Magnesium deficiency and Anxiety: 4 Reasons your Body Needs It

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Magnesium deficiency and anxiety, what’s the link? first let’s discuss what magnesium is:

What is magnesium?

Magnesium is an essential mineral and electrolyte. This important mineral is necessary for optimal functioning of over 600 different enzymatic processes in the body, including cellular function, balance of other key electrolytes like sodium and potassium and nerve conduction. Magnesium also plays a role in brain, heart and muscle health.

Read on to see how a lack of magnesium can impact anxiety levels.

Magnesium’s Role in Regulating Stress Hormones

Magnesium is important for proper function of our adrenal glands, the glands that produce our stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline. When the adrenal glands become over worked because of physical or mental stress, issues like adrenal fatigue can happen. Adrenal fatigue is basically burnt-out adrenal glands. This means the adrenal glands can no longer function properly. This causes symptoms of anxiety, depression, muscle fatigue, insomnia and nervousness.

Adrenaline and cortisol are the stress hormones manufactured and secreted by the adrenal glands and the adrenals need magnesium for making, regulating and releasing these hormones. Higher levels of stress cause the body to burn more magnesium because adrenaline and cortisol (the body’s stress hormones) are elevated, and they waste magnesium. Higher levels of adrenaline and cortisol then cause lower levels of magnesium in the body if mag is not properly supplemented. See how this can become a viscous cycle?

Magnesium for sleep and blood sugar regulation

Magnesium plays several roles in sleep regulation; it relaxes muscles and aids in production and regulation of melatonin. Getting good quality sleep is crucial for stress management.

Magnesium plays a role in regulating blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels spike up high, it tends to plumet shortly after. Low blood sugar levels or crashes can cause symptoms of anxiety. A more balanced blood sugar level is important for conquering anxiety.

Magnesium and brain health

Magnesium also plays a role in ATP production. ATP is fuel for our cells, especially brain cells. Magnesium helps regulate synaptic plasticity in the brain; this is important for memory and learning. Most importantly magnesium is crucial in neuroplasticity by aiding in building new neural pathways. Neuroplasticity is important in healing from anxiety by creating new ways of thinking and responding to certain situations.

Magnesium also has an important role in serotonin production because magnesium is a co-factor in converting tryptophan to serotonin. Our “feel good” neurotransmitter. Magnesium also plays a role in the regulation of dopamine in the brain, another feel-good neurotransmitter, as well as increases the levels of GABA in the brain. Gaba is the body’s calming neurotransmitter.

Mag Deficiency Symptoms

Low mag levels can mimic the symptoms of anxiety, like rapid HR, dizziness and fatigue. This information then makes one wonder, is it low levels of magnesium that cause anxiety or is it stress that depletes magnesium that in turn leads to anxiety?

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include: Anxiety, nervousness, depression, weakness, fatigue, headaches/migraines, insomnia, lightheadedness, dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pressure, muscle cramps, numbness or tingling, rapid heart rate, heart palpitations and abnormal heart rhythm.

Are You Magnesium Deficient?

The truth is most people are running low on magnesium. Studies suggest that nearly 50-70% of the population is deficient in magnesium to some degree. Why is the number so steep? Well magnesium is greatly lacking in our soil which means magnesium is also greatly lacking in our food. Calcium also depletes magnesium and it’s easy to take in an abundance of calcium through dairy products, supplements and fortified foods.

Magnesium had a huge positive impact on the physical manifestations of my anxiety, including rapid HR and PVC’s, paresthesia in my hands, shortness of breath, dizziness and fatigue. I used different forms and kinds of magnesium. The following are links to only the products I’ve personally used:

Topical: mag oil spray and Magnesium flakes for soaking

Supplements: Pill form of magnesium and this liquid form.

If you are interested about learning more in depth about magnesium, check out this book.

It’s clear to see that magnesium deficiency and anxiety can be linked in several different ways. Have you tried Magnesium? let me know in the comments.

I wish you healing my friend.

_{Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. If you have any medical or psychiatric concerns, please seek the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.}