The 9 Best Supplements for Anxiety and Our Recommendations for Relieving Anxiety Symptoms

Each capsule provides 45 mg of magnesium acetyl-taurate, which is around 11 percent of the daily value. We appreciate that the Life Extension brand does third-party testing on its supplements, and you can request a certificate of analysis for each lot.

You may need to take more than one capsule per day, though, depending on your personal magnesium needs. Also, be aware that magnesium can interfere with some medications.

Julie Kaur Kalair, MPH, RDN, a New York-based ayurvedic dietitian and founder of Good Food Karma, says, “Though magnesium does have a relaxing effect, that effect also extends to your digestive system.” This is why diarrhea may be a common side effect while taking a magnesium supplement. She also suggests checking your magnesium levels before taking a magnesium supplement to help better understand which dose is best for your needs.

Each two-drop serving also provides 1,000 international units of vitamin D3, which is 125 percent of the daily value. Plus, since it’s a liquid supplement, the dosing can easily be adjusted depending on your needs and can be added to any drink or food.

In addition to third-party testing, Thorne does four rounds of in-house testing for ingredient purity and is a trusted supplement brand. Thorne collaborates with top research institutions like the National Institutes of Health, Cleveland Clinic, and Mayo Clinic for clinical trials with their supplements.

A healthcare professional can help determine if L-theanine would be best for you, and they can also recommend an appropriate daily dosage. Stewart suggests that L-theanine may work best for anxiety related to stress management or sleep. But “research on L-theanine's impact on anxiety is mixed, and more research is needed,” she says.

Pure Encapsulations does third-party testing for ingredient purity in its supplements, and each capsule provides 200 mg of L-theanine. It’s also vegan, free from major food allergies, and doesn’t have any fillers or added ingredients.

If you’re thinking about taking an omega-3 supplement to help with anxiety, we suggest Viva Naturals Triple-Strength Omega-3. Each serving (two soft gels) provides a total of 2,250 mg, with 1,500 mg coming from EPA, a type of omega-3 that’s found in fish. This supplement is also third-party tested for ingredient accuracy and purity, and is tested for heavy metals — an important consideration for products that use fish oil.

Viva Naturals is IFOS-certified, meaning that the supplement is tested to ensure that the ingredients are accurate, free of contaminants, and are delivered fresh and not oxidized. A serving size of just two soft gels is pretty reasonable, considering the high dose of omega-3s you’ll get, but it may come with the side effect of fishy burps after taking it. Also, if you’re on any medications, speak with a healthcare professional first, as taking omega-3 supplements can interfere with medications.

The Pure Encapsulations O.N.E. Multivitamin stands out among multivitamin supplements, because it has vitamins and minerals in their most absorbable form, all in a single capsule. Each capsule provides over 100 percent of the daily value for vitamins A,D,E,K, and the B vitamins. It provides near or over 100 percent of the daily value for the minerals iodine, selenium, zinc, chromium, and molybdenum.

While these studies suggest that taking a multivitamin may help with anxiety, more research is still needed. Use of a multivitamin may help with anxiety if your diet is already lacking in several nutrients. But if your diet already provides what your body needs, you may see minimal improvements.

This multi doesn’t include iron, a nutrient that can be lacking for women or vegetarians. It also includes added antioxidants not found in other multivitamins, which could interfere with some medications. That’s why it’s a good idea to talk with a healthcare professional before taking any new vitamin supplements.

If a healthcare professional recommends that you take valerian root to help with sleep and anxiety, we suggest this supplement from Nutricost. Valerian root has been used for centuries as a sleep supplement that helps promote relaxation. So if your anxiety is interfering with your sleep, you might find this to be a helpful supplement.

“In Ayurveda, we do use valerian root, usually before bed to help support a restful sleep,” Kalair says. But she cautions that this supplement is only intended for short-term use, and you shouldn’t take valerian root indefinitely.

We appreciate that this supplement is third-party tested, non-GMO, and suitable for gluten-free and vegetarian diets. Each serving consists of two capsules, and there are 60 servings per bottle. It’s also one of the more-affordable options available.

We picked Pure Encapsulations Ashwagandha as our top-recommended ashwagandha supplement because it offers a 500-mg dose per one capsule serving — or in other words, a dose right in the middle of the NIH recommendation.

However, more research is needed to make a stronger recommendation. And before you try this supplement, talk with your doctor first.

Nutricost Passion Flower Extract tops our list as a passion flower supplement for anxiety, because it’s third-party tested and comes in a single-capsule serving size. Each capsule provides the equivalent of 1,500 mg of passion flower.

“Passion flower is an herb with calming effects that has been used, with great success, to manage anxiety. Its compounds are believed to increase levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that helps reduce brain activity, promoting relaxation and decreasing anxiety,” says Vanessa Imus, RDN, owner of Integrated Nutrition for Weight Loss in Bothell, Washington.

Double Wood Supplements Lemon Balm Tincture is an absorbable liquid that can be taken on its own or easily added to a drink or food. Double Wood also suggests adding these drops to a lemon-balm tea for an extra boost. This supplement is third-party tested, and the testing results and certificate of analysis are available on the company’s website.

Talk with a healthcare professional before taking lemon balm. “It should be used with caution in people with glaucoma and thyroid conditions. Lemon balm may also reduce the effectiveness of SSRIs,” says Stewart.