Recently, there has been a lot of buzz in the scientific arena about the benefits of vitamin B in helping to alleviate anxiety. But what are the foods that you should be eating to achieve this benefit?

If you eat a good diet, odds are that you will get enough vitamin B in your diet through existing meals. The diets of most people in the country, however, are relatively poor. In this case, you will probably need to take supplements to ensure that you are getting all of the vitamin B that you need.

There are multiple forms of vitamin B. Vitamin B1 or thiamine, is the type of vitamin B which has been shown to have an effect on anxiety. Natural sources of this vitamin include beef and other meats, milk and other dairy products, oats, and nuts and seeds. In addition, many foods that we eat every day such as cereals and breads are fortified with the vitamin. An excellent supplement to use if your body has a deficiency in thiamine is brewer's yeast. And, for those who love fruits, oranges have an above average amount of thiamine in them.

The lack of thiamine seems to be a factor in many sorts of anxiety related conditions. When tested, people that show signs of agitation, fear of closed or open spaces, as well as many types of psychosomatic problems - seem to have below normal levels of vitamin B. This does not mean that the lack of the vitamin is causing the anxiety condition. It simply means that, in some way, there is a correlation between the two things. The most likely explanation is that certain people are, by nature, more prone to anxiety attacks. In these people, Thiamine, in a way, acts as a drug and helps to moderate and lessen those feelings of anxiousness.

Another B vitamin that has shown signs of having a positive effect in reducing anxiety is vitamin B8 or inositol. Unfortunately, although it has shown much promise, there have not been enough studies on this vitamin to conclusively conclude one way or another if it can be an effective, dependable treatment. Foods that have high levels of inositol include organ meats like liver, fruits such as bananas and raisins, and supplements such as wheat germ and brewer's yeast.

When tested, many people seem to have a deficiency in vitamin B. One of the reasons is that we eat so many refined foods where this nutritional resource has been stripped from the food. To counteract this, as much as possible, try to change your diet to include more whole foods and unprocessed foods

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