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SYMPTOMS

Anxious or stressed

Everyday reasons for stress and anxiety, what to ask your doctor to check, and which nutrients have been studied.

Also described as: anxious, anxiety, stressed, stress, on edge, nervous, worried, worry, panic, tense, overwhelmed, wired

Common everyday causes

Stress load (your stress response on overdrive)

Ongoing stress keeps cortisol and adrenaline up: wired-but-tired, poor sleep, cravings, gut upset, shedding and lower libido. No routine test is reliable (a morning cortisol is only a snapshot).

Low magnesium

Magnesium relaxes muscles and nerves and is used in hundreds of energy reactions. Diet, stress, alcohol, acid reducers and water pills all lower it. Ask for a red-blood-cell (RBC) magnesium test; serum magnesium misses most low levels.

Caffeine timing and amount

Caffeine lasts 5–6 hours: afternoon coffee steals deep sleep, and too much drives jitters, a racing heart and the afternoon crash. No test — try no caffeine after noon for 2 weeks.

Not enough restorative sleep

Under 7 hours, or broken sleep, lowers energy, focus, mood and immune defenses and raises cravings the next day. No test. Track sleep for a week; see a doctor if it lasts more than 3 months (CBT-I is first-line).

An overactive thyroid

Too much thyroid hormone speeds everything up: anxiety, a racing heart, poor sleep, heat intolerance, loose stools and hair shedding. Ask for TSH and free T4.

Hormone shifts of perimenopause and menopause

Falling and swinging estrogen drives hot flashes, night waking, mood changes and lower libido, usually from the early 40s. Diagnosis is by symptoms and cycle changes; hormone tests swing too much to rely on. Ask your doctor about hormone therapy or non-hormonal options.

If you take certain medicines

Acid reducer lowering magnesium and B12

Long-term acid reducers (especially PPIs) lower magnesium and B12 absorption. Ask for magnesium and B12 tests, and whether you still need the acid reducer.

The pill lowering B6, folate and magnesium

Hormonal contraceptives lower B6, folate, B12, magnesium and zinc and raise the protein that binds testosterone (lower libido for some). Ask for B6, folate and magnesium tests if symptoms started with the pill.

What’s been studied

• Rhodiola

  For stress load.

• L-theanine

  For stress load.

• Vitamin E

  For menopause transition.

• Glycine

  For sleep debt.

• Vitamin B12

  For acid reducer.

• Vitamin B6

  For the pill.

• Methylfolate

  For the pill.

• Magnesium

  For stress load.

From the Journal

• Magnesium glycinate vs citrate vs oxide: which form should you take?

  Glycinate, citrate, oxide, malate, threonate and taurate compared on magnesium content, absorption, gut comfort and capsule space, plus the 350 mg supplement limit and medicine timing.

• Which supplements interact with common medications?

  The best-documented supplement and medicine interactions, from vitamin K and warfarin to St. John's wort, minerals and thyroid medicine, and 5-HTP with SSRIs.

• Which supplements help you sleep? What the research shows

  Magnesium, L-theanine, melatonin, saffron, glycine and tart cherry: what the trials found, the doses studied, and when poor sleep is a reason to see a doctor instead.

• What is functional medicine, and how does it use supplements?

  What functional and integrative medicine mean, how practitioners use history and labs to choose supplements, and how to judge the evidence and the marketing yourself.

apiece asks a few quick questions about stress and anxiety in its quiz to tell these causes apart, and suggests only ingredients studied for the likely ones.

Questions

What can cause stress and anxiety?

Common everyday reasons include stress load, low magnesium, caffeine, sleep debt, overactive thyroid. A doctor can help find which applies to you.

What tests can help explain stress and anxiety?

Ask your doctor about: No routine test is reliable (a morning cortisol is only a snapshot); a red-blood-cell (RBC) magnesium test; serum magnesium misses most low levels; No test — try no caffeine after noon for 2 weeks; No test. Track sleep for a week; see a doctor if it lasts more than 3 months (CBT-I is first-line); TSH and free T4; Diagnosis is by symptoms and cycle changes; hormone tests swing too much to rely on. Ask your doctor about hormone therapy or non-hormonal options.

Which supplements are studied for stress and anxiety?

Depending on the cause: Rhodiola, L-theanine, Vitamin E, Glycine, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, Methylfolate, Magnesium. Some only make sense with a lab result (for example iron only when ferritin is low).*

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This page is general information, not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting a supplement, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or nursing, or have a health condition. Updated 2026-10-21.