Can Vitamins Help Me?
The best place to go for mental health care is your doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist. This article is for those who are seeking supplemental options or are curious about the effects of nutrition on mental health.
Whether you have battled mental illness for years, or recently discovered a change in your mental health, the listed vitamins may be of use to you. Before we get started, it is important to know where and how to purchase supplements. With so many options on the market, it can get confusing. A simple tip: make sure the supplement is USP verified
What does USP verified mean? Why does it matter?
USP verified products guarantee the ingredients on the label of a product are correct in potency and amounts.
The label assures the nutrients are properly broken down and used in the body.
It makes sure the supplements have no harmful levels of specified contaminants.
For more information, check out: https://www.usp.org/verification-services/verifiedmark
Where to Find Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, selenium, and omega-3's have been scientifically proven to improve certain mental disorders.
If you have a hard time taking supplements, you can always find these vitamins and minerals in your favorite foods:
Leafy vegetables that contain high amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and folate.
Seaweed that has high levels of iron and zinc.
Grass-fed beef, lamb, goat, and chicken provide iron as well as Vitamin B-12.
Blindly taking supplements with the promise of improved mental health can feel like a long shot in the journey to mental health recovery. It is important to be aware of what you are consuming and what supplements do for your body specifically.
How Can They Help?
According to naturopath and nutritionist Dr Bradley McEwen PhD, vitamins and minerals can improve mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and more. For example, Vitamin B3 assists in controlling depression, anxiety, memory issues, and headaches. Zinc deficiency is associated with depression and irritability. Comparatively, magnesium deficiency is linked to nervousness and anxiety.
McEwen continues to demonstrate how supplements such as Ashwagandha can be used to enhance memory, reduce stress, anxiety, and improve memory. Probiotics and chamomile also offer similar assistance in these areas.
A Lesser-Known Supplement:
Research from Memik’s “Use of N-acetylcysteine in Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders,” indicates that a lesser-known supplement called NAC or, N-acetylcysteine can benefit those with OCD and other mental health disorders.
Memik says NAC can be effective in treating OCD by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation; it is a natural amino acid that modulates glutamate metabolism and acts The Best Vitamins for Mental Health (Final draft) 3 as an antioxidant. It is also effective especially for treating bipolar depression, schizophrenia, and repetitive behaviors seen in autistic spectrum disorders. Additionally, it does not lead to any serious side effects, even at a dose of 8000 mg/day, it has been rooted to be superior to other pharmacologic agents due to lack of side effects.
Now What?
With so many supplementation options, it can be a daunting and tiring task to acquire all these individual supplements according to your specific needs. If you find that it is too expensive or too hard to find quality brands, or simply too much to consume a dozen different pills, try finding a multivitamin that offers everything you need in one.
References
Cakin Memik, N., Yildiz Gundogdu, O., & Tural, U. (2015). Use of N-acetylcysteine in Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. Klinik Psikofarmakoloji Bulteni, 25(2), 193-206 McEwen, B. (2020). Building resilience during times of crisis: The naturopathic perspective. Journal of the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society, 26(2), 74-81. Tweed, V. (2021). Beat Depression & Anxiety with Food. Better Nutrition, 83(9), 34-38. https://www.usp.org/verification-services/verified-mark