What you should know about Vitamins

Vitamins B and C: are considered to be the most important vitamins in the battle against stress. A diet high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, junk foods, and carbonated drinks may cause a deficiency of vitamin B, which can upset the nervous system, causing symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, agitation, nightmares, fatigue, night sweats, poor appetite, bowel problems, depression, and recurrent infections.

Vitamin B3: may be deficient in people with a low protein diet particularly if they have a high alcohol intake. It can cause irritability, fatigue, anxiety, headaches, insomnia, poor memory, emotional instability, and skin problems. There may be diarrhea and a sore tongue in some extreme cases.

Vitamin B6: deficiency can cause anxiety, depression and personality changes - often experienced before a period as premenstrual syndrome. It can be a result either of poor diet or of taking the contraceptive pill.

Vitamin B12: deficiency can give rise to depression, fatigue, nervousness, and anxiety. It may arise during stressful periods because gastric acidity, necessary for proper B12 absorption, is reduced in some people with emotional problems.

Vitamin C: (ascorbic acid) has been researched widely for its ability to enhance resistance to stress and its use as a treatment for nervous and psychiatric problems. It has been found for example that schizophrenics can require 70,000 mg of vitamin C before their body reaches saturation, while others may only need 4,000 mg. Emotional stress and strain causes the body to use much more ascorbic acid.