The best science-backed supplements for stress relief

If you feel your stress levels have hit an all-time high, you’re not alone; over 55% of Americans report feeling stressed during the day [1].

While occasional stress is normal, chronic stress can affect your inflammatory markers, immune system, and heart health and lead to elevated blood pressure and risk of stroke and heart attacks. 

Thankfully, there are ways to alleviate those feelings of stress and anxiety. Implementing certain lifestyle changes, such as engaging in physical activity, practicing meditation, and prioritizing self-care are beneficial. Additionally, scientific evidence suggests that specific supplements could also help reduce stress and anxiety levels. While supplements aren’t a magic pill to alleviate all stress, some have demonstrated the ability to help lower anxiety levels, tame sleep troubles, and ease depression symptoms. 

Before we further explore the best supplements for stress relief, let’s first understand what stress is and its impact on your health.

What is stress?

Stress is a natural human response defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation [2]. There are two different types of stress that you can experience: acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term). Acute stress is temporary and occurs after a stressful event, whereas chronic stress is prolonged and could last weeks, months, or even years. 

While acute stress could cause some temporary unrest, experts continue to find that being chronically stressed could contribute to negative health outcomes like anxiety, depression, digestive issues, headaches, muscle tension and pain, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep problems, and weight gain [3]. 

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Elo Smart Gummies deliver essential vitamins and minerals and incorporate health-boosting functional ingredients (such as ashwagandha, vitamin D, and zinc) to help alleviate stress and streamline your daily supplementation routine. They are also vegan, allergen-free, and added sugar-free. Get your Smart Gummies today!

7 science-backed supplements for stress relief

While certain lifestyle choices (like exercise, sleep, and self-care) can help alleviate stress, certain supplements may also be a positive solution. Here are 7 of the best supplements for stress, according to science.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an evergreen shrub native to India and Southeast Asia and a commonly used medicinal herb in Ayurvedic medicine. 

Ashwagandha has numerous health benefits, as studies show it may help reduce blood sugar, lower inflammation, boost immunity, and improve brain function [4]. Research also indicates that taking ashwagandha reduces cortisol levels in the blood and significantly lowers symptoms of stress and its associated disorders–such as fatigue, insomnia, and cognitive impairment [4].

Dosing recommendations

Typical ashwagandha root extract dosages range from 250–600 mg/day, with the most common dosing protocol being 600 mg/day divided into two doses for morning and night [4]. 

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Precautions

You should avoid taking ashwagandha if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, have a thyroid condition or autoimmune disease, or take immunosuppressants, sedatives, diabetes drugs, or blood pressure reducers [5]. 

Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays many critical roles in the body, including protein synthesis, bone health, energy production, disease prevention, and heart, muscle, and nerve function [6]. It also helps relax muscles, quiet the mind, and regulate melatonin production, making for a powerful sleep aid due to its impact on muscle relaxation [8]. 

More research on magnesium and reduced sleep disturbances is needed, but some studies have demonstrated that magnesium supplements improve several measures of insomnia, including sleep efficiency and duration [9]. Sleep is particularly important for managing stress levels, as a report found that adults who slept fewer than eight hours a night claimed to have higher stress levels than those who got at least eight hours of shut-eye [10]. 

Additionally, studies have found an interesting connection between stress and its impact on magnesium levels. Excess stress may increase the risk of magnesium deficiency, consequently increasing your body’s susceptibility to stress [7]. 

Dosing recommendations

Magnesium needs vary by age and gender. Here is the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for magnesium [6]: 

• Males 14-18 years: 410 mg/day

• Males 19–30 years: 400 mg/day

• Males 31+ years: 420 mg/day

• Females 14-18 years: 360 mg/day (400 mg/day during pregnancy)

• Females 19–30 years: 310 mg/day (350 mg/day during pregnancy)

• Females 31+ years: 320 mg/day (360 mg/day during pregnancy)

Despite its importance in the body, it’s estimated that 60% of adults do not meet the RDA for magnesium [11]. 

Precautions

Magnesium supplementation isn’t right for everyone, as supplements may interact with certain medicines (including diuretics, heart medicines, and some antibiotics) and could cause negative issues if you have diabetes, kidney, heart, or intestinal disease [12]. 

Medicinal mushrooms

Medicinal mushrooms are fungi that offer powerful health benefits, such as improved cognition, better sleep quality, reduced inflammation, and lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Eastern medicine has long used these adaptogens to promote healing, enhance immunity, aid digestion, and relieve stress. Common varieties include lion’s mane, reishi, Chaga, and maitake mushrooms and can be taken as a powder, an extract, or in their natural state.

Whether you’re looking to improve sleep, boost mental health, or reduce inflammation, research suggests medicinal mushrooms can offer impressive benefits. For instance, studies show that reishi mushrooms may have anticancer properties, reduce inflammation, improve sleep, reduce stress, alleviate anxiety, and ease depression [13]. Research also indicates that maitake mushrooms may play a role in healthy immune function, stress levels, lowered cholesterol levels, and improved blood sugar levels [14]. 

Dosing recommendations

The dosage for medicinal mushrooms depends on your age, weight, height, and strength of the supplement. As such, you should carefully read the label instructions before taking medicinal mushrooms.

Precautions

Each medicinal mushroom has different precautions, so talk with your healthcare provider to find the one that works best for you. 

Vitamin D

Otherwise known as the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D is an essential nutrient that plays a crucial role in calcium absorption and immune function, as well as bone, muscle, and heart health [15]. 

There is also some evidence that vitamin D plays a role in cognitive function, as deficiency has been associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety, poor sleep quality, and bad moods, all of which can negatively impact stress levels [16,17,18]. 

Dosing recommendations

For vitamin D, the recommended daily allowance for men and women 19-70 years old is 600 - 800 IU, but some evidence suggests that 2,000+ IU may be helpful for certain people [15]. 

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Precautions

When consumed in excess, vitamin D can cause toxicity by way of hypercalcemia, which can lead to nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, loss of appetite, dehydration, polyuria, excessive thirst, and kidney stones [15]. 

Zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral that plays a role in immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis, and cell division [19]. Research also indicates that zinc might be beneficial in alleviating symptoms of stress, as there appears to be a correlation between low zinc plasma levels and people with anxiety [20]. Zinc therapy has been shown to increase plasma levels, which may improve anxiety and stress symptoms.

Dosing recommendations

The RDA for zinc is as follows [19]: 

• Men over 14 years old: 11 mg/day

• Women 14-18 years old: 9 mg/day (12 mg/day and 13 mg/day for breastfeeding and lactation, respectively)

• Women over 19 years old: 8 mg/day (11 mg/day and 12 mg/day for breastfeeding and lactation, respectively)

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Precautions

While zinc supplements are usually well-tolerated, they can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain in some people, along with coughing, headache, and fever in those taking more than 40 mg/day [21].  Zinc supplements have also been shown to interfere with the absorption of certain antibiotics and may reduce their effectiveness if taken simultaneously [19].

Turmeric

Turmeric is a bright yellow spice made from the root of the Curcuma longa plant and has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to help ease various ailments. Research suggests that turmeric and curcumin (a naturally occurring compound that gives turmeric its bright color) could help manage inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, and hyperlipidemia, reduce exercise-induced inflammation and muscle soreness, and enhance recovery in active people [22]. 

Furthermore, studies have found that curcumin could be effective in reducing anxiety symptoms, as it may elevate serotonin and lower stress hormones like cortisol [23]. 

Dosing recommendations

There is no standard dose for turmeric; however, the World Health Organization (WHO) has established 1.4 mg of curcumin/pound of body weight (0–3 mg/kg) as an acceptable daily intake [24]. 

Turmeric supplementation that provides 500-1,000 mg/day of curcumin may help improve symptoms of depression and anxiety and offer numerous other health benefits related to inflammation, arthritis, depression, and intestinal bowel disease [25]. That said, while curcumin may reduce symptoms of depression, it should not be considered an alternative or primary treatment for depression.

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Precautions

While turmeric typically doesn't have serious side effects, mild side effects (like stomach upset, nausea, dizziness, or diarrhea) may be more common when taken at higher doses.

You should avoid taking turmeric if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have diabetes, gallstones, gallbladder, kidney disease, bleeding disorders, or immunity problems [26]. Moreover, turmeric can interfere with many medications, including anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs, estrogen, and medicines used to treat diabetes and certain cancers. Because of this, it's best to consult your doctor before using turmeric supplements. 

L-theanine

L-theanine is an amino acid found primarily in black and green tea that promotes relaxation and sleep. 

Studies have demonstrated L-theanine’s ability to improve stress-related symptoms (such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia), as people who took it experienced fewer sleep quality problems and sleep disturbances throughout the night [27]. Evidence has also shown that L-theanine’s sleep benefits may be amplified when taken with gamma-aminobutyric acid (aka GABA), a neurotransmitter that improves sleep disturbances [28]. 

Furthermore, research indicates that L-theanine may promote mental health in the general population with stress-related ailments and cognitive impairments and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety [29]. It can also benefit those who experience increased blood pressure in stressful situations. For example, one study found that people who usually experienced higher blood pressure after specific mental tasks found that L-theanine helped reduce an increase in blood pressure [30]. 

Dosing recommendations

Experts suggest taking 200-400 mg/L-theanine for 4-8 weeks, but talk with your healthcare provider to see if this is right for you [31].

Precautions

Because L-theanine may lower blood pressure, it could increase the effects of antihypertensive drugs. As such, talking with your healthcare provider before using this supplement is recommended.

Summary

Occasional stress is normal, but chronic stress can affect your inflammatory markers, immune system, and heart health, leading to elevated blood pressure and risk of stroke and heart attacks.

While certain lifestyle changes (like physical activity, meditation, and self-care) are beneficial, science shows that certain supplements may also make a difference. Supplements such as ashwagandha, magnesium, L-theanine, and vitamin D have been shown to lower anxiety levels, tame sleep troubles, and ease depression symptoms. While they aren’t meant to be a cure-all, they may be beneficial when added to your daily routine.

Disclaimer: The text, images, videos, and other media on this page are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended to treat, diagnose or replace personalized medical care.