Anxiety is part and parcel of life for the average person. We worry and feel anxious about things such as new social interactions, important work meetings, or wondering if we could fit all our errands into one morning.
Typically, this is a natural response keeping us aware of the importance of our actions in such scenarios. And while most people are able to take a deep breath and slide past the nerves, for some of us the worst outcome can be much more severe, and it takes much more than breathing exercises to push through.
Anxiety and panic disorders are common conditions that affect nearly 13 million U.S. adults and are characterized by persistent and excessive feelings of anxiety towards everyday events and situations.
In many cases, feelings of anxiety reduce the individual’s ability to function normally in social situations. And for those suffering from these kinds of attacks, it can be greatly difficult to see a way out.
Thankfully, a 2013 study conducted by the Okayama University Medical School in Japan may have made a breakthrough discovery that could help anticipate, and even prevent panic and hyperventilation attacks in those at risk.
The study gives important insight into the relationship between mental health and nutritional deficiencies, showing that low vitamin B6 and iron levels may actually give way to the brain’s chemical changes responsible for panic attacks, hyperventilation, and other forms of anxiety.
The researchers examined the nutritional levels of 21 subjects with varying degrees of anxiety and frequencies of hyperventilation and panic attacks.
Some of them ended in emergency room visits. The participants were examined for different nutritional deficiencies and abnormalities in hopes of noticing a pattern. They later compared their measurements with a control group with healthy levels of B6 and iron and found that those levels were significantly lower in the group who suffered from the attacks than in the control group.
Simply put, a deficiency in B vitamins can lead to mental health problems, and this is why it is vitally important to keep your levels in check.
A poor diet, chronic stress, and some medical conditions can drain your body’s storage of essential nutrients. Vitamin B deficiency symptoms may include irritability, restlessness, fatigue, anxiety and emotional instability.
If you are planning to take vitamin B supplements, makes sure they are whole-food-based. They are better absorbed by the body than their synthetic counterparts. In addition, whole-food-based supplements are much healthier and better capable of giving you optimal therapeutic benefits.
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