Magnesium for Mental Health?
Magnesium — A Potential Solution for Mental Health? Anxiety and depression have a number of causes, and in some cases have no cause at all. Genetics, upbringing, life experiences — potentially even the weather — all of these in some unknown combination seem to cause issues with mental health.
It’s not entirely clear why some people are more prone to these conditions than others, or why the causes of anxiety and depression in some are different than the causes for someone else. What is clear is that the number of cases appears to be increasing, and treating these conditions is not as simple as just therapy or medicine alone.
One Potential Solution: More Magnesium
Magnesium for Mental Health, researchers continue to try to locate the reasons that people suffer from mental health problems, especially those that were not otherwise raised in some type of intensely stressful environment. While it is unlikely that anyone thing causes issues with mental health, many believe that one of the reasons these problems are increasing may have to do with a lack of an important mineral, known as magnesium.
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral on earth. Yet in the past several decades, most people — especially those in America and European countries — are woefully short in their magnesium intake. This is because modern food production practices essentially wipe out all available magnesium that occurs naturally, which means men and women that would otherwise have more magnesium in their diet are woefully short.
In addition, stress in general actually uses up the amount of magnesium you have stored in your body. The combination of a lack of magnesium in diet and reduction in storage has led to a magnesium deficiency — something that affects as many as 25% of the country or more.
Why Is This Important?
The reason this is worth noting is that magnesium is one of the chief minerals that allow over 300 different processes and enzymes to take place. It also balances out calcium — which, without magnesium, may be toxic to the brain.
Because of these reasons, studies have shown that those with magnesium deficiency may have severe anxiety, stress, and depression. They may also be more prone to other problems, like headaches and mood issues. Magnesium may also prevent over-exposure to the stress hormone cortisol, which can be immensely damaging to the mind and body.
For all of these reasons, it’s possible that a lack of magnesium is actually one of the main reasons that more and more people are suffering from serious anxiety and depression. Some studies have tried using magnesium as a depression treatment and found that in some cases, the depression was completely treated simply by providing the magnesium.
Magnesium: A Potential Solution — Not a Treatment
None of this is to say that magnesium alone is likely to cure anxiety and depression. All mental health disorders are based on a variety of factors, and both life experiences and genetics all play a role in creating the person you are today.
But it does appear that some people may be suffering from the effects of magnesium deficiency and that the mental health problems that they suffer from may be related to the lack of this important nutrient in their diet.
Magnesium may not affect everyone, and it’s possible that it will have little effect on many cases of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. But what magnesium deficiency does show is that it’s possible for natural, external factors to both lead to and cure anxiety and depression, and that idea changes the way we see anxiety recovery.
