Teens: Help Banish Test Anxiety with Vitamin C

When anxiety is looming, it’s tough to perform at your best, especially on exam days. If you’re feeling anxious, a calmer state of mind could be as simple as getting enough vitamin C, according to one study.

This intriguing study (1) was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, considered the gold standard in clinical research. 

The researchers randomly assigned 42 moderately anxious, but otherwise healthy, high school students to one of two treatments: a vitamin C supplement (500 milligrams per day) or a dummy pill (placebo). 

Compared to the placebo group, the vitamin C group significantly reduced their anxiety level in as little as two weeks. The researchers believe vitamin C helps reduce oxidative stress in the brain, which is associated with anxiety. Vitamin C may also modulate the action of neurotransmitters, the biochemical messengers nerve cells use to communicate. In fact, the central role of vitamin C in the synthesis of neurotransmitters likely explains its high level in the brain.

Fill your plate with calm

How do you get the same amount of anxiety-reducing vitamin C on your daily plate? You could take a daily supplement with 500 milligrams like the students in the study did. (Check your multivitamin; it just may meet the mark.) 

You could also eat more vitamin C-rich foods. Think fresh vegetables and fruits, especially citrus fruits. Here are a few ideas to get you started, each providing about 100 milligrams of vitamin C per serving:

• For a grab-and-go snack, reach for an orange (1 large)
• Top off a lunch salad with sweet red pepper strips (1/2 cup)
• Serve up steamed broccoli at dinner (1 cup)
• For a sweet treat, grab some fresh strawberries (1 cup)
• For a tropical twist, enjoy a bowl of fresh pineapple chunks (1¼ cup

Here’s to making sure you are getting enough vitamin C to help bring calm to your school day!

You’ve Got This!

Lorna & Kathleen (The EatingFor Team)