If you’re feeling more anxious than usual due to work, money, kids, or other reasons, the solution might be as simple as adding more magnesium to your diet. Anxiety, ranging from mild nervousness to full-blown panic attacks, is a common issue, with over one in ten people in the UK experiencing significant anxiety at some point in their lives.
Anxiety can stem from various causes such as stress, medication, and illness. While treatments like medication and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) are available, many are unaware of the link between anxiety and magnesium deficiency. A study has shown that taking magnesium supplements daily can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms, indicating a possible connection between the two. In a trial, participants taking magnesium for six weeks showed improvements in both depression and anxiety symptoms, regardless of their age, gender, or antidepressant use.
Despite magnesium being present in foods like brown rice, leafy greens, beans, avocados, almonds, and dark chocolate, about 70% of people have low magnesium levels. This essential mineral helps relax muscles and mind, regulates the nervous system, and affects sleep, mood, and energy levels. Research shows that magnesium can improve sleep quality by enhancing the function of GABA, a neurotransmitter that calms the brain. Magnesium helps quiet racing thoughts at night, promoting better sleep and reducing anxiety.
Busy lives make exhaustion common, and feeling tired might be due to physical as well as mental fatigue. Magnesium helps calm an overactive nervous system, which can be heightened by anxiety, leading to low energy and mood changes. It aids in energy production by helping produce ATP, the body’s main energy source, which can be beneficial if you feel constantly tired or anxious.
Supplementing your diet with magnesium can also boost mood and enhance immune function. Magnesium affects beneficial brain chemicals like serotonin, and a deficiency could contribute to depression. Anxiety and stress hormones can weaken the immune system, but magnesium supports immune health by aiding antibody formation.
For effective magnesium intake, consider transdermal methods, like sprays or lotions, as they bypass the digestive system and are absorbed directly through the skin. Products like BetterYou’s Transdermal Magnesium range offer various options for boosting magnesium levels without the digestive side effects of oral supplements.
Finding easy ways to incorporate magnesium in your routine may help reduce anxiety and improve overall well-being.
