#nutrition#magnesium

Magnesium & Depression

By Charles Li, MD

Background

In all the talk of vitamins, we often overlook minerals, which can be just as important. Minerals make up a small portion of your body weight by mass, but they play essential roles.

Magnesium is required for strong bones and healthy nerves among other functions.

Some research has suggested that magnesium may play a role in mental health as well.

Nutrition Facts

key facts

Type
Element
Function
Enzyme Cofactor
Source
Diet

Appearance

used for

Bones

Mental Health

Energy

What Does Magnesium Do?

Your body uses thousands of different types of molecular machines called enzymes. These enzymes build and maintain your body by catalyzing chemical reactions.

Many of these enzymes need magnesium to function properly. Magnesium has chemical properties that can't be substituted.

As with all essential parts, things can start breaking down if you don't get enough.

"Magnesium is a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation. Magnesium is required for energy production, oxidative phosphorylation, and glycolysis."

Study 1: Magnesium & Depression

One of the most interesting potential benefits of magnesium may be in mental health.

Those who take enough magnesium are significantly less likely to get clinically depressed.

Magnesium & Depression

Finnish Men who get enough magnesium have a 50% lower risk of depression.

Scientists across several countries have observed that those who don't consume enough magnesium are also more likely to get depression.

In Finland, middle-aged men were more likely to get diagnosed with depression if they did not consume much magnesium.

Risk of Depression

-51%

Baseline

Low Magnesium intake

Moderate Magnesium

0.49x (0.25-0.95)

Prospective Cohort

20 years

2320 Men

"The results of this study suggest that magnesium intake may have an effect on the risk to develop depression. Further studies are needed to investigate whether sufficient magnesium intake could have implications for prevention or treatment of depression."

Yary et al, Journal of Affective Disorders

Study 2: Magnesium & Depression in Young Adults

These results were replicated in a second study looking at magnesium in the diet of American adults.

Americans under age 65 who had very low magnesium in their diets had a higher risk of depression.

Depression Risk

+16%

Baseline

Risk with Normal Magnesium

Low Magnesium

116x (106-130)

Cross Sectional Population Study

n=8894

"After adjusting for all potential confounders, the strength of the association of very low magnesium intake with depression was statistically significant (RR 1.16; 95% CI, 1.06 –1.30)."

Tarleton et al, J Am Board Fam Med

Clinical Trial Results

The previous studies found interesting correlations between magnesium and depression. However, as with all findings in medicine, scientists need clinical trials to confirm the effect.

Clinical trials have begun to show that magnesium can help with depression for depressed individuals who have low magnesium.

Becks Depression Score

p=0.02

Placebo

10.4x

Treatment

15.65x

Randomized Controlled Trial

8 Weeks

60 volunteers

Daily consumption of 500 mg magnesium oxide tablets for ≥8 wk by depressed patients suffering from magnesium deficiency leads to improvements in depression status and magnesium levels.

Rajizadeh et al, 2017