It blocks the activity of more stimulating neurotransmitters and binds to calming receptors, resulting in a more peaceful, resting state. It helps to regulate the release of stress hormones like cortisol, acting like the brake on your body's nervous system.
“Magnesium is essential for brain function and acts on NMDA receptors in the brain which help brain development, learning and memory. It also helps with fatigue, tension, anxiety, mood, sleep and healthy functioning of the entire nervous system”.
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.
Helps Regulate Muscle Contractions
In your muscles, calcium binds to proteins such as troponin C and myosin. This process changes the shape of these proteins, which generates a contraction ( 9 ). Magnesium competes with calcium for these same binding spots to help relax your muscles.
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.
Another study noted that supplementing with magnesium improved symptoms of depression in 112 adults, with noticeable benefits occurring after 2 weeks ( 7 ).
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.
In order to fall asleep and stay asleep, your body and brain need to relax. On a chemical level, magnesium aids this process by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, the system responsible for getting you calm and relaxed ( 6 ).
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.
Research suggests that supplementing with magnesium may help to increase serotonin levels. In fact, low serotonin levels have been observed in patients with a magnesium deficiency. The study that discussed raising serotonin with magnesium reported success.
If you find yourself becoming easily overwhelmed or worried, lying awake at night with racing thoughts, it's possible that you have low GABA levels. Taking magnesium for anxiety will up your levels of GABA, allowing you to have a more peaceful night's rest.
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.
When taken in very large amounts (greater than 350 mg daily), magnesium is POSSIBLY UNSAFE. Large doses might cause too much magnesium to build up in the body, causing serious side effects including an irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, confusion, slowed breathing, coma, and death.
Magnesium glycinate is often used for its calming effects to treat anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
In general, magnesium seems to have minimal side effects, and taking low doses is unlikely to cause much harm. According to the Institute of Medicine, healthy adults can safely take up to 350 milligrams of supplemental magnesium daily. Anything at or below that level is unlikely to cause any adverse health effects.
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.
Magnesium plays many crucial roles in the body, such as supporting muscle and nerve function and energy production.
Although many people use magnesium for sleep support, it isn't known to cause tiredness during the day. However, if you want to maximize the benefits for better sleep, it's best to take your magnesium supplement an hour or two before bedtime.
Magnesium can decrease the absorption and effectiveness of numerous medications, including some common antibiotics such as tetracycline (Achromycin, Sumycin), demeclocycline (Declomycin), doxycycline (Vibramycin), minocycline (Minocin), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox) and ofloxacin ...
Magnesium begins to take effect after one week of consistent supplementation.
Foods high in magnesium
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.
Magnesium supplements should be taken with meals. Taking magnesium supplements on an empty stomach may cause diarrhea.
Magnesium was found usually effective for treatment of depression in general use.