Choosing A Magnesium L
Very few magnesium supplements contain magnesium l-threonate.
So you must check product labels carefully to make sure your supplement contains it.
Magnesium l-threonate is available in its generic form, but there is one brand name you can look for as well, Magtein.
Magtein
Magtein is a patented form of magnesium l-threonate thats been well-studied in animals.
Magtein is a raw ingredient included in magnesium formulations from a handful of supplement companies including Jarrow Formulas, NOW, and Source Naturals.
The company behind Magtein partnered with Stanford University in one clinical trial, The Use of Magnesium L-Threonate for the Enhancement of Learning and Memory in People With Mild to Moderate Dementia.
You can read about it on ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of clinical trials being conducted around the world.
The fact that this brand name product has been studied does not necessarily mean it is more effective than generic magnesium l-threonate.
In my opinion, this simply reflects the monetary reality that there is little incentive for companies to conduct studies on substances that cant be patented.
Magnesium For Anxiety: Does It Really Work
July 13, 2020 by Tamryn
How does magnesium help with anxiety? is by far one of the most popular questions I get asked whenever I mention magnesium on my Instagram page.
And if youve followed me on Instagram for any length of time, youll know how much I could go on and on about this stuff!
So, I decided to write this blog and answer every question I get about magnesium for anxiety.
But, before I continue, here is a you can use to skip to any section of this blog:
Im the type of girl that will geek out at a natural health store when I find the magnesium section.
No joke.
But it wasnt always like that.
I always knew the very basics about magnesium
I knew that it is a mineral .
I knew our bodies need it.
And, well thats about it.
It wasnt until I was studying nutrition that I learned a whole lot more about this special mineral and how the majority of people are not getting their recommended intake.
And the most at-risk groups of being deficient in this mineral include:
- Those with alcohol dependencies
- Those with type 2 diabetes
- Those with gastrointestinal diseases
- Older adults
Magnesium is excellent for heart health and can actually prevent heart attacks, but its the calming, and mood-boosting properties that really had me interested to learn more.
How To Deal With Anxiety
What is the key to dealing with anxiety? Answer: reduce your stress levels.
Now I know what you’re thinking: “Duh! Stress causes anxiety so I should reduce my stress. That doesn’t help at all. If I could reduce my stress don’t you think I wouldn’t have anxiety in the first place??”
Well, yes and no.
I strongly believe that we do have some control over the stressors in our life, and that there are things we can do to either remove them from our lives entirely or at least mitigate their affect on our well-being.
In short, you have more control over your stress than you may think.
Keep reading: I do address magnesium for anxiety but I want to set the stage first.
However,if you would rather see which magnesium helped my anxiety the most, .
Find Your Key Stressors
So what can you do? First you need to sit down and figure out what stresses you the most.
I’m a big fan of the 80/20 principle, which says that roughly 80% of an effect is the result of 20% of the causes.
In other words, if you have 10 stressors in your life, 80% of your anxiety is the result of only 2 of your stressors .
So make a list of your stressors and order them from top to bottom by how much stress they cause you, and according to the 80/20 principle the top 2 or 3 will be causing most of your anxiety.
This means you only need to focus on a couple stressors to see real results.
Once you know where to start, the second step is to work on reducing their affect on your life.
Eliminate What You Can
Also Check: When Is Anxiety A Problem
Magnesium Reduces Stress Hormones
Excess levels of the primary stress hormone cortisol contribute to anxiety, brain fog, depression, mood swings, memory loss, dementia, concentration problems, insomnia, and mental disorders of all kinds.
- brown rice
- plain yogurt
Note that chocolate often touted as a top source of magnesium did not make the list.
This is a big disappointment for us chocoholics who claim that we eat it for the magnesium.
Paradoxically, eating legumes, seeds, and grains wont help as much as youd expect since they also contain phytates.
These naturally occurring compounds inhibit the absorption of most minerals, including magnesium.
Magnesium Is A Natural Relaxant
Im oversimplifying a bit here but think of magnesium as a natural calming or relaxing agent. Calcium, on the other hand, induces stiffening or contracting. This is why one class of medication for hypertension is called calcium channel blockers: reducing the activity of calcium ions in blood vessels allows the vessels to relax and dilate, allowing easier flow of blood, and therefore, lower blood pressure.
Oral magnesium is a natural calcium channel blocker and affects other pathways that result in muscle relaxation, and it appears to have similar calming or relaxing effects in the brain. For starters, magnesium facilitates proper neurotransmitter release and neuronal action potential conduction, which supports healthy neurological function. And thats great! But the actual calmingeffects probably come from decreasing glutamate and increasing GABA .
This is also related to the calcium channel blocking effects of magnesium: magnesium reduces activation of the NMDA receptor, which decreases excitatory activity from glutamate. Low magnesium has been said to lead to a supportive environment for excitotoxicity, and this abnormal glutamatergic neurotransmission has been implicated in many neurological and psychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety. Blocking calciums role in NMDA receptors may help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
Read Also: How To Stop Anxiety In A Relationship
Magnesium And The Brain
In the brain, magnesium helps to regulate the actions of N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptors. These receptors are believed to play an important role in memory formation and learning.
Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter that is important for normal function in the brain. In excess, however, it can cause cells to become overstimulated. This overexcitation of cells ultimately leads to cell death and is linked to conditions such as seizures, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis .
In addition to contributing to these neurological conditions, excessive glutamate activity is also linked to depression and anxiety.
Magnesium blocks the actions of glutamate in the NMDA receptors. If your body is magnesium deficient, it means that few of the NMDA receptors are blocked. This may lead to overexcitation and cell damage. Because of this, it is possible that magnesium may be useful in the treatment and prevention of depression.
Since magnesium plays such an important role in health, a deficiency in this important nutrient could potentially predispose people to a number of different health problems, including depression.
Conclusions And Research Recommendations
In conclusion, there is suggestive but inconclusive evidence for a beneficial effect of Mg supplementation in mild anxiety. Similarly the evidence from studies of women who complain of premenstrual symptoms also suggests that Mg could confer benefits. In both cases this is based on a reasonable number of studies which have used appropriate measures of symptoms. However, the weaknesses in the designs highlighted and the substantial placebo response noted in most studies preclude strong recommendations for Mg as a treatment option at this stage. The evidence for Mg in hypertension is based on only two studies, both of which do not measure specific symptoms but generic quality of life indices which are unlikely to detect changes in underlying specific symptoms.
The effects of Mg on clinical affective disorders and experimental studies of anxiety in animal models provide a clear rationale to propose that Mg supplementation will have a beneficial effect on mild/moderate anxiety. There is also sufficient potential mechanistic pathways via which Mg could modulate affective states. It is the quality of the available evidence rather than the absence of a potential mechanism which has hindered convincing demonstration of such effects.
Read Also: How To Control Eating Anxiety
Magnesium Side Effects And Overdose
It is hard to overdose on magnesium since excess magnesium is removed by the kidneys. If you do consume too much magnesium you may experience frequent trips to go pee, dizziness, fatigue, and diarrhea.
Magnesium is a safe supplement but can interact with other medication. Magnesium may be difficult to eliminate from the body if you have kidney problems or other health issues. Talking to your doctor is always a good idea before adding any supplementation.
Ancient Nutrition Ancient Nutrients Magnesium
Ancient Nutrition Ancient Nutrients Magnesium is another of the supplements on the list that will give you a high concentration of magnesium. It is also formulated with other vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. This is the only supplement on the list as far as we see that not only has magnesium and vitamin D3 and contains various herbs and Rhodiola. Besides that, it is also one of the most highly rated products of this nature on Amazon.
Also Check: What Is The Difference Between Stress And Anxiety
What You Should Know About Magnesium
| Image: Bigstock |
You need magnesium for many tasks. It’s involved in more than 300 chemical reactions in the body. Muscles need this mineral to contract nerves need it to send and receive messages. It keeps your heart beating steadily and your immune system strong. Most people can get enough magnesium by eating foods such as green leafy vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and fish.
Dr. Bruce Bistrian, chief of clinical nutrition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, says magnesium deficiency in otherwise healthy individuals eating a balanced diet is rare. “The kidney has an extraordinary ability to reduce magnesium loss in urine, and thus achieve magnesium balance on a wide variety of intakes,” he explains.
Even with an adequate diet, some people are at increased risk of magnesium deficiency, including people with digestive disorders, such as celiac disease and chronic diarrhea. Also certain medicines can lower blood magnesium levels.
In these situations, magnesium supplements may be necessary, but taking too much can cause or worsen diarrhea. People with chronic kidney disease should not take supplements unless prescribed by their doctor.
Magnesium supplements are sometimes marketed as “super-pills” that can fix a long list of ailments such as muscle tension, low energy, and trouble sleeping in people with adequate total body magnesium. The evidence to support the claims just isn’t there.
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Magnesium-rich foods |
Types Of Magnesium And Their Effectiveness For Anxiety
If you have spent any time in a pharmacy or shopping online for supplements, you may have come across several forms of magnesium. The reason for the different types has to do with the bounding substance used.
Bounding substances can help your body absorb magnesium better. They can also alter or change what the magnesium may be most effective for. Some common types of magnesium include :
- Magnesium oxide. This type absorbs well in liquid and is often used in medications as a laxative, though studies have used this form when testing the effects on anxiety.
- Magnesium citrate. This is another easy to absorb form, which also can help treat constipation.
- Magnesium chloride. This form of magnesium easily absorbs in the body.
- Magnesium lactate. Typically a food additive, this type of magnesium has also shown promise for anxiety in studies.
- Magnesium sulfate. More commonly known as epsom salt, your body does not typically absorb this type well.
- Magnesium glycinate. This form is often used for pain in the muscles.
Read Also: How To Treat Someone With Anxiety
What Are The Risks Of Taking A Magnesium Supplement
Hypermagnesemia. Taking large amounts of supplemental magnesium typically more than 5,000 milligrams per day can lead to a serious health issue called hypermagnesemia, in which the level of magnesium in the blood reaches a toxic level. It can lead to extremely low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, cardiac arrest and death.
Why You Should Consider Taking More Than One Form Of Magnesium
This low amount of elemental magnesium indicates that magnesium l-threonate is not a good choice for overcoming an overall magnesium deficiency.
For that, better choices are magnesium glycinate, gluconate, or citrate.
Theres no reason you cant take more than one kind of magnesium.
In fact, many formulations cover all bases by including more than one form.
Youll know if youve overdone it with magnesium loose stools are the telling sign.
Read Also: Can Stress And Anxiety Cause Diabetes
Reduces Tension Caused By Anxiety And Depression
As I briefly touched on above, lack of magnesium may lead to tense muscles.
Magnesium helps to relax these tight muscles, which is something most anxiety sufferers are familiar with.
In fact, it helps to relax them without you needing to do a damn thing!
When your muscles start to relax, you naturally start to feel a lot more chilled out.
For example, you may be reading this and holding tension in your body right now.
Go ahead, pay attention.
Are you holding tension in your jaw?
Go ahead and release it.
Feel that instant relief?
Now pay attention to any other areas of your body youre holding onto tension and let that shit go.
As I am writing this, I realized my shoulders are hunched up around my ears.
Why?
I couldnt tell you, but I am now aware of it and feeling better already with them lower and in their rightful place.
A few years ago when I began experience tension and tightness associated with anxiety, the first thing I did was rush off to the doctor to immediately get a prescription because I refused to feel that way!
Little did I know that Natures Valium was just waiting for me to discover it and when I did, what a difference it made
Magnesium doesnt just help to relax stubborn, unhappy muscles.
It helps to stop those twitches that may have had you booking in with a neurosurgeon in the past.
Once your muscles are no longer so tight, twitches gradually fade away so you dont have to worry about them so much anymore.
Vitamin Supplements For Anxiety
What makes supplements an interesting choice for anxiety is that some people benefit more than other simply due to their diet. Dietary changes may be enough to reduce any deficiencies, while some people may choose to take a supplement in order to ensure they get enough of the vitamins no matter what they eat.
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