Vitamin B can help lower work stress

If your office work keeps you under stress, then there’s an easy way out now. By making some dietary changes, you can fight stress in a better way. A recent research says that consuming more vitamin B — found in meat, beans and wholegrains — seems to significantly lower work-related stress.

If your office work keeps you under stress, then there’s an easy way out now. By making some dietary changes, you can fight stress in a better way. A recent research says that consuming more vitamin B — found in meat, beans and wholegrains — seems to significantly lower work-related stress.

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These were the findings of a three-month trial, conducted by Con Stough, professor at Swimburne University of Technology, where participants were given a course of either high dose vitamin B supplements or a placebo — inert medicine for control group.

“By lowering stress, we also lower the risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, depression and anxiety,” Stough was quoted as saying by the journal Human Psychopharmacology.

Researchers assessed 60 participants against factors such as personality, work demands, mood, anxiety and strain and then re-evaluated them at 30 and 90 days, said Stough, according to a Swimburne statement.

“At the end of the three-month period, those in the Vitamin B group reported much lower levels of work stress than they did at the beginning of the trial,” Stough said. “On the other hand, those in the placebo group showed no significant change,” he added.

“Vitamin B, which is found in whole unprocessed foods, is integral to the synthesis of neurotransmitters critical to psychological wellbeing,” he said. “But the reality is that people don’t get enough vitamin B from their diet, so the new trend is they are turning to vitamin supplementation,” added Stough.

Stress busters

Cereal and soya powder and milk make a vitamin

B-rich breakfast

Have broccoli in your salad

Replace polished rice with the brown rice

Pulses have vitamin B in abundance, so do include them in your dinner meal.

Yogurt is a great source of vitamin B.