Vitamins for Adrenals: The Secret to Preventing Severe Fatigue
The adrenal glands are located on top of the kidneys and produce hormones that help regulate blood pressure, heart rate, and other bodily functions. These glands also release adrenaline as a response to stress. When these glands become overworked or under-rested, they can cause fatigue and other symptoms such as anxiety, depression, weight gain or loss, trouble sleeping at night due to insomnia, or waking up feeling unrefreshed in the morning. In this article, we will discuss 11 vitamins for adrenals that will help your body stay healthy with less fatigue.
Vitamin A is necessary for healthy skin, hair growth, eye function, reproduction health (men & women), immune system function. Vitamin C combats free radicals which damage cells throughout your body while helping with wound healing; it also helps build strong connective tissue.
Table of Contents
What is the adrenal gland and what does it do for you?
The adrenal glands are two small endocrine glands that sit atop your kidneys. They produce a number of hormones, most notably cortisol – which helps to regulate blood sugar levels (insulin sensitivity), stress responses in all tissues of the body including the brain, as well as sex hormone production.
The primary function of these tiny organs is to help regulate your response to stress both physically and mentally by producing these important hormones needed for our bodies survival systems when faced with ongoing or acute physical trauma such as illness, injury, childbirth etc.
Adrenals also release adrenaline during moments of fear/stress and anxiety to increase heart rate so we can either fight-or-flight from dangerous situations.
A prolonged feeling of this fight-or-flight can cause increased anxiety and lean to adrenal fatigue. This is why you need to know what are the best vitamins for adrenal fatigue in order to avoid burnout.
How to test Adrenal Function
You can go to your doctor and tell them you have all the signs and symptoms of adrenal fatigue and you want to confirm this diagnosis. However, a lot of times doctors want to be in charge of your health and don’t allow you to have a say. So they may not order you blood work upon request unfortunately.
If that is the case, don’t worry. Life Extension has many blood tests, including hormone panels, adrenal panels, etc.
How does it work?
- You order a test online from Life Extension for the %20Life%20Extension%20Adrenal%20Stress%20Profile%20Saliva%20Test
The importance of getting enough sleep
Sleep is important for adrenal function. Inadequate sleep can increase stress hormones and weaken your immune system.
Insomnia is a condition that affects the quality of one’s sleep by not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep long enough for an adequate amount of time. Insomnia may also have symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, waking up too many times during the night, feeling unrefreshed when you wake up in the morning or waking before dawn.
You should aim for at least seven hours per night!
Studies show insomnia has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease. This is the case with a short duration of sleep or poor quality of sleep. (Lao et al., 2018)
Quality sleep and good sleep hygiene is essential to help your body better cope with stress.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America and there are preventative measures we can take. Such as exercising, consuming organic, antioxidant, and nutrient-rich foods, meditating, and getting enough sleep.
How to eat a healthy diet to help your adrenal glands function properly
– Having a healthy diet is not only about what you should avoid, but also the key nutrients your body needs. A well balanced and complete nutritional plan will help support your adrenal function – with some of the most important being Vitamin C, B Vitamins, Magnesium and Boron.
Greens, such as spinach, are a great way to get these vitamins in your diet because they provide high levels of magnesium which is needed for hormone production from both the adrenals gland as well as all other tissues within our bodies that need it to perform at peak capacity; including muscles! Eating whole foods like this helps ensure we’re getting enough essential fatty acids for hormonal balance too especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in higher amounts in fish and algae.
– Foods that help with adrenal health, including vitamins such as B complex vitamins which include riboflavin, pantothenic acid, vitamin C, folic acid.
Also, minerals like calcium or magnesium may be needed based on your diet and lifestyle. Supplementing with liquid minerals from companies like Ortho Molecular Products or Trace Minerals Research Incorporated. These liquid minerals can be added to your water or juice and are absorbed faster than capsules or tablets.
Foods that worsen adrenal gland function
– Sugary foods or drinks: Sugar can cause a spike in blood glucose levels which the adrenal glands will need to balance. This high and low fluctuation in sugar is hard on your body, especially since this process also uses up other vitamins for Adrenals like Vitamin B12.
– Caffeine: Caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks are all things that should be limited while you’re healing from an adrenal issue because they may worsen symptoms caused by fatigue. Not only do these products contain caffeine but many of them have sugars too!
Coffee has about 150mg per cup (any type) so it’s important to limit intake if you know it exacerbates your symptoms due to its overstimulation of the adrenals.
– Alcohol: Like caffeine, alcohol can disrupt sleep and cause dehydration which will make symptoms of fatigue worse! It’s important to stick to one drink or less per day if you’re recovering from a sluggish adrenal gland issue.
Also, toxins in alcohol that is sugary and non-organic can feed into anxiety and cause adrenal fatigue.
What Vitamins are Essential For Adrenal Function?
– Vitamin A – This vitamin is an antioxidant that helps to fight off free radicals in the body. It also supports healthy skin and mucous membranes, which can be helpful for those experiencing chronic fatigue from adrenal dysfunction or depression. Foods high in this are carrots, spinach, kale, broccoli and sweet potatoes
– Vitamins C & E – These two antioxidants help protect against oxidative stress on cells as well as aging of tissues (including the brain). They also act like a natural antihistamine by blocking histamine release triggered by allergies or stressful situations.(foods rich in these vitamins: oranges, strawberries, grapefruit)
– Magnesium – The mineral magnesium has many roles including calming muscle spasms and regulating blood sugar levels
. (foods rich in this: spinach, almonds)
– Iron – This mineral is an essential part of regulating cellular energy production and healthy red blood cells. It also helps carry oxygen to all body parts, including brain cells. This can be helpful if you feeling fatigued from adrenal dysfunction or depression. Iron-rich foods include beef, green beans with bacon, and black-eyed peas.
These vitamins for adrenals help support a good night’s sleep as well as support for our immune system. Making an adrenal cocktail can help you get a daily dose of adrenal-supporting nutrients.
The Best Vitamins for Adrenals
Magnesium is by far one of the best vitamins for adrenals, this is because magnesium helps you sleep better and it helps lower your cortisol levels. Taking it before bed, when your body may begin to wake you up more before bed due to cortisol, the magnesium can counteract that.
Life Extension Effervescent Vitamin C Magnesium Crystals (180 Grams) Unlike other products that provide relief from occasional constipation, this product uses vitamin C and magnesium carbonate.. Effervescent Vitamin C Magnesium Crystals, 180 grams Life Extension Adrenal Energy Formula (120 Vegetarian Capsules) Adrenal Energy Formula combines four stress-modulating extracts: holy basil, cordyceps, bacopa, and ashwagandha. Each scientifically validated to help support a healthy response to stress.. Adrenal Energy Formula, 120 vegetarian capsules
Adrenal supplements just like many other supplements take time to make a noticeable difference. This is because years of trauma, stress, and malnourishment can not be fixed overnight.If you aren’t sure which magnesium to take, read my article on the Best Magnesium for Anxiety. Or another popular article is Magnesium Glycinate vs. Bisglycinate, what is the difference and which should you take?
Other ways to support healthy adrenals
– Healthy lifestyle choices such as a healthy diet, adequate sleep, exercise, and avoiding stress. These habits are essential for everyone’s health but especially important for those with adrenal dysfunction or depression.
– Avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and other substances that may adversely affect the body’s stability should be avoided. This goes for anyone struggling with fatigue or a mood disorder such as depression.
Something like drinking may be fun and alleviate symptoms short-term, but long-term it can lead to negative effects. This can also be because alcohol depletes Vitamin B1 known as thiamine. Depleting B-vitamins can cause memory loss, due to overconsumption of alcohol.
Minimizing sugar consumption, as sugar increases cortisol in the body and can cause your body to be more stressed out.
In summary, your adrenals by getting good quality sleep, take a hot bath to reduce stress and muscle tension. Playful activities such as time with pets or kids are also great because they help you relax and have fun!
Conclusion
If you are feeling the effects of stress, it may be time to take a look at your lifestyle habits. Consider how little sleep or too much caffeine might be affecting your adrenal glands and causing them to function poorly. Eating a healthy diet with plenty of vegetables and fruits can support proper adrenal gland functioning. Supplements like Vitamin C, B vitamins, D3 Vitamins, Omega 3s, and Magnesium have been found to improve adrenals as well. Another way we can help keep our body balanced is by getting enough exercise every day. Even if that means walking around the block for 10 minutes!–and decreasing any other sources of chronic stressors in life such as people who do not add to our lives.
References:
Marissal-Arvy, N., Hamiani, R., Richard, E., Moisan, M. P., & Pallet, V. (2013). Vitamin A regulates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis status in LOU/C rats. The Journal of endocrinology, 219(1), 21–27. https://doi.org/10.1530/JOE-13-0062References:
Originally posted 2021-05-06 05:53:00.
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Megan Santiago
Owner at Holistic-MommaHello! My name is Megan Santiago, B.S in Psychology, I have a Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling and I am currently seeing clients as a Mental Health Counselor Intern. I am the Owner and Founder of Holistic-Momma.com. A little bit about me, I am OBSESSED with all things holistic health. I believe we can heal our physical bodies if we first heal our minds. I am a psychology major; I've worked alongside Naturopathic Doctors, Chiropractors, and numerous practitioners. I was a health educator for a well-known supplement brand, and now I share my experience and knowledge. I hope you learn something while on my site, and feel free to contact me with any questions!Latest posts by Megan Santiago (see all)
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