Magnesium is an important element for the body’s basic functioning. Its effects are broad and numerous, including helping with blood pressure control, bone growth, and heart rhythm regulation. The element is also key to blood sugar control and to the production of DNA and protein. 

It’s particularly important for those who struggle with poor sleep and mental health disorders like anxiety and depression because magnesium plays an important role in brain health. Here’s a closer look at why magnesium helps with anxiety.

How Magnesium Helps Anxiety and Stress

Magnesium plays a key role in brain activity, especially in hormones that regulate pathways of depression and anxiety. A 2017 study published in the journal Nutrients found that supplementation with magnesium regulates emotions because, according to the study, the nutrient “modulates activity of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPAA), which is a central substrate of the stress response system.”

This means that the nutrient is important for regulating certain brain receptors, says Michelle Routhenstein, MS, preventive cardiology dietitian, registered dietitian nutritionist, and certified diabetes educator.

“Magnesium acts as a natural regulator of NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors in the brain because when these receptors are overactive, they can lead to increased anxiety and stress,” says Routhenstein. 

Additionally, Lisa Moskovitz, RD, author of The Core 3 Healthy Eating Plan, says magnesium can reduce spikes in emotions.

“All together, magnesium might help tame heightened emotions,” says Moskovitz.

Magnesium has been shown to have an impact on stress hormones like cortisol as well as GABA, a chemical messenger in the brain that has a calming impact on the body.

It both reduces cortisol and increases GABA. Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter in the body that slows down your brain’s activity by slowing its ability to send signals to the nervous system.

The Role of Cortisol

Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands that your body uses to handle stress, whether it’s acute stress that happens in the moment or continuous stress that happens over a longer period of time. Nearly all of the body’s tissues have what’s called glucocorticoid receptors, which means that excess cortisol in the body can impact nearly every system, including the nervous system.

Heightened levels of cortisol in the body have also been shown to increase the body’s stress response, meaning that your body’s sympathetic nervous system continues to run the show, providing the body with the energetic response that’s meant to respond to threats. 

Moskovitz, adds that magnesium glycinate, the form of magnesium found in supplements, can also help promote more restful sleep, which can have an impact on our overall state of mind. One study found that supplementation of magnesium in older adults reduced insomnia and improved sleep times. It’s been shown that a lack of sleep can contribute to worsening mental health symptoms like anxiety. 

Read More: If You’re Not Sleeping Well, You May Want to Give Magnesium a Try

Getting Magnesium-Rich Foods in Your Diet

Research has shown that 68 percent of American adults aren’t getting enough magnesium in their diets. Magnesium deficiencies are common in people with Crohn’s disease, type 2 diabetes, people with alcohol abuse disorders, kidney disease, and older adults.

They’re also common in those who don’t eat a balanced diet. In some cases, research has shown that supplementing magnesium may reduce anxiety and help with sleep.

If you’re concerned that you might not be getting enough magnesium in your diet, consider adding magnesium-rich foods like green leafy vegetables, whole grains like quinoa, nuts, seeds, edamame, bananas, dark chocolate, peanut butter, avocado, salmon, chicken, and beef. You can also talk with your doctor about supplementation.

While magnesium is a ubiquitous nutrient in the body, not getting enough of it can have an undue impact on both your physical and mental health.

Read More: What You Should Know About Magnesium Supplements

Article Sources

Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:

Sara Novak is a science journalist based in South Carolina. In addition to writing for Discover, her work appears in Scientific American, Popular Science, New Scientist, Sierra Magazine, Astronomy Magazine, and many more. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia. She’s also a candidate for a master’s degree in science writing from Johns Hopkins University, (expected graduation 2023).