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Stress: The Diet Connection​

Stress affects everyone, but certain nutrient deficiencies impair your ability to handle it. Here's what you need.​

In a recent survey of Americans, most said they felt stressed out to the point of breaking three times per week. Stress activates the body's "fight, flight, or freeze" response, releasing hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Stressed-out people experience:

• Excess worry, feeling overwhelmed
• Crappy sleep
• Brain fog, racing or negative thoughts
• Irritability
• Fatigue and headaches
• Increased heart rate and muscle tension

And here's a crazy thing about stress: your body responds to it, whether real or perceived. If your boss says the company is making cuts and you could be fired, that's a real external stressor. If you beat yourself up because you're not social-media perfect or think your mom might be disappointed in you, that's an internal – and possibly imaginary – stressor. Your body doesn't care; its reaction is the same.

Lots of experts teach coping mechanisms, but not many address one of the root causes of poor stress management: nutritional deficiencies.

Some stress is unavoidable, but a big part of your ability to deal with this "psychological" issue is actually physiological. If you're low on certain vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients, the stress monster grows bigger and stronger than you. Here's what you need to fortify your body against beastly stress.


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1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids​

A deficiency in omega-3s (DHA and EPA) causes our brains to misfire in the face of stress. Our brains' cell membranes are literally made of omega-3s, so a deficiency is, well, not good.

• Omega-3s influence neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which regulate the stress response by acting as buffers.
• Two end products of stress, anxiety and depression, are inflammatory responses. By reducing inflammation in the brain, omega-3s allow for better emotional regulation during stressful times.
• Stress can lead to chronically elevated cortisol levels, causing fatigue, anxiety, and impaired thinking. Omega-3s help regulate cortisol levels, preventing excessive or prolonged spikes. This helps you return to a balanced state more quickly after stressful events.
• Several studies show that people with higher omega-3 levels have better emotional resilience: they can cope with stress better or at least bounce back more easily.
• By promoting brain health and reducing the negative cognitive effects of stress, omega-3s improve mental clarity and decision-making when you're stressed out.

Studies show that you need just over 1000 mg per day of omega-3s to prevent a deficiency, and DHA plays the biggest role in fighting stress.

Pro Tip: If you find yourself feeling anxious at night, take a larger dose (three softgels) with dinner or before bed.

2. Magnesium, Zinc, and Selenium​

Deficiencies in any of these minerals make it harder to cope with stress:

• Magnesium: Calms the nervous system, reduces cortisol levels, and promotes relaxation and better sleep by regulating neurotransmitters like GABA. A deficiency increases stress-related symptoms such as anxiety and physical tension.
• Zinc: Supports neurotransmitter function, brain health, and emotional resilience, while also reducing oxidative stress. Low zinc leads to mood disturbances and difficulty handling stress.
• Selenium: Protects the body and brain from oxidative damage caused by stress and supports mood regulation. Selenium deficiency is also linked to anxiety and depression.

Stress itself causes your body to increase the demand for these minerals: you need more during stressful times.

3. Vitamin D​

Low levels of vitamin D are linked to high stress levels. Here's what might be causing that:

• Vitamin D helps you regulate mood by supporting serotonin production. Adequate vitamin D helps you maintain a more stable mood and reduces stress-related emotional fluctuations.
• Vitamin D helps regulate cortisol levels, preventing excessive stress hormone production.
• Vitamin D is neuroprotective. Chronic stress leads to brain inflammation which contributes to mood disorders and impaired cognition.

Deficiencies and insufficiencies are very common. Consider taking a high-dose, microencapsulated form of vitamin D to ensure absorption.

4. Other Deficiencies​

With most of these, a balanced diet is all you need:

• B Vitamins (B6, B9, B12): Deficiencies lead to low serotonin and GABA levels, making stress harder to manage and reducing stress resilience. Vegans need to supplement B12 since it's only found in animal products.
• Vitamin C: While not that common, low levels of vitamin C reduce your ability to handle emotional stress.
• Calcium: Low calcium levels result in irritability, anxiety, and muscle tension, making it harder to relax.
• Tryptophan: Deficiencies in this amino acid aren't very common, but stress increases your body's demand for serotonin, which depletes tryptophan levels.
• Iron: Iron deficiency leads to fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and a weakened ability to handle stress. Most women need to supplement with iron. We like this one.
• Testosterone: No, it's not a nutrient, but low-T men and women don't handle stress well, so get tested or take a natural testosterone booster during especially stressful times. One study found that Longjack or Tongkat Ali improves your stress hormone profile (lower cortisol; higher testosterone) and certain mood states, shielding your body from the detrimental effects of chronic stress.