What to take for stress

Graded by the strength of the evidence — strongest first. Nothing here is sold to you.

Melatoningrade B— Cochrane review of 27 RCTs (2319 participants): melatonin reduced preoperative anxiety versus placebo, with effects broadly comparable to benzodiazepines such as midazolam in the trials that compared them. Evidence for postoperative anxiety was less certain. This is an acute, perioperative-anxiety context, not general everyday stress.

L-Theaninegrade C— small calming effect; often paired with caffeine to smooth its edge

Ashwagandhagrade C— small reduction in perceived stress in short trials

Magnesiumgrade C— may modestly reduce subjective anxiety/stress, esp. in deficiency

Rhodiolagrade C— preliminary stress/burnout benefit; low-quality evidence