Magnesium helps to balance and control stress hormones. Specifically, magnesium is essential for the production of serotonin, which is responsible for relaxing the nervous system and lifting moods. Serotonin also contributes to healthy sleep.
Magnesium is an important mineral that helps maintain a healthy mood. Low levels of magnesium are associated with fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Research shows that adults, as well as children, don't get enough magnesium and that this may be linked to climbing rates of mood and mental health problems.
Anxiety, Depression and Sleep Disorders
Magnesium aids in keeping you calm and relaxed by regulating the neurotransmitters that are responsible for quieting nerve activity. Magnesium also regulates melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep-wake cycles in your body, according to Healthline.
Generally speaking, you will find that magnesium supplements start to work after one week of using them. After one week of regular magnesium supplementation, individuals may experience benefits such as improved energy levels, reduced muscle cramps, better sleep quality, and reduced anxiety.
Magnesium delivers natural energy at the cellular level without stimulating the nervous system. When you take magnesium, you have energy when you need it, but you can relax and sleep when appropriate.
You may begin to notice improvements after about a week of supplementation, but do not waiver from your dose as directed. If you are using transdermal magnesium it works instantly due to the quick absorption through the skin, which bypasses the digestive system.
"Serotonin and melatonin are crucial in determining your mood. Magnesium works as an important co-factor required for conversion of tryptophan (from proteins we get from food) to serotonin and melatonin, both of which help in falling asleep."
Not all vitamins and minerals are crucial for brain health and function. If you're experiencing constant brain fog or you're always tired, it's worth checking your diet for four in particular: vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron and magnesium.
Research suggests that while not all people with depression have low magnesium, those that do might be more likely to see symptom improvement with magnesium supplements. This may also suggest that getting enough magnesium in your diet can possibly help to prevent depression.
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.
Magnesium effects the Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in the brain, which controls the stress response system and therefore, anxiety and depression. Tentative data indicate that oral magnesium supplementation may be effective for treating mild to moderate adult depression.
The good news is that some studies (study links, a and b) have identified how magnesium may ease certain symptoms of stress and anxiety. Here are the facts: Magnesium may help to control the chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) in the brain, resulting in a calming effect on the body.
Mg helps in the balanced secretion of thyroid hormones and also plays a key role in the secretion of the active form of thyroid hormone T3.
Through boosting metabolism, regulating blood sugar, and reducing inflammation, magnesium can be a valuable addition to your weight loss journey. Scientific research supports the use of magnesium supplementation for weight loss, with studies showing significant improvements in body composition and metabolic health.
Dietary deficiencies of magnesium, coupled with excess calcium and stress may cause many cases of other related symptoms including agitation, anxiety, irritability, confusion, asthenia, sleeplessness, headache, delirium, hallucinations and hyperexcitability, with each of these having been previously documented.
Some researchers have reported that magnesium deficiency is common in people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Supplementing can help make up for a deficiency. NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) helps make ATP, the energy source the body runs on.
Magnesium is important for healthy ageing as it can help reduce tiredness and fatigue.
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.
In addition, there is some evidence magnesium can potentially benefit mental health by acting as a mood booster, muscle relaxer, stress reducer, and sleep aid.
Upping your intake of magnesium, a natural mood stabilizer, may decrease your need for medication. (It should be noted, however, that magnesium cannot and should not replace lithium entirely.)
Magnesium can directly reduce dopamine release at the presynaptic level and can also reduce the stimulatory effect of glutamate on dopamine release.
Some small studies8 have shown that adding magnesium supplements decreases some symptoms of ADHD. Magnesium certainly helps with sleep and relaxation — big challenges for adults and children with ADHD — and should be discussed with your doctor. Baza, Farida El, et al.