to combat it. The truth is that you just may not have the right tools in place to deal with the stress of life. 

 

Supplements are a great way to help alleviate those feelings of stress that become all-consuming. 

 

The top supplements to start taking for stress include:

 

• Rhodiola Rosea
• Magnesium
• GABA
• Vitamin D
• L-theanine
• Ashwagandha