Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent class of mental health conditions, encompassing generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias. Core features include excessive worry, hyperarousal, autonomic symptoms (tachycardia, sweating, gastrointestinal distress), and avoidance behaviors. Professional diagnosis matters because symptom overlap with hyperthyroidism, cardiac arrhythmias, stimulant use, and caffeine intoxication is substantial.

First-line interventions are cognitive behavioral therapy and SSRI or SNRI pharmacotherapy for moderate-to-severe presentations. Adjunctive nutritional interventions have modest evidence. L-theanine (200-400mg) reduces acute anxiety within 30-60 minutes of dosing. Magnesium glycinate (300-400mg elemental) shows benefit for anxiety in magnesium-deficient individuals and contributes to GABAergic tone. Saffron (Crocus sativus extract, 30mg/day) shows anxiolytic effect in clinical trials, with effect sizes approaching benzodiazepine-level for mild-to-moderate presentations over 8-12 weeks.

Lifestyle modifications consistently produce larger effects than any supplement. Caffeine reduction (especially below 200mg daily) often produces noticeable benefit in sensitive individuals. Regular aerobic exercise shows effect sizes SMD 0.4-0.6 in meta-analyses of anxiety outcomes. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBSR, MBCT) have RCT support with SMD 0.3-0.5. Sleep regulation is particularly important because anxiety and insomnia form a bidirectional loop that supplements alone rarely resolve.