Minerals and Botanicals for Acute Stress

Botanicals in isolation or combined, will be administered with a mineral and vitamin complex to moderately stressed, healthy adults in a parallel groups fashion in this randomised placebo controlled trial. Oscillatory brain activity (EEG) during rest and performance on cognitive tasks of attention will be examined after treatment intake under conditions of acute laboratory stress. The effects of treatments on stress responses (cardiovascular, subjective and cortisol responses) will also be assessed.

Inclusion criteria

• Adults capable of giving informed consent
• Male and Female
• ≥18 - ≤50 years of age (premenopausal if female)
• Effective contraception taken in females
• Women in luteal menstrual phase
• Body mass index (BMI) ≥18 and ≤30 kg/m2
• Normal vision or corrected to normal
• Moderately stressed (subjective report)

Exclusion criteria

• No known intolerance to minerals, vitamins or botanicals
• Intake of prescribed medication except contraceptives
• Intake of any regular medication/supplements
• History of significant hypertensive, hepatic, renal, pulmonary, gastro-intestinal, endocrinological, neurologic, haematological, psychiatric (inc. mood disorders), cardiac or allergic disease which is clinically relevant to the study
• Hypertension (self-report or resting blood pressure >160/95 mmHg)
• Diabetes (T1 or T2)
• Smoking more than occasional cigarettes (>5/day)
• Pregnant or lactating
• Previous participation in a stress study involving the Trier Social Stress Test
• Night-working/shift work
• Recreational drug use