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A quick note first: this guide is about everyday stress and occasional worry, not anxiety disorders. If anxiety is constant, stops you doing everyday things, or comes with panic attacks, please talk to a doctor. There are effective treatments. If you’re in crisis in the US, call or text 988 any time.
Deadlines stack up, sleep gets shorter, and your mind won’t switch off. Stress is part of life, but when it runs for weeks it starts to show up everywhere: tense shoulders, a racing mind at 2 a.m., low patience and afternoon crashes. No wonder “best supplements for stress and anxiety” is one of the most searched health questions online.
Some supplements do have solid research behind them. Others are mostly marketing. This guide ranks the most popular options by the strength of the evidence, explains who each one suits, and covers the safety points that matter. It also covers the habits that calm your stress response more reliably than any capsule.
When you sense a threat, your brain triggers the HPA axis (hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands). Your adrenal glands release adrenaline and cortisol. Your heart rate rises, blood sugar climbs and your focus narrows. That response is useful in short bursts. The trouble starts when it never fully switches off.
With chronic stress, cortisol can stay high in the evening, when it should be falling. That makes it harder to fall asleep, and poor sleep then makes you more reactive to stress the next day. Stress also uses up nutrients. Magnesium is lost faster through urine under stress, and B vitamins are used heavily in making the neurotransmitters that regulate mood. That’s why nutrition and sleep sit at the center of any stress plan. For the cortisol side in more depth, see how to lower cortisol and restore your circadian rhythm.
Stress is a response to a pressure you can usually name: a work deadline, money worries, caring for someone. It tends to ease when the pressure passes. Anxiety is worry or fear that continues even without a clear trigger, or is out of proportion to it. The two overlap a lot, and the supplements below are mostly studied for everyday stress and mild anxiety symptoms.
See a doctor if worry feels constant or uncontrollable, you have panic attacks, you avoid places or people because of anxiety, or symptoms have lasted more than a few weeks. If you take any medication for anxiety or depression, check with your prescriber before adding supplements.
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an adaptogen from Ayurvedic medicine, and it’s the best-researched herb for stress. A 2022 meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials with about 1,000 participants found it significantly reduced both anxiety and stress compared with placebo, with stress benefits seen at 300 to 600 mg a day (Akhgarjand et al., 2022). A 2024 meta-analysis also found lower cortisol levels (Arumugam et al., 2024). The trials varied quite a bit, so the certainty of evidence is rated low to moderate, but it’s still the best-supported option on this list.
Best for: feeling “wired but tired”, stress that affects sleep, and high cortisol. Most studies ran for 6 to 8 weeks, so give it time. Learn more in the science of ashwagandha for stress and ashwagandha and cortisol.
Magnesium helps regulate the HPA axis and the calming GABA system, and many adults don’t get enough from food. In a randomized trial of 264 healthy but stressed adults with low blood magnesium, 300 mg of magnesium a day cut stress scores by more than 40% over eight weeks. Adding vitamin B6 gave extra benefit in people with severe stress (Pouteau et al., 2018). A systematic review found magnesium may help mild anxiety in people prone to it, although the authors noted that study quality was poor (Boyle et al., 2017).
Best for: muscle tension, restless evenings and stress with poor sleep. Magnesium glycinate is gentle on the stomach and a popular choice for the evening. See magnesium for sleep when stress keeps you wired and what magnesium does for the body.
B vitamins are needed to make serotonin, dopamine and GABA, and demand for them rises under stress. A meta-analysis of 12 trials found B vitamin supplements significantly reduced stress, with a trend toward benefit for mood. They made no clear difference to anxiety scores (Young et al., 2019). Benefits were greatest in people with poor diets or higher risk. A methylated B-complex uses the active forms (methylfolate and methylcobalamin), which your body can use directly. Our guide to which B vitamins are good for mood covers the details.
L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea. In a four-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 200 mg a day reduced stress-related symptoms, including anxiety and depression scores, and improved sleep quality in healthy adults (Hidese et al., 2019). It was a small study of 30 people, so treat it as promising. L-theanine won’t make you sleepy during the day, and it pairs well with coffee (see L-theanine and caffeine for jitter-free focus).
A 2018 meta-analysis of 19 clinical trials with more than 2,200 participants linked omega-3 supplements with reduced anxiety symptoms. The benefit was clearest at doses of at least 2,000 mg a day and in people with a diagnosed condition (Su et al., 2018). Omega-3s also support heart and brain health, so they’re a useful foundation, but don’t expect quick results.
If stress shows up as exhaustion rather than restlessness, rhodiola may suit you better than ashwagandha. In studies of people with life-stress symptoms and burnout, stress, fatigue and mood improved over 4 to 12 weeks (Edwards et al., 2012; Kasper & Dienel, 2017). These studies had no placebo group, so the evidence is early. Compare the two adaptogens in rhodiola vs ashwagandha.
Glycine is an amino acid that helps lower core body temperature at bedtime, one of the signals that starts sleep. In human studies, 3 g before bed improved subjective sleep quality. It also reduced next-day fatigue and sleepiness in people whose sleep was restricted (Bannai et al., 2012). It doesn’t treat stress directly, but better sleep makes you more resilient to it.
Cordyceps is a functional mushroom traditionally used for energy and stamina. Human research is limited and mostly focuses on exercise performance rather than stress, so think of it as supporting energy during demanding periods, not as a stress treatment.
| Supplement | Best for | Typical studied dose | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwagandha | Stress, anxiety, cortisol | 300–600 mg/day | Moderate (meta-analyses) |
| Magnesium | Stress with low magnesium; mild anxiety | ~300 mg/day | Moderate (large RCT; mixed reviews) |
| B vitamins | Perceived stress | B-complex daily | Moderate (meta-analysis) |
| L-theanine | Stress symptoms, sleep quality | 200 mg/day | Early (small RCT) |
| Omega-3s | Anxiety symptoms | 2,000+ mg/day | Moderate (meta-analysis) |
| Rhodiola | Stress-related fatigue, burnout | 200–400 mg/day | Early (open-label studies) |
| Glycine | Sleep quality under stress | 3 g before bed | Early (small studies) |
Start with one or two supplements, not seven. Take them consistently for at least four weeks, then review. A simple stress score (1 to 10) and a note of how you slept each night will tell you far more than guesswork.
A large 2023 overview of 97 reviews found that physical activity had meaningful benefits for anxiety, depression and psychological distress, often comparable to or better than standard treatments (Singh et al., 2023). Brisk walks count.
Slow breathing, with a longer exhale than inhale, shifts your nervous system toward “rest and digest” within minutes. Try it at your desk or before bed (see breathing exercises before bed).
Short sleep makes the stress response more reactive, and big blood sugar swings can feel a lot like anxiety. Regular meals with protein and fiber, a consistent bedtime and less caffeine after noon all help. If stress is costing you sleep, see our guide to the best supplements for sleep. If stress hits hardest in the afternoon, read how to stop the 3 p.m. energy crash.
The Holitro Stress Pack combines six of the ingredients in this guide in one daily tear-away pouch: Ashwagandha, Magnesium Glycinate, Methyl B-Complex, Omega-3s, Glycine and Cordyceps. It’s designed to support steady energy and everyday balance, without sorting through a shelf of bottles. Thirty pouches arrive each month.
Prefer rhodiola or L-theanine? Build your own combination with the Custom Pack Builder. Taking medication? Please check with your doctor or pharmacist first.
Ashwagandha has the strongest evidence, with several meta-analyses showing reduced stress, anxiety and cortisol. Magnesium, B vitamins and L-theanine are also well supported, particularly for everyday stress. The best choice depends on whether your stress shows up as restlessness, fatigue or poor sleep.
B vitamins are the best-studied vitamins for stress. A meta-analysis found they reduced perceived stress, especially in people with low intake. Magnesium, a mineral rather than a vitamin, is the other key nutrient, and combining it with vitamin B6 helped people with severe stress in one trial. Read more in what vitamins are good for stress.
The best-researched natural options are ashwagandha, magnesium, L-theanine, omega-3s and rhodiola. “Natural” doesn’t mean risk-free, though. Herbs can interact with medication, so check with your doctor if you take any prescriptions.
Ashwagandha has the most consistent evidence for lowering cortisol in stressed adults. Good sleep, regular exercise and steady blood sugar also help bring cortisol back into a healthy daily rhythm. See our full guide to natural supplements to lower cortisol.
L-theanine can feel calming within an hour. Magnesium often helps within a few weeks. Ashwagandha, rhodiola, B vitamins and omega-3s were studied over 4 to 12 weeks, so give them at least a month of daily use before deciding.
Yes. They work in different ways and are commonly combined, often in the evening. If you take sedatives, thyroid medication or blood pressure medication, check with your pharmacist first.
Some do. Ashwagandha, magnesium and B vitamins have randomized trial evidence for reducing stress. But results are modest, and supplements work best alongside sleep, exercise and stress-management habits, not instead of them.
Stress isn’t the only thing that drains energy. If you feel tired all the time, see our guide to the best vitamins for tiredness and lack of energy.
The best supplements for stress and anxiety are the ones matched to how your stress actually shows up. Ashwagandha leads the evidence, magnesium and B vitamins replace what stress uses up, L-theanine smooths out racing thoughts, and omega-3s, rhodiola and glycine fill specific gaps. Pair them with daily movement, slow breathing and protected sleep, and give them a month to work. If worry starts running your life, that’s the moment to talk to a doctor. If low mood is part of the picture too, read our guide to supplements for low mood and energy.
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