In a mood? Magnesium might help. If you find yourself irritable, stressed or downright depressed, this critical mineral may help you get out of your funk. Studies suggest adequate magnesium intake can calm stress, improve mood and enhance sleep.
Supplementing with 248–305 mg of magnesium per day has been shown to improve mood in people with depression and low magnesium levels.
Magnesium and stress
"Research has shown that magnesium supplementation may affect the brain functions that help lower stress and anxiety," Gorin says. It works by helping your body kick into the "rest and digest" state, or by activating your parasympathetic nervous system.
Magnesium glycinate is often used for its calming effects to treat anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
This includes energy production, which is why low levels of magnesium can make us feel tired and weak. Magnesium also plays a vital role in brain health, including stress and anxiety. By blocking stimulating neurotransmitters and binding to calm, restful receptors in the brain, magnesium can help us relax.
Research shows that supplemental magnesium can be helpful in stabilizing the mood. It may aid in reducing the symptoms people experience when they have mild-to-moderate depression or when they have mild-to-moderate anxiety.
Magnesium was found usually effective for treatment of depression in general use.
It turns out one study shows the supplement can be as effective as SSRIs in treating mild to moderate depression. The FDA hasn't yet rated magnesium as an effective treatment for depression; they need to see more studies before they'll take that step.
Magnesium begins to take effect after one week of consistent supplementation.
Magnesium Deficiency Has Been Linked To
Once I started taking magnesium, I noticed a dramatic improvement in a few of these things: no more muscle spasms and chest pains, the best sleep of my life (more on this tomorrow), less anxiety and irritability, and clearer thoughts.
The claimed benefits of magnesium supplementation range from boosts in everyday wellness — better sleep, increased energy levels and improved mood — to specific health benefits, such as lower blood pressure, reduced risk of heart disease and improvement in migraines.
High doses of magnesium from supplements or medications can cause nausea, abdominal cramping and diarrhea. In addition, the magnesium in supplements can interact with some types of antibiotics and other medicines.
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.
Case studies of magnesium supplementation reported improvements in depression, anxiety, and sleep within 1 week.
Research has found that magnesium may help with brain functions that reduce stress and anxiety.
However, magnesium inhibits dopamine release. Therefore, magnesium may inhibit calcium-dependent brain function through dopaminergic neurons, and consequently reduce the effect of calcium on ethanol activity.
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.
As you're probably coming to understand, magnesium is essential for healthy brain and nervous system function; this also includes attention and focus.
Not only can magnesium help you get to sleep, but it plays a part in helping you achieve deep and restful sleep as well. In one study, older adults were given 500 mg of magnesium or a placebo. Overall, the magnesium group had better quality of sleep.
Refining or processing of food may deplete magnesium content by nearly 85%. Furthermore, cooking, especially boiling of magnesium-rich foods, will result in significant loss of magnesium. The processing and cooking of food may therefore explain the apparently high prevalence of low magnesium intake in many populations.
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.
Magnesium supplementation has been used successfully in the treatment of different conditions such as PMS, PCOS, mood disorders, and postmenopausal symptoms and consequent risk factors, particularly in the association with other dietary components with proven antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Magnesium plays many crucial roles in the body, such as supporting muscle and nerve function and energy production. Low magnesium levels usually don't cause symptoms. However, chronically low levels can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis.