Every intervention Outliyr has scored for anxiety, ranked by its BioHarmony score for this use case rather than its overall rating. The number beside each name is how well that one thing works for anxiety; the tier beside it is what it is worth once safety, cost and effort are counted across everything else.
47 of 103 evaluated interventions score 3.0+ out of 10 for anxiety · 12 comparisons
Goessl 2017 meta-analysis pooled Hedge's g = 0.81 across 24 RCTs, the largest effect of any condition. Effect concentrates in subjects with low baseline vagal tone. The score stays bounded because HRV…
Reliable acute anxiolytic signal, but old v0 wording overstated the evidence. Hidese 2019 is a small RCT, a closer stress and anxiety review is the closer stress/anxiety systematic review, Moshfeghinia 2024 supports…
The evidence points to a plausible use case without proving a universal response. Arumugam et al. 2024 is the best anchor here because it reports nine randomized trials, 558 participants and reduced…
Anxiety response is clinically common but evidence is less mature than ADHD, epilepsy, or PTSD. Protocols vary across SMR, alpha-theta, and infra-low-frequency training, making pooled certainty harder. Marzbani 2016 summarizes anxiety as…
Tarleton 2017 anchors the most relevant signal. Magnesium fits anxiety when low intake, stress load, mineral loss, or a form-specific target makes deficiency correction plausible. The score stays bounded because effects are…
The Pittler 2003 Cochrane review pooled 7 trials (n=380) and found a weighted mean Hamilton Anxiety reduction of 3.9 points favoring kava, and Witte 2005 reported an odds ratio of 3.3 for…
Soh 2024 anchors the most relevant signal. Glycine fits anxiety because glycine participates in sleep signaling, glutathione, collagen, methylation, and nervous-system balance, depending on the endpoint. The score stays bounded because many…
Autonomic rebalancing could support anxiety symptoms; depression and insomnia trials show anxiety-adjacent improvements, but anxiety-specific tVNS RCT evidence is still early and device-specific. The score stays bounded because Vagus Nerve Stimulation evidence…
The evidence points to a plausible use case without proving a universal response. Mahmoudi et al. 2026 is the best anchor here because it reports 34 randomized trials, 1769 participants and improved…
Kasian 2017 reports Rat stress model; individual and combined Selank plus diazepam arms. Zozulia 2008 points in the same direction, but route, dose, baseline status, and outcome tracking decide whether Selank matters…
In Bergamaschi 2011, a double-blind RCT, a single 600 mg dose of CBD significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment, and discomfort during a simulated public-speaking test in 24 people with social anxiety, bringing…
Zhang 2007 reports Mechanistic in vivo anxiety model supporting glycine receptor pathway. The score stays conditional because Taurine still needs better outcome data for this exact use case. The practical move is…
Melatonin has a real but context-specific anxiety signal around surgery. A Cochrane review on preoperative and postoperative anxiety found melatonin can reduce preoperative anxiety compared with placebo, while postoperative findings were less…
Bromantane carries an explicit anxiolytic limb confirmed in the only placebo-controlled human RCT, where Neznamov 2009 characterized the drug as combining psychostimulant and anxiolytic actions in neurasthenia patients. The Voznesenskaia 2010 multicenter…
Vabishchevich 2026 is the cleanest verified anchor for this report. The existing rationale points to this narrower claim: Zone 2 can lower anxiety by giving a rhythmic, non-punishing outlet for arousal and…
Afshar 2012 (n=48) found NAC add-on improved Y-BOCS scores significantly (52.6 percent responders versus 15 percent on placebo) in treatment-refractory OCD over 12 weeks. The glutamatergic mechanism, modulating glutamate via the cystine-glutamate…
Nagano 2010 anchors the most relevant signal. Lion's Mane fits anxiety when the goal is gentle mushroom-based support for cognition, mood, nerve biology, or gut-immune signaling over weeks. The score stays bounded…
No direct clinical trials have measured anxiety outcomes. The only relevant data come from broad anti-inflammatory meta-analyses such as Wang et al. 2024, which report mixed effects that depend on protocol and…
Filip 2007 supports the strongest part of the claim. The existing rationale points to this narrower claim: No direct evidence. Any anti-inflammatory mood pathway remains speculative until tested in humans. That does…
The most cited anxiolytic case rests on animal and mechanism work rather than human anxiety trials. The strongest support comes from Isaacson et al. 1991, but the practical rating stays bounded by…
Semaglutide can quiet food noise for some users while creating anxiousness, nausea vigilance, or reward flattening for others. Wilding 2021 supports the weight-loss mechanism, but not an anxiolytic effect. The score should…
Amsterdam 2009 and Mao 2016 support chamomile extract for generalized-anxiety symptoms, with Apigenin as one likely contributor. The score stays moderate because these trials did not isolate Apigenin, and the longer Mao…
Tirzepatide has no anxiety specific RCT. Some users may feel better through weight loss, sleep gains, reduced food noise, and metabolic control. Others may feel worse from nausea, under eating, body image…
Aerobic exercise is often anxiolytic, but near-max intervals can feel panic-like for some users early on. A beginner progression and nasal breathing during recovery can improve tolerability.
No direct anxiety evidence was verified for EAA supplementation. Avoid implying a psychiatric benefit.
Post-sauna relaxation and parasympathetic rebound plausibly ease anxiety for some users, and pooled wellbeing data is supportive, but there is no anxiety-specific traditional-sauna trial. This is a modest, mechanism-and-report rating.
HPA-axis modulation is relevant to anxiety, and Hellhammer 2004 supports reduced endocrine stress response. There are no dedicated anxiety-disorder RCTs, so the score stays modest.
No direct anxiety evidence supports metformin. Any anxiety change would be indirect through glycemic stability, body composition, or side-effect burden.
Anxiety support is inferred from stress-hormone and POMS data rather than anxiety-specific trials. Tongkat Ali can also feel activating, so anxious users may worsen if dosing is too high or too late.
INSUFFICIENT_EVIDENCE for anxiety treatment; off-label surveys and PEARL well-being signals are uncontrolled or secondary.
Anxiety stays at 4 because v0 GABAergic and anxiolytic framing is based on preclinical work and review summaries, not human psychiatric trials. Pickart 2018 mentions anti-anxiety activity, but clinical evidence is weak.
Anxiety evidence is weaker than depression evidence. Some meta-analytic signals exist, but heterogeneity and endpoint inconsistency keep this below the practical threshold for a strong use case.
Anxiolytic effects are described consistently across the animal pharmacology literature and by a subset of users, but no human anxiety scale has been reported for noopept.
Anxiety response is mixed. Some hypogonadal men feel calmer once energy and libido improve, while others get irritability, sleep disruption, or sympathetic activation from dose peaks. Evidence is too thin for a…
Anxiety can improve secondarily in TBI, PTSD, or post-COVID cohorts. Harch 2011 reports anxiety reduction in a post-concussion case series. Evidence is not strong enough to score anxiety as a primary HBOT…
GABAergic and serotonergic modulation; anxiolytic effects in some animal models. Human anxiety evidence is missing, and occasional user reports of palpitations or anxiety push this score down.
Anxiety signal is mixed: some users report calm focus, others report restlessness. No controlled human anxiety trial supports Semax for generalized anxiety or panic symptoms.
Anxiety relief is one of oxytocin's better-supported acute effects, grounded in a clear brain mechanism. A double-blind imaging study found 24 IU reduced amygdala responses to fearful, angry, and happy faces, lowering…
Anxiety is one of the weaker fit categories. MAO-A inhibition and sympathetic-feeling activation can worsen anxiety in sensitive users, and Ng 2010 keeps serotonergic risk front-and-center when psychiatric medications are involved.
Modafinil anxiety profile is net negative. DailyMed 2026 warns about psychiatric symptoms and recommends caution in patients with psychosis, depression, or mania. Some users feel calmer when fatigue lifts, but anxious, panic-prone,…
A few depression trials reported secondary anxiety improvement, but no dedicated, replicated anxiety evidence.
Magnesium status may matter for nervous-system tone, but the v0 Boyle 2017 citation was not verified in audit, so this stays a low corrective rating.
Exercise can reduce anxiety symptoms, but BFR-specific anxiety evidence is not established.
Indirect oxidative-inflammatory pathway only. No direct anxiety RCT base.
Anxiolytic-like behavior appeared in the same rodent mood studies, but the endpoint is narrow and no human data exists.
Espeland 2022 narrative review and Kelly and Bird 2022 Lifestyle Medicine both note plausible mechanism (vagal tone restoration, beta-endorphin release, HPA modulation) outpaces RCT evidence in clinical anxiety. Acute anxiolytic effect from…
Nothing matches those filters.
Monthly out-of-pocket cost at the most accessible legitimate channel, at the dose the score was given for. 13 of 47 are not priced yet; those cells are left blank rather than guessed.
| Intervention | Monthly cost | At dose | How you get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| HRV Biofeedback | $5 | 20 min/session at individual RF (4.5 to 6.5 bpm) | Over the counter |
| L-Theanine | $3–$8 | 200 mg L-theanine + 100 mg caffeine | Over the counter |
| Ashwagandha | $15–$30 | 300 mg KSM-66 with breakfast and 300 mg with dinner | Over the counter |
| Neurofeedback | Not priced yet | ||
| Magnesium | $10–$20 | 200-400 mg glycinate elemental | Over the counter |
| Kava (Piper methysticum) | Not priced yet | ||
| Glycine | $2–$3 | 3 g oral glycine | Over the counter |
| Vagus Nerve Stimulation | $4–$8 | 10-20 min auricular tVNS at comfortable perceptible intensity | Over the counter |
| Saffron | Not priced yet | ||
| Selank | $30–$60 | 0.15% intranasal spray, roughly 1-3 sprays per nostril per day depending on actuation size | Grey market |
| Full-Spectrum Hemp (CBD) | Not priced yet | ||
| Taurine | $3–$10 | 1-3 g, 30-60 minutes before sleep | Over the counter |
| Melatonin | $3–$8 | 0.5 to 3 mg | Over the counter |
| Bromantane (Ladasten) | $12–$30 | 30 mg | Grey market |
| Zone 2 Cardio | Not priced yet | Over the counter | |
| NAC (N-Acetylcysteine) | $5–$15 | 600 to 1,200 mg/day | Over the counter |
| Lion’s Mane | $20–$40 | 3 g/day fruiting body extract | Over the counter |
| Whole-Body Vibration | $50–$100 | 30 Hz, roughly 0.3g, 10-20 min standing | Over the counter |
| Ca-AKG (Calcium Alpha-Ketoglutarate) | $15–$30 | 1 g/day generic Ca-AKG oral | Over the counter |
| Aniracetam | $10–$25 | 750-1,500 mg | Grey market |
| Semaglutide | $199–$349 | 0.25 mg weeks 1 to 4, 0.5 mg weeks 5 to 8, 1.0 mg weeks 9 to 12, 1.7 mg weeks 13 to 16, 2.4 mg week 17 onward | Prescription |
| Apigenin | $15–$35 | 25-50 mg pure apigenin 30-60 min before bed | Over the counter |
| Tirzepatide | $299–$449 | 2.5 to 5 to 7.5 to 10 to 12.5 to 15 mg | Prescription |
| Norwegian 4×4 | Not priced yet | Over the counter | |
| Essential Amino Acids | Not priced yet | ||
| Traditional Sauna (Finnish Dry-Heat) | $50 | 15 to 20 minutes at 80 to 100 C | Over the counter |
| Phosphatidylserine | $20–$50 | 300 mg/day total, split as 100 mg three times daily or 300 mg once daily with food | Over the counter |
| Metformin | $4–$30 | 500 mg with dinner for 1 week, then 500 mg twice daily for 1 week, then increase by 500 mg/week toward 1000 mg twice daily as tolerated | Prescription |
| Tongkat Ali | $20–$40 | 200 mg/day Physta standardized extract | Over the counter |
| Rapamycin | $15–$50 | 3 mg | Prescription |
| GHK-Cu | $30–$100 | 0.5-3% topical serum or cream | Over the counter |
| Omega-3 | $20–$40 | 1-2 g/day combined EPA+DHA | Over the counter |
| Noopept (Omberacetam) | $5–$27 | 20 mg | Grey market |
| TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) | $50–$300 | Clinician-selected formulation at the lowest dose likely to restore physiologic testosterone | Prescription |
| Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy | $3,000–$6,000 | 2.0 ATA for 90 minutes with air breaks | In clinic |
| BPC-157 | $40–$80 | 250 to 500 mcg SC 1 to 2x/day near injury site | Grey market |
| Semax | $12–$60 | 300-600 mcg/day of 0.1% spray | Grey market |
| Oxytocin (Intranasal) | $67–$119 | 24 IU | Prescription |
| Methylene Blue | $13–$40 | 0.5-5 mg oral | Over the counter |
| Modafinil | $18–$35 | 200 mg oral tablet | Prescription |
| Curcumin | $15–$40 | 500 mg curcuminoids | Over the counter |
| Electrolytes | Not priced yet | ||
| Blood-Flow Restriction Training | Not priced yet | ||
| Polyphenols (Dietary) | Not priced yet | ||
| Astaxanthin | Not priced yet | ||
| J-147 | Not priced yet | ||
| Cold Plunge | Not priced yet | Over the counter |
Head-to-head reports and category rankings that name a winner on this use case.
Ranked by the live Focus and cognition subrating, not the overall score. Methylene blue leads at 6.5–7.0/10 despite a lower overall, 6.0–6.5/10. Bromantane climbs from ninth to fourth.…
Semax scores 7.1/10 against noopept's 6.2/10 and wins five of the eight use cases both reports score. Noopept is oral, cheaper at $5 to $27 a month, and…
Melatonin, dosed low. It scores 7.5–8.0/10 against apigenin's 5.5–6.0/10 and wins the sleep rows outright. The morning hangover apigenin markets against comes from taking too much, not from…
Both score anxiety 7.5–8.0/10, so the tie-breaker is time. L-theanine works in about an hour and you take it when you need it. Ashwagandha takes eight weeks and…
Bromantane, for anything you plan to repeat. It scores 7.0–7.5/10 against phenylpiracetam's 5.5–6.0/10 and wins every shared use case that is not a floor tie: energy 6.2/10 to…
Neither, yet. Both have zero human trials, zero human pharmacokinetics and research-only access. PE-22-28 scores 4.5–5.0/10 and dihexa 4.0–4.5/10, and the gap is entirely safety: dihexa potentiates the…
They solve different problems and the scores hide that. Oxytocin scores 6.5–7.0/10 against PT-141's 5.0–5.5/10, mostly on safety and cost. PT-141 still wins libido 5.5/10 against 2.5/10. Oxytocin…
Shilajit scores 7.0–7.5/10 and ashwagandha 6.5–7.0/10, but that gap is the least useful number here. These two do different jobs. Shilajit is the mineral and androgen play: male…
Ashwagandha scores 6.5–7.0/10 and tongkat ali 6.5–7.0/10, so the overall numbers do not decide it. Pick ashwagandha when stress, anxiety, or sleep is the complaint: its subratings there…
Bromantane scores 7.0–7.5/10 and modafinil 5.5–6.0/10, and they answer different questions. Modafinil is the faster and better-documented wakefulness drug when sleep debt or diagnosed sleepiness is the problem.…
Magnesium, if the problem is sleep quality. It scores 8.5–9.0/10 against melatonin's 7.5–8.0/10 and leads sleep-quality 8.5–9.0/10 to 7.0–7.5/10, with a larger measured cut to sleep latency. Melatonin…
Pick by symptom. Semax scores 7.0–7.5/10 and wins focus. Selank scores 6.5–7.0/10 and wins anxiety, mood and stress resilience. The 0.2 gap decides nothing. The mechanisms overlap at…
HRV Biofeedback, at 8.0–8.5 out of 10 for anxiety. Goessl 2017 meta-analysis pooled Hedge's g = 0.81 across 24 RCTs, the largest effect of any condition.
Of the top-scoring options, Glycine is the least expensive at about $2 a month, scoring 6.5–7.0 out of 10 for anxiety.
47 of the 103 interventions evaluated for anxiety score 3.0 out of 10 or better, which is the cut-off for appearing on this page.
