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- Blueprint #3: Reduce your anxiety significantly with these supplement stacks
Blueprint #3: Reduce your anxiety significantly with these supplement stacks
Things that actually work
V M
October 09, 2022
Your 3 actionables
Assess if you're diet is lacking in magnesium (it probably is). If so, take 200–350 mg of magnesium in the form of citrate, gluconate, or diglycinate, every day before bed time. If your anxiety is due to magnesium deficiency, you will feel a difference in 2 weeks
After trying magnesium, if you still have anxiety, figure out what kind of anxiety you have. Is it due to stress? Is it generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)? Is it social anxiety disorder (SAD)? For the ladies, is it related premenstrual syndrome (PMS)? Once you figure that out, check out the following protocols
Try the protocols/stacks below but make sure to consult your doctor and do your own research on them first. When you try them, try them one at a time for a couple of weeks to see what effect they have before adding or switching to another one. Natural supplements may or may not work, but the ones mentioned below have the best evidence that I could find
If you have GAD:
Add lavender (should have 25 – 46% linalool) starting with 80 mg of Silexan per day; you can increase it to 160 mg/day after a week if it doesn't work; effects may take 6–10 weeks to feel or
Add kava (should have 70 mg of kavalactones, three times a day) for 4 weeks; NOTE: there are concerns about liver damage with kava, so if you have liver issues or take drugs that are metabolized in the liver, it may be best to avoid kava
If you have panic attacks:
Add inositol (14–18 g) daily
Add agmatine at 1.62 mg/kg (so 110 mg for a 150 lb person; 150 mg for a 200 lb person; 180 mg for a 250 lb person)
If you have SAD or stress-related anxiety:
Add ashwagandha (300–500 mg of the root powder or 15–60 mg of withanolides) once daily; taking it in the evening may cause insomnia, so take it earlier in the day
Add rhodiola rosea (80–160 mg of the SHR-5 extract) once daily in the evenings; NOTE: avoid if you are taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), as it can cause the dreaded "serotonin syndrome"
If you have PMS-related anxiety:
Add vitex agnus-castus (either 150–250 mg of the dried berry, 20 mg of the Ze 110 extract, or 4 mg of the BNO 1095 extract) once daily
If you have general state or trait anxiety:
Add 1.25 g of arginine and 1.25 g of lysine twice a day (i.e., 2.5 g of each per day), with or without a meal; effects may be felt after one week
Keep reading if you want a bit more detail on these 3 actionables. A full reference list is available at the bottom of the blueprint.
For people with GAD¹⁻³
Add lavender (starting with 80 mg of Silexan per day, working up to 160 mg/day over the course of a week if no lower dose proves effective) or kava (100 mg of the WS 1490 extract or 70 mg of kavalactones, three times a day) for 4 weeks.
Lavender
Lavender has calming and sedative effects that have been linked to two of its constituents: linalool and linalyl acetate. It can be used orally, topically, or through inhalation.Meta-analysis of many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrated that lavender was associated with an overall improvement in anxiety associated with GAD. However, it's important to note that the RCTs were highly heterogeneous (i.e., many confounding variables).
Oral administration showed the strongest results, with efficacy deemed to be as good as SSRIs and benzodiazepines, without the adverse effects.
Another supplement, lemon balm, has demonstrated synergism with lavender but more research is needed to confirm this effect.
Kava
Kava is an herb traditionally used to reduce anxiety, with effects occurring quickly when taken orally. It's well researched and has evidence to support its use as an anti-anxiety supplement. In fact, some studies show it works about as well as low-dose benzodiazepines.
Like lavender, kava is an effective supplement for people with GAD. It has also been tested in the context of other kinds of anxiety, with promising results.
NOTE: Some concerns have been raised about the safety of kava because of reports of liver damage. Such reports are numerous enough to be cause for concern, yet it is still unclear whether and in which cases kava can be blamed. The current view is that kava at high doses, for prolonged periods of time, or combined with other medications might increase the risk of liver damage. In some cases, the damage may have been due to the poor quality of the kava supplement. So, if you have liver issues, I would recommend to stay away from kava.
For people with panic disorder and panic-related anxiety⁷⁻¹⁴
Add inositol (14–18 g) as a daily supplement. Agmatine (1.62 mg/kg or 0.74 mg/lb) may also be beneficial—by itself or in conjunction with inositol—but there is no human evidence to support this claim.
Inositol
Inositol is a molecule that is structurally similar to blood glucose. It can be found in several different forms with the most common form being called myo-inositol. Supplemental myo-inositol is often just referred to as “inositol” or sometimes “vitamin B8", which is a total misnomer since it's not a vitamin at all.
Inositol has demonstrated efficacy in anxiety and depression, with some evidence to support use in panic attacks. High doses of inositol (18 g) have an efficacy that has been deemed comparable to fluvoxamine (SSRI).
Although there is some evidence that pregnant women can take it up to 4 mg, I don't think there is enough evidence. There's also insufficient evidence on the effects of taking myo-inositol while breastfeeding. So, avoid it if pregnant or breastfeeding.
Agmatine
Agmatine is a neurotransmitter produced from arginine, an amino acid. You know how you feel anxiety-free when you've had a shot or two of alcohol? That anxiety-reducing effect of alcohol is actually attributed to the release of agmatine. And the next day, you often get rebound anxiety due to the depletion of agmatine in the body. Very cool stuff. In studies, giving rodents agmatine helped mitigate this “hangover anxiety”. Agmatine may also make opioids more effective for pain relief as well as less addictive.
Agmatine demonstrates a bell curve for efficacy where a very low dose or double the efficacious dose does not have anxiolytic effects. Take too little or too much and it won't do anything for you. But at the right dose, the overall anxiolytic effect at maximal efficacy is either less than or comparable to benzodiazepines.
The optimal anti-anxiety agmatine dose for rats was 10 mg/kg, which translates to approximately 1.62 mg/kg (or 0.74 mg/lb) in humans, so about:
110 mg for a 150-lb person
150 mg for a 200-lb person
180 mg for a 250-lb person
More research is required to determine the optimal time to supplement agmatine. The few human studies on nerve pain had their participants take agmatine with a small breakfast.
Another thing to note is that agmatine pharmacokinetics appear to be altered in people with depression, as there are higher serum concentrations of it but also a higher rate of breakdown as assessed by agmatinase activity in both depressed and bipolar people. Agmatine is also influenced by pharmaceutical depressants, being reduced in concentration by bupropion (Wellbutrin) while SSRI drugs increase agmatine concentrations. So, be careful if supplementing while you're on anti-depressant medication.
Though agmatine is a promising supplement, human studies are needed to determine if the anti-anxiety effects observed in rodents will occur reliably in humans.
For people with SAD or anxiety linked to accumulated stress¹⁵⁻²⁹
Add ashwagandha (300–500 mg of the root powder or 15–60 mg of withanolides) once a day. Don't take ashwagandha in the evening because it may cause insomnia. But if you must take your supplements in the evening, try replacing ashwagandha with rhodiola rosea (80–160 mg of the SHR-5 extract).
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, which is commonly defined as a supplement that can reduce the mental and physical effects of stress, including anxiety. Studies specifically on the efficacy of ashwagandha on anxiety are rare, but the results from a few are very promising. These studies suggest that this ashwagandha could be most beneficial in people suffering from social anxiety disorder.
Studies looking at the effects of ashwagandha when participants have at least mild-moderate anxiety have been largely positive, though some of the studies only show a minor effect. Higher quality studies and with more participants with severe forms of anxiety are needed.
Rhodiola rosea
Rhodiola rosea is another adaptogen that can reduce the mental and physical effects of stress. It has two main bioactive compounds that are thought to be key players in this effect: rosavin and salidroside. Rhodiola rosea supplements are generally taken orally with 1–5% salidrosides. It can effect stress-and fatigue at the cellular level, and it also has antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. The anti-stress effects of rhodiola rosea is thought to occur partly due to inhibition of cortisol release under stressful conditions.
In terms of safety, in moderate doses, rhodiola rosea is quite safe, with little to no side effects. However, if you are on an SSRI, you should avoid taking rhodiola rosea because it acts like a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) and can lead to the "serotonin syndrome", which can be lethal. The only other possible concern to note is that it has been shown to interact with liver enzymes in vitro, indicating a possibility for drug interactions. For example, it increased the concentration and decreased clearance of a particular antihypertensive drug in rabbits, confirming interaction with at least one class of drugs in vivo. So, if you are taking medication that is metabolized by the liver, proceed cautiously.
For women experiencing anxiety related to PMS³⁰
Add VAC once a day: either 150–250 mg of the dried berry, 20 mg of the Ze 110 extract, or 4 mg of the BNO 1095 extract.
Vitex agnus-castus (VAC)
VAC is a very specific anti-anxiety supplement. The plant extract is used to reduce the anxiety that can occur during the menstrual cycle, as well as to alleviate the symptoms associated with PMS. It can help reduce irritability and improve sleep during PMS, which can in turn improve mood and indirectly reduce anxiety.
VAC has no effect when supplemented by women not currently experiencing PMS and has not been tested in men for anxiety.
For state and trait anxiety³¹⁻⁴¹
Add 1.25 g of arginine and 1.25 g of lysine twice a day (i.e., 2.5 g of each per day), with or without a meal. Effects can be felt after a week of supplementation.
Arginine with Lysine
Since a lot of the anxiety disorders have behaviours in common, such as avoidance of situations that cause irrational fear, worrying about things excessively, and so on, some researchers have chosen to describe anxiety more broadly as "state and trait" anxiety. State and trait anxiety occurs in otherwise healthy people in response to minor stressful events. More specifically, state anxiety is your mind's negative response to a stressful situation (like a presentation), and trait anxiety is your general tendency to respond to a stressful situation with a state anxiety response.
People suffering from state and trait anxiety have been found to benefit from supplementing arginine and lysine in combination. However, some research suggests that it may be only lysine playing the important role; arginine may just be a semi-useless filler. But, since the studies used them in combination, I recommend using them in combination as well.
There isn't much research available for effects on specific forms of anxiety, such as GAD or SAD.
And that brings us to the end of this blueprint. Anxiety is a difficult thing to manage, requiring a holistic approach that includes, behavioural therapy, medication, supplements, and proper diet and exercise. And every person is different in the level of anxiety they feel and how their body responds to all of these things. For some people with anxiety, supplements don't seem to have any perceivable effects at all; for others, they are as effective as prescription medications. If you are going to try supplements, make sure to consult a physician, do your own research, and proceed carefully. Disclaimer: Remember that I am not a licensed, practicing doctor. I am simply providing education. Please use common sense and do not mistake information provided here for professional advice of any kind.
Good luck, and let me know how it goes!
Talk soon,
