The role of magnesium is complex and its deficiency is implicated in a number of nonspecific neuropsychological changes such as agitation, fear, anxiety, depression, dizziness, poor attention, insomnia, and restlessness. Some of these symptoms characterize the mental illness known as neurosis.
Medical research has linked magnesium to reduced anxiety. Magnesium helps you to relax by stimulating the production of melatonin and serotonin which boost your mood and help you sleep. Magnesium also reduces the production of cytokines and cortisol, which lead to increased inflammation and stress.
Other research from 2017, appearing in the journal PLoS One , found that a 6-week course of magnesium chloride led to a significant reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms.
Based on current data, magnesium taurate and glycinate have the most research supporting their effects on anxiety and other mental health disorders. Magnesium malate and threonine have also demonstrated therapeutic effects and may be useful in many psychiatric cases.
Severe magnesium deficiency can cause problems with the function of your nervous system and heart. It can lead to things like muscle spasms, seizures, or heart arrhythmias. Oral or intravenous magnesium can supplement a low magnesium level. But it's important to find and address the underlying cause.
Low magnesium levels can also lead to changes in your mood and personality and increase your risk of depression. Some signs might include mental numbness, a lack of feeling emotions, and increased feelings of anxiety, says Shapiro.
If you take magnesium as a supplement, studies that showed that magnesium can have anti-anxiety effects generally used dosages of between 75 and 360 mg a day, according to the 2017 review. It's best to consult a healthcare practitioner before taking any supplement so you know the correct dose for you.
Magnesium begins to take effect after one week of consistent supplementation.
You can test your magnesium levels by purchasing a simple at-home finger prick test kit which is then analysed at an accredited lab. Forth offers a number of blood tests which include magnesium such as our Nutri-check test and Menopause Health blood test.
Notably, magnesium reduces epinephrine and nor- epinephrine synthesis and release, decreases anxiety and could prevent the panic attacks. Magnesium deficiency, even when mild, increases susceptibility to various types of neurologic and psychological stressors in healthy human subjects and diverse groups of patients.
People report feeling the anti-anxiety effect within one day to a few weeks. Healthy levels of magnesium promote sound sleep. Men and women with a magnesium deficiency report tossing and turning and regularly waking throughout the night.
A blood test will be ordered to check your magnesium level. Normal range is 1.3 to 2.1 mEq/L (0.65 to 1.05 mmol/L). Other blood and urine tests that may be done include: Calcium blood test.
In general rich sources of magnesium are greens, nuts, seeds, dry beans, whole grains, wheat germ, wheat and oat bran. The recommended dietary allowance for magnesium for adult men is 400-420 mg per day. The dietary allowance for adult women is 310-320 mg per day.
Magnesium deficiency is a condition in which the amount of magnesium in the blood is lower than normal. The medical name of this condition is hypomagnesemia.
Mg is essential in the metabolism of vitamin D, and taking large doses of vitamin D can induce severe depletion of Mg. Adequate magnesium supplementation should be considered as an important aspect of vitamin D therapy.
B-complex, vitamin E, vitamin C, GABA, and 5-HTP are 5 vitamins commonly used to help with anxiety and stress.
Being deficient in certain minerals and vitamins can affect your physical and mental energy, your body's health along with the biochemical balance in your brain, resulting in anxiety or increasing the levels you're currently experiencing.
A growing body of evidence also suggests that chronic stress may cause magnesium loss/deficiency [43].
Low magnesium is typically due to decreased absorption of magnesium in the gut or increased excretion of magnesium in the urine. Low magnesium levels in otherwise healthy people are uncommon. This is because magnesium levels are largely controlled by the kidneys.
Twitches, spasms, tremors, and muscle cramps are one of the most obvious signs of magnesium deficiency. In some severe cases, magnesium deficiency can cause seizures or convulsions.