Magnesium for Anxiety

By Emily Machuca

The effect of anxiety

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America says anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States.1

Anxiety affects around 40 million adults each year.1 It is a normal human emotion however, it becomes a health issue when it affects an individual’s quality of life. Anxiety disorders are intense, excessive worries and fears about everyday situations often accompanied by repeated episodes of sudden distress or terror that escalate within minutes.2 There are several available treatments for treating anxiety disorders. Treatments include medication, natural dietary supplements, and speaking with a licensed psychologist for therapy. Every person is unique, and no single treatment works for everyone. It is important to try different methods until you find what works best. A treatment that has received promising attention is the use of magnesium supplements.

How magnesium works in our body

Magnesium is a mineral that plays a vital role in the body.

Some functions include the support of bone strength, immune function, nerve and muscle function, normal heartbeat, and production of energy and protein. Magnesium is in foods such as almonds, spinach, soymilk, black beans, avocado, and others. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of 2005–2006 found that many Americans don’t get enough of the recommended amount of magnesium.3 The recommended daily allowance, or RDA, for males ages 19-51 ranges from 400-420 mg.3 The RDA for females ages 19-51 ranges from 310-320 mg.3 People with anxiety may have lower amounts of magnesium present in their system. This could be due to low dietary intake or excessive urinary excretion. This is where magnesium supplements come in.

Studies of relationship between magnesium and anxiety

Often, anxiety and depression occur alongside one another. Many trials evaluated the success of supplements in both conditions. I will do my best to provide a summary of this research below. Randomized clinical trials, RCTs, are trials where participants are divided into different groups and receive different treatments. This is done so the results are as fair as possible. A few RCTs were done to assess magnesium supplement use. One RCT worked with people with mild to moderate anxiety.4 One group took magnesium supplement pills and the other took a pill with nothing. The experiment lasted 6 weeks. Anxiety levels were measured before and after the trial. Participants said they felt better after the 6 weeks. This study showed there was a big improvement in anxiety symptoms.4 Another RCT tested a multivitamin supplement containing magnesium along with B Vitamins, Vitamin C, calcium, and zinc.5 The set-up was similar to the first RCT. Some took the multivitamin supplement while others took the pill with nothing. However, this experiment was only 30 days. Once again, they found the supplement improved anxiety levels.5 The final RCT looked at a magnesium supplement with Vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 affects the body’s chemical messengers that affect depression and anxiety.6 Participants took a magnesium pill or a magnesium + Vitamin B6 pill.6 They were followed over 8 weeks this time. In the end, both groups showed improvement in anxiety.6 The B6 was found to better help those with more anxiety.6 A few systematic reviews have been done regarding magnesium supplements. Systematic reviews summarize existing published research. One review analyzed the benefit of magnesium supplements in 3 RCTs. Researchers found positive results among all 3. However, it was hard to determine if magnesium caused improvements or the combination with other nutrients did.7 A more recent review looked at the benefits of magnesium in improving subjective anxiety and stress.8 18 studies were gathered for this review. Data varied from those with mild to moderate anxiety.8 The summary of data collected shows that magnesium supplements can help those with preexisting levels of anxiety.8 Magnesium supplements can be safer than anti-anxiety medication. Those medications can cause unpleasant side effects.

Existing published literature shows promising results for helping anxiety

Existing published literature shows promising results for helping anxiety. However, it is important to understand more studies must be done before there is a consensus on its use. The most recent systematic review suggests that more careful screening be done to confirm the presence of anxiety in individuals. Another important adjustment to future trials would be to make them more long-term. Many of the current studies only examined individuals over a few weeks to a few months. Anxiety is often a life-long condition, so this type of research could prove beneficial to many once adjusted.

The current data shows that magnesium supplements pose little safety risk to the individual. They also offer promising results in the remedy of symptoms. Although, I am an advocate for magnesium supplements, other lifestyle changes may be necessary to help the anxiety as well. Everyone is different, but a combination of professional counseling, meditation, exercise, and a healthy diet plus the supplements may prove beneficial. This process is all about trial and error and finding what works for the individual.

References

1. Anxiety Facts & Statistics. https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics. Published 2018. Accessed June 29, 2019.

2. Anxiety Disorders. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961. Published 2018. Accessed June 29, 2019.

3. Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/ Accessed June 29, 2019.

4. Tarleton E K, Littenberg B, MacLean CD, Kennedy AG, Daley C. Role of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial. PloS One. 2017;12(6).

5. Chang YH, Becnel, J, Trudo S. Effects of multivitamin-mineral supplementation on mental health among young adults Curr Dev Nutr. 2019;3.

6. Pouteau E, Kabir-Ahmadi M, Noah L, Mazur A, Dye L, Hellhammer J, Dubray C. Superiority of magnesium and vitamin B6 over magnesium alone on severe stress in healthy adults with low magnesemia: A randomized, single-blind clinical trial. PloS One. 2018;13(12).

7. Lakhan SE, Vieira KF. Nutritional and herbal supplements for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders: systematic review. Nutrition Journal. 2010;9(42).

8. Boyle NB, Lawton C, Dye L. The effects of magnesium supplementation on subjective anxiety and stress-A systematic review. Nutrients. 2017;9(5): 429.