In this review, we take a look at a herbal anti-anxiety product called Priority One Anxiety Balance. It has been formulated by the manufacturers, Priority One Nutritional Supplements, to promote a relaxed and calm state of well-being, even emotions during stressful periods, and healthy sleep cycles.
About one-fifth of the American population suffers from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and/or a more specific manifestation of this mental affliction. Constant, persistent stress which is overwhelming to an individual can be debilitating. It can interfere with focus and concentration, lead to a lack of calm and even panic, avoidance or compulsive behaviors, gastrointestinal pain and nausea, sleep difficulties and many other symptoms. In anxiety sufferers, the brain happiness chemicals of serotonin, dopamine and endorphins, among others, need to be increased or otherwise simulated.
This herbal product contains a branded ingredient, Cyracos, which contains the active ingredients of lemon balm in a quality form. Lemon balm has been used for centuries to reduce stress and fix interrupted sleep cycles. Let us look at the ingredients in more detail.
Ingredients
- Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) 100mg
- Griffonia simplicifolia (seed) (L-5-Hydroxytryptophan 98%) 75mg
- Hops (strobilies) (extract 4:1) (Humulus lupulus) 13mg
- Inositol
- Jujube (seed) (Ziziphus jujuba) (standardized extract 2% jujubosides) 50mg
- Lemon Balm (leaf) Cyracos Extract (Melissa officinalis) 80mg
- L-Glutamic Acid 25mg
- Magnesium (as rice chelate/citrate/oxide) 5mg
- Niacin (as niacinamide) 25mg
- Passionflower, Blue (whole herb) (extract 4:1) (Passiflora caerulea) 7mg
- Rhodiola rosea (rhizome) (standardized extract 4% rosavins) 50mg
- Thiamine HCL (vitamin B1 ) 25mg
This is a thorough and good natural synergy of plant-derived amino acids and other chemicals designed to calm, soothe and restore normal sleep patterns. The ingredients have been harvested according to good wet-to-dry ratios. A few stand-out ingredients make this a product that should work quite well across a broad spectrum of symptom intensity across the anxiety scale.
However, we do also notice one or two key traditional amino acids, such as L-Theanine, missing. L-Theanine has been strongly linked to an increase in serotonin, the ‘happy’ neurotransmitter which plays a big role in uplifting a low mood. It is also important to note that pure and great as this formulation is, essentially, anxiety requires a two-prong approach. The symptoms that typically occur at night, such as an inability to sleep due to worry, are different from those during the day. It would therefore be remiss of us not to note that in this Anxiety Balance Review. We are somewhat skeptical of the ability of one product to successfully enhance mood and induce good quality sleep in a single formulation, without feelings of drowsiness occurring during the day.
Dosage
One serving per day of one capsule is recommended, but it is safe to take two capsules per day. As a rule, children under 18, women who are pregnant and women who are breastfeeding should not take this supplement without consulting their doctor first.
Possible Side Effects
No side effects are explicitly stated but that does not mean none will occur, especially not in cases where too many capsules per day are taken. In our experience, we always advise consumers not to take other sleep aids or stimulant with an anxiety supplement. Clear all drugs and supplements taken together with your doctor, who will advise of any unwanted interactions.
Do note that the star ingredient is lemon balm. Consuming too much lemon balm can, in fact, make you anxious.
Price
The product in a bottle of 45 capsules retails for $37.98 on the product website. It is about $2 cheaper on Amazon. There is a promotional video on the website advertising the purchase of 3 bottles in order to get one free. The price is on the high end of the scale for anxiety supplements.
Guarantee
It may well be that a money-back guarantee is in place but our research did not yield anything in the affirmative. The manufacturer is very transparent about its labelling and production processes so it would in fact be strange if there were no policy.
Conclusion – Priority One Anxiety Balance
The product is GMO-free, herb-derived and the manufacturer has used quality ingredients. Clearly, high processing, manufacture and labelling standards have been adhered to. There is a high degree of transparency with regard to extraction procedures, testing and labelling. The formulation is sound and probably very effective.
On the negative side, we are skeptical of using one formulation to treat both day and night symptoms of anxiety. We also note one or two key missing ingredients. There is no indication of how the product takes to work, but consumers report quite immediate relief and in general, Anxiety Balance has been met with favorable consumer reviews. We think this product would be worth a try, even though it is relatively pricey.