Stress

Carbs are known to help increase the production of serotonin,² a neurotransmitter that elevates mood and curbs stress. However, the refined carbs can also spike blood sugar, leading to low energy and poor mood shortly after. That’s why it’s so important to choose complex carbs. Not only will they provide a mood boost, but they also contain fiber to help buffer your blood sugar response—keeping your mood and energy on an even keel. Ka’Chava contains 25 grams of complex carbohydrates per serving.

Many B-vitamins play important roles in the development and maintenance of the nervous system, including the production of various neurotransmitters that can have a calming effect on the body, such as serotonin and GABA.³ Research suggests that deficiencies in B vitamins may increase the risk of developing stress-related symptoms such as lethargy, irritability, anxiety, and depression as well. Vitamin B5, specifically, may play a particularly important role in supporting the adrenal glands, which regulate stress hormone release.⁴ Several studies suggest that taking supplements containing a high dose of B-complex vitamins may improve general mental health, reduce stress, and reduce mental fatigue.⁵ Ka’Chava contains 59% to 250% of various B-complex vitamins per serving.

Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a role in healthy nervous system functioning and can help relax the body. Low levels of magnesium can contribute to feelings of stress and anxiety, and both physical and psychological stress are known to deplete your magnesium levels—and together, this can create a vicious cycle!⁶ Studies have found that magnesium supplementation can help decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increase levels of the sleep hormone melatonin.⁷ This is good news, since high levels of stress can often impair sleep and contribute to insomnia. Magnesium binds to and activates receptors for the neurotransmitter GABA, which has a calming effect on the mind and body.⁸

Excessive exposure of the brain to the stress hormone cortisol contributes to issues with learning, memory, attention, and regulating emotions—and this appears to be due, in part, to increased oxidative stress in the brain. Recently, however, research has indicated that the antioxidant mineral selenium may help protect against the negative impacts of stress by counteracting this oxidative stress.⁹ Oxidative stress has also been linked to a range of health conditions from heart disease to cancer to Alzheimer’s—so loading your diet up with foods rich in antioxidants like selenium is a great idea for many reasons.

Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, and like selenium, it may be beneficial at curbing stress and anxiety by counteracting the oxidative stress that accompanies it. Research has found that supplementation with about 500 mg of vitamin C reduced stress levels in study participants, and that it may play a role in anxiety prevention as well. While Ka’Chava doesn’t contain quite this much vitamin C, one serving still provides you with 33% of your daily value. For the rest, consider prioritizing fruits and veggies such as bell peppers, oranges, and berries.

While adaptogens aren’t exactly a nutrient per se, we’d be remiss not to mention them in regards to stress management. Adaptogens are a group of herbs and medicinal mushrooms that have a unique balancing effect on the body, helping you recover from physical and mental stressors and restoring homeostasis to the body. They’re thought to work by influencing the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, or HPA axis, which regulates the release of stress hormones like cortisol; and they may also improve ATP production, which can be beneficial for restoring physical and mental energy, which can be quite low when you’re stressed.¹⁰ Ka’Chava contains a range of adaptogenic mushrooms and roots, including maca, shiitake, maitake, reishi, and cordyceps.