Can Magnesium Relieve Anxiety?
Written by Dr. Anjali Kasunich, ND
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More doctors are recommending magnesium to their patients because they know how important this mineral is for literally every organ system. In fact, magnesium is a necessary cofactor in over 300 reactions that occur in our bodies!
So, can magnesium help with symptoms related to anxiety? Absolutely YES! Studies have also confirmed that low magnesium status is associated with more subjective anxiety symptoms (1). Since almost 68% of Americans are not getting enough magnesium in their diets (2), it’s more important than ever to consider incorporating this relaxing mineral.
How does magnesium help with anxiety?
The research suggests that magnesium’s relaxing effect is related to its ability to increase activity of the brain’s calming neurotransmitter GABA (3). Magnesium can also regulate our stress response by balancing the activity of our hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPAA) - these messages between the brain and adrenal glands affect how we perceive and react to stressors (1).
How do you know if you need more magnesium?
Understanding the symptoms of low magnesium can help you to know if you may need more.
The most common symptoms of low magnesium are:
Our magnesium levels can be affected by stress, high salt intake, high protein diets, caffeine, alcohol and the use of certain medications like diuretics, proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and antibiotics (7).
Can you test magnesium levels?
Checking for magnesium deficiency is commonly done with a blood test. However there’s an ongoing debate in the scientific community if this is the best way to test magnesium, since very little of it is actually found in our blood - only 0.8% of total body stores (8). Most of our magnesium is stored in our soft tissues, muscles and bones.
Red blood cell magnesium (RBC magnesium) levels are often preferred over other magnesium blood tests due to the higher content in red blood cells (8). However, more studies are needed to determine how reliable these tests really are.
How can you increase magnesium levels?
Getting magnesium from your foods should be a top priority! I’ve listed out some of the best magnesium-rich foods. I tell my patients to incorporate at least 3 servings of these foods per day.
Pumpkin seeds, roasted (1 oz = 156mg of Mg)
Chia seeds (1 oz = 111mg of Mg)
Almonds, dry roasted (1 oz = 80mg of Mg)
Spinach, boiled (1/2 cup = 78mg of Mg)
Cashews, dry roasted (1 oz = 74mg of Mg)
Black beans, cooked (1/2 cup = 60mg of Mg
What about magnesium supplements?
For those who can’t get all the magnesium they need from foods alone, supplements are a helpful option. However, when most doctors tell their patients to take a magnesium supplement, they almost never tell them which specific magnesium to take.
This is especially important because not all magnesiums are created equally - and different forms of magnesium have been studied to help with different symptoms. Magnesium glycinate is well-absorbed, calming and may even help to improve vitamin D absorption (9). Magnesium chloride can be taken internally or used topically and has potential mood uplifting properties when taken orally as a supplement (10). Magnesium lactate has been shown to help improve subjective symptoms related to anxiety (11).
Final thoughts
If you suspect you have a magnesium deficiency, please talk with your doctor to discuss testing and treatment options. If you’d like to work with me to help and figure out if magnesium is right for you, set up your free discovery call with me here!
*THIS CONTENT IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE OR PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR, OR LICENSED HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, BEFORE TRYING ANY NEW SUPPLEMENTS AS THEY MAY INTERFERE WITH YOUR CURRENT MEDICATIONS OR BE CONTRAINDICATED FOR YOU.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Anjali Kasunich is a California-licensed Naturopathic Doctor and founder of Mantra Natural Medicine where she uses a heart-centered approach and evidence-based natural treatments to help her patients heal. When she’s not treating patients in her private practice, Dr. Anjali enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, dancing, and being in her garden. You can learn more about Dr. Anjali and her favorite healthy tips by visiting her Instagram or TikTok.
References:
Boyle et al. The Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Subjective Anxiety and Stress - A Systemic Review. Nutrients. 2017 May; 9(5): 429. DOI: 10.3390/nu9050429
King et al. Dietary magnesium and C-Reactive protein levels. Journal of American College of Nutrition. 2005 Jun; 24(3): 166-71. DOI:10.1080/07315724.2005.10719461
Poleszak E. Benzodiazepine/GABA(A) receptors are involved in magnesium-induced anxiolytic-like behavior in mice. Pharmacol Rep. 2008 Jul-Aug;60(4):483-9. PMID: 18799816.
Pham PC, et al. Hypomagnesemia: a clinical perspective. Int J Nephrol Renovasc Dis. 2014 Jun 9;7:219-30. doi: 10.2147/IJNRD.S42054.
Song Y, et al. Dietary magnesium intake and risk of incident hypertension among middle-aged and older US women in a 10-year follow-up study. Am J Cardiol. 2006 Dec 15;98(12):1616-21. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2006.07.040.
Dyckner T. Serum magnesium in acute myocardial infarction. Relation to arrhythmias. Acta Med Scand. 1980;207(1-2):59-66. doi: 10.1111/j.0954-6820.1980.tb09676.x.
Pickering G, et al. Magnesium Status and Stress: The Vicious Circle Concept Revisited. Nutrients. 2020 Nov 28;12(12):3672. doi: 10.3390/nu12123672.
Workinger JL, et al. Challenges in the Diagnosis of Magnesium Status. Nutrients. 2018 Sep 1;10(9):1202. doi: 10.3390/nu10091202.
Cheung MM, et al. The effect of combined magnesium and vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D status, systemic inflammation, and blood pressure: A randomized double-blinded controlled trial. Nutrition. 2022 Jul-Aug;99-100:111674. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2022.111674.
Tarleton EK, et al. Role of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial. PLoS One. 2017 Jun 27;12(6):e0180067. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180067.
Boyle NB, et al. The Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Subjective Anxiety and Stress-A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2017 Apr 26;9(5):429. doi: 10.3390/nu9050429.