Can I Use Nootropics For Anxiety?

Anxiety can feel overwhelming and debilitating, but it doesn’t always require pharmaceutical intervention to manage effectively. In fact, many people are turning to natural methods, including lifestyle changes like exercise, meditation, and proper sleep, to reduce their symptoms. In this blog, we’ll focus on how nootropics—natural supplements including herbs, adaptogens, and amino acids—can serve as powerful tools for mitigating anxiety. These substances work by supporting brain health, balancing neurotransmitters, and reducing stress, offering a gentler approach to calming the mind and body without the side effects of medication.

Adaptogens For Anxiety

• Ashwagandha: Reduces cortisol levels and helps balance stress hormones, promoting calmness and reducing anxiety. One of the best forms is KSM-66.

• Rhodiola Rosea: Improves stress resilience by regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, helping reduce mental fatigue and anxiety.

• Tulsi (Holy Basil): Acts as an adaptogen to lower stress hormones (cortisol), reduce anxiety, and improve overall mental well-being. Holy basil also has anti-inflammatory properties and tastes quite nice! It makes for a wonderful evening tea.

Amino Acids For Anxiety

• L-Theanine: Promotes relaxation without sedation by increasing alpha brain waves and modulating GABA, serotonin, and dopamine levels. Often combined with caffeine for calm focus, but in the case of anxiety, might be best to just use l-theanine. This is one of our absolute favorites.

• Taurine: Modulates GABA activity in the brain, helping reduce excitatory signals and promoting a calming effect.

• Glycine: Works as a calming neurotransmitter that helps reduce overstimulation and promotes relaxation, making it helpful for anxiety.

Herbs For Anxiety

• St. John’s Wort: Used traditionally for mild to moderate depression and anxiety by increasing serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine levels. However, it can interact with medications, so caution is needed if you are already taking anxiolytic medications.

• Lemon Balm: Acts on GABA receptors, promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety and nervousness. Often used as a calming herbal tea.

• Kava: A powerful anxiolytic herb that promotes relaxation and eases anxiety by enhancing GABA activity, but can be liver-toxic if overused. That said, you would need to consume a LOT of kava for it to be liver toxic.

• Saffron: Shown to improve mood and reduce anxiety by influencing serotonin levels, offering a natural calming effect. There are some studies showing that saffron is actually as effective at relieving anxiety as popular anxiolytic drugs.

Vitamins And Minerals For Anxiety

• Magnesium: Helps regulate neurotransmitters and supports relaxation by enhancing GABA activity and managing cortisol. Magnesium deficiency is linked to increased anxiety and stress. Some of the best forms are citrate and glycinate, however there is a form that passes through the blood brain barrier which may be more effective for anxiety. That form is magnesium l-threonate.

• Vitamin B Complex (especially B6 and B12): Supports the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, crucial for mood regulation and anxiety reduction. Always go for the methylated forms though, as they are much more well absorbed by the body.

• Zinc: Plays a role in neurotransmitter function and the regulation of the brain's response to stress. Zinc deficiency is associated with higher anxiety levels. Some of the better forms of zinc are zinc picolinate and zinc citrate.

Other Nootropics For Anxiety

• Phosphatidylserine (PS100): Helps lower cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, which can help reduce anxiety and improve focus during stress.

• GABA: A naturally occurring neurotransmitter that has calming effects, though its direct effectiveness when supplemented is debated since it may not cross the blood-brain barrier efficiently. Instead, we would recommend other substances that allow your body to create GABA on its own, like theanine and lemon balm.

The journey through natural anxiety relief with nootropics highlights a diverse array of options from adaptogens like Ashwagandha and Rhodiola Rosea to calming amino acids such as L-Theanine. Nootropics for anxiety include supplements like Magnesium and Vitamin B Complex provide foundational support for neurotransmitter health, essential in mood management. While each substance offers unique benefits, their collective purpose is clear: to foster a state of calm and mental clarity without the potential side effects of pharmaceuticals. Embracing these natural alternatives can pave the way for individuals to take control of their anxiety, integrating these methods into a broader strategy for mental wellness.