Magnesium and mental health

As people with depression or sleep disorders quickly discover, the causes of their health issues are not so easy to identify. It is likewise difficult to find the right treatment. People suffering from depression also need to check their magnesium levels because this essential mineral plays a key role in neuronal metabolic processes. A deficiency can affect how our brain perceives our environment. Conversely, magnesium supplementation can alleviate symptoms of depression or anxiety and have a positive impact on sleep disorders.

Scientific studies show that people with depression often have a magnesium deficiency. The essential mineral has a calming and stabilising effect on the central nervous system, making us more resistant to stress. Low magnesium levels have the opposite effect, leaving us more vulnerable to low moods, unable to cope with downward spirals and with little hope for improvement. A magnesium deficiency therefore increases the risk of developing depression.

This is why it is important to ensure adequate magnesium intake early on.

Magnesium plays a key role in many metabolic processes in the human body, including the neuronal processes in our neural pathways. Magnesium is required for serotonin production. The "happy hormone" improves our mood and promotes mental resilience and emotional stability. Supplementing with magnesium for a period of several weeks has a positive effect on depressive symptoms and anxiety. Studies have shown that magnesium has an antidepressant effect similar to that of the antidepressant Imipramine. To treat magnesium deficiency and its potential to exacerbate depression, a high-quality medicinal product from pharmacies is recommended. While supplementation is not a substitute for treatment by a mental health professional, it can be used to actively support and boost therapy.

Sleep disorders can have many causes. Not only do stress and worries keep people up at night, but physical symptoms like muscle cramps can also disrupt their sleep. People who have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep suffer all the more as the many hours they spend lying awake at night lead to frayed nerves. Without adequate rest, they may also feel tired, unstable and irritable during the day. In other word, they feel absolutely knackered. Magnesium can provide relief for people who have difficulty sleeping. Various studies show that magnesium can improve sleep quality. The mineral inhibits the release of stress hormones and can therefore have a positive effect on sleep disorders. People who suffer from poor sleep or sleep disorders should therefore take a high-dose magnesium supplement.

Many of the causes of sleep disorders can be described in a similar way, as overall uneasiness. Either we are so wound up mentally that we cannot relax, or our physical discomfort prevents us from getting the rest we need. Magnesium has a dual effect since it has a positive impact on sleep in both scenarios. The mineral is involved in the action of the neurotransmitter GABA, which helps the mind and body "switch off" and unwind, reducing neural stimuli and allowing the nerves to relax. At the same time, magnesium relaxes the muscles so that nocturnal cramps due to magnesium deficiency are less likely to occur and disrupt sleep.