This is an amino acid found in green tea and one of the best supplements for anxiety if you’re looking for calm without the ‘sleepy’ compounds. Rather than acting like a sedative, it appears to promote a state of relaxed alertness, helping influence GABA, serotonin and dopamine activity while encouraging alpha brain waves (the brain wave pattern often associated with meditation and relaxed focus).
In this trial, adults who took 200 mg a day saw reductions in anxiety and improved sleep quality scores compared to placebo. Participants taking 200 mg of L-theanine daily for four weeks showed reductions in depression scores, anxiety scores, and sleep quality scores compared to placebo. Other trials using it as a single dose before a stressful task found it blunted the cortisol spike and self-reported stress response.
Who might this suit?
- People who feel mentally wired but tired
- Experiencing work or study-related stress
- People who want relaxation without feeling sleepy
Typical researched dose: 200-400 mg a day
New Zealand soils and modern diets do not make it easy to hit optimal magnesium intake, and low status is consistently linked with higher anxiety. There is evidence that magnesium has a beneficial effect on subjective anxiety, particularly in people already vulnerable to anxiety symptoms such as PMS or mild anxiety.
🌿Related: 10 PMS Supplements For A Happy Cycle
Who might it suit:
- People with low dietary magnesium intake or on certain medications
- Those experiencing muscle cramps and tension
- Those who have poor sleep and mild anxiety
Typical researched dose: 200-400 mg magnesium daily
Good to know: The form of magnesium matters; oxides can cause gastric upset, so look for amino acid chelates, glycinates or bisglycinates.
🌿Related: 5 Different Types Of Magnesium And When To Take Them
3. Omega 3 (EPA/DHA)
Your brain is roughly 60% fat, and it needs the right kind of fat to support it and its function. A 2024 meta-analysis found that each additional gram per day of omega-3 supplementation produced a moderate reduction in anxiety symptoms, with the greatest benefit around 2 g a day.
Who might it suit:
- People who eat very little oily fish or fish in general
- Those wanting long-term brain and nervous system support
- Individuals looking for a supplement with benefits beyond mood
Typical researched dose: 1-2 g combined EPA/DHA daily.
Good to know: Fish oil can interact with blood-thinning medication, so check before starting a high dose.
Technically an adaptogenic herb rather than a nutrient, but it belongs on this list of the best supplements for anxiety because the human trial evidence is genuinely strong. A 2022 meta-analysis found that ashwagandha supplementation significantly reduced both anxiety and stress levels compared with placebo, and separate trial work has shown reductions on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale alongside meaningful drops in morning cortisol compared with placebo.
Who it might suit:
- People experiencing ongoing stress or overwhelm
- Stress-related anxiety or elevated cortisol
- People feeling mentally and physically exhausted
Typical researched dose: 240-600 mg per day of standardised root extract
Good to know: It may interact with thyroid medication, sedatives and some immunosuppressant medication. Check before starting any high-dose supplementation.
5. B complex (especially containg B1, B6 and B12)
B vitamins are cofactors your body needs to make calming neurotransmitters like GABA and serotonin. If you have no B vitamins to act like raw materials, then no matter how good everything else is, you can’t make the neurotransmitters you need.
A 2019 meta-analysis found B vitamin supplementation had a small but significant benefit for stress specifically, and a 2025 trial combining B1 and B2 found perceived stress scores dropped significantly more in the supplemented group than the placebo group over four weeks.
It’s worth noting that both papers could not find a link to reducing anxiety but did imply that it helps with stress reactions, so think of it as making sure the calming pathway has the parts it needs to run.
Who might it suit:
- People under prolonged physical or mental stress
- Inadequate dietary intake of B vitamins
- Needing nutritional support for normal nervous system function and energy production
Typical researched dose: There is no single confirmed dose, but a complex is recommended for a period of 8-12 weeks.
Good to know: They are not calming or sedating, but they help to support normal nervous system function and energy metabolism. Very high doses of vitamin B6 (above 100 mg a day for prolonged periods) may cause peripheral neuropathy, so more is not necessarily better.
Where do plants fit in?
Supplements are the building blocks of what we need to help with stress and anxiety, and plants can work alongside them to provide support for anxious moments.
Our Rest and Calm blend with Californian poppy and chamomile helps with daily nervous system support as well as when you need it acutely. Both plants have been used traditionally for years to help with anxiety, worry and stress.
Our Mood Boost with St John’s wort, hawthorn and lemon balm is a great formula to support those with low mood and those feeling the effects of chronic stress. It is not for everyone, though, as high-dose St John’s wort interacts with certain prescription medications, including antidepressants and the oral contraceptive pill, so please check before taking it.
Five things you could start this week:
1. Add oily fish to your meal plan or start an omega-3 supplement.
2. Swap your afternoon coffee for a magnesium-rich snack (pumpkin seed butter on toast, dark chocolate) and add in evening magnesium powder before bed.
3. Try L-theanine on a genuinely stressful day and notice whether it takes the edge off
4. Check your B vitamin intake and consider taking a daily activated B complex for both energy and a boost for your neurotransmitter production
5. If chronic stress has become your normal, consider trying our Mood Boost or ashwagandha to support your nervous system.
None of these suggestions replaces therapy or medication; they simply provide a nutritional foundation on which other strategies and support can be built.
Leave a comment