Treatment of Anxiety with Nutritional and Herbal Supplements

The Nutrition Journal recently published a study that investigated the use of nutritional supplements for the treatment of anxiety disorders. The researchers pooled the results of 24 studies, which included 2,619 participants. Of the studies selected for review, 21 were randomized controlled trials and three were open-label, uncontrolled observational studies. The results revealed that while passionflower or kava and L-lysine and L-arginine appeared to be effective in relieving anxiety, St. John’s Wort and magnesium supplements were not. Also the participants involved in the studies reported only mild to moderate side effects from the nutritional supplements. Although further research is needed to determine effective dosages and variations with specific types of anxiety, these findings suggest that the use of certain nutritional supplements may be an effective alternative to manage anxiety disorders for some people.