Supplementing with Magnesium to ease depression

[Dave1961]

While this is not exactly a post regarding weight loss, I fear many of us suffer from depression and resulting comfort eating which contributes to our weight gains. Once we get some pounds on we become more depressed and the vicious cycle continues SO I hope this helps some of you

I posted a comment about magnesium and how MUCH it had helped to reduce my depression from chronic to barely noticeable over a fairly short period.

I started taking magnesium when I found out it was fantastic for helping people with heart conditions, especially arrhythmia which is what I suffer from.

The dramatic change to my mood was simply a "side effect" of me treating my heart well!

I got quite a few responses so thought I would post a general update here.

WHAT DOES MAGNESIUM DO IN THE BODY

It's known by many as natures "chill pill".

I kind of think it like how your car needs oil to run well.

Magnesium is responsible for over 300 crucial biochemical processes in our bodies and helps with many things:

- It is essential in allowing cells to transport nutrients and energy between each other

- It calms the nervous system, promoting better sleep and reducing anxiety

- It help improve your memory by "greasing the cogs" in your brain so neurotransmitters fire more efficiently and more effectively

- Helps build muscle and stronger bones (calcium and magnesium work in tandem)

- Helps process and remove cortisol from your system, which is the result of stress and a big cause of fat collecting around our middles

- Anything in your body you can think of that can be relaxed, magnesium does this. Leg muscles to reduce cramps, heart muscle to eliminate arrhythmia (my original use for it), relaxes blood vessels for better blood flow, relaxes the neurons in your brain so serotonin is produced more easily and ... and ... and!

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE DEFICIENT

Tests show more than 80% of the population is deficient in magnesium and that it is extremely common for people whop suffer from depression to be low in magnesium.

Unfortunately standard blood tests do not produce reliable results. The body prioritises magnesium supply into the blood stream however testing this is misleading because only 1% of the body's magnesium is found in the blood (most of it is in your bones and organs). These do not reflect the true nature of your magnesium "bank". The article below explains this and is a REALLY interesting read on magnesium.

articles.mercola.com/sites/...

We can get magnesium from green leafy's, nuts and other foods. Problem is that modem farming techniques have leached the soil of magnesium and this along with our not so great eating habits means we do not get nearly enough each day.

It has been said that some people can take up to 9 months to rebuild their magnesium through taking supplements.

WHICH TYPE OF MAGNESIUM IS BEST?

By type I do not mean brands I means types of magnesium.

Just as there are lots of different varieties of apples the same goes for magnesium.

Primarily you want a magnesium that has a good bioavailability rate ( your body can absorb it easily) .

The BEST one is a spray on form of magnesium chloride which is absorbed through the skin. Because this goes straight into your blood stream you can avoid the stomach and its acids which can reduce its efficiency.

I tried this but it felt kind of "claggy" on my skin and I found it irritated me a little so I went for pills instead. That being said my skin tends to be sensitive to many thing sand most people don't gave the problem. I bought mine from a company called Ancient Minerals who make an excellent quality one - not sure if its available where you are.

In pill form I use MAGNESIUM TAURATE or GLYCINATE - both are easily absorbed and will not give you diahrrea or loose stools, unlike something like Magnesium Sulfate.

HOW MUCH TO TAKE

I use 800 mg a day based on what the label on the back says - always check the label to see the total milligrams per pill - ignore the front and look at the detailed label on the back.

I take 400 in the morning and 400 at night - magnesium is best spread through the day and when I was able to I even split it into 3 each day.

Start at 300 and see how you go and build up to 800 mg. I have never heard of a problem with magnesium just being hyper cautious

I have a PDF which is a great thorough explanation about all this, is an easy read and goes through many different conditions that magnesium can help with, which I am happy to email to you - just message me your real world email address.

BUT If you simply google "magnesium depression" you will find a wealth of info as well several interesting studies that have been carried out on this very topic.

**Please let me know if I have missed anything and I will update this post and bump it occasionally - maybe it could be pinned somewhere?**

[George56]

Good morning Dave, I have just read your post. Very helpful and informative. I'm going to get checked out at the Health Centre today and the end of the month. I'm on sertrline, 200mg. Daily & I have days with zero energy. I'm feeling pretty tired most of the day. Sleep patterns are not good. I very rarely get to bed. Once or twice a month if I'm lucky. I have a leg injury and is healing slowly. I'm not happy with the time it's taking to heal, the treatment started in 2014. First leg ulcers 2009. I'm way too heavy I know. 30st 7lbs. On Saturday. Not built for jogging!!! Apart from the odd sprint to the fridge ☺. So thanks again for your help with this. I will let you know how I get on. Are you in Australia? I have relatives in Brisbane Lots. Good luck to you to with your journey. ☺️ George 56 🤗

[Dave1961 25kg in reply to George56]

The following article will explain how standard testing is not really an indicator articles.mercola.com/sites/...

It's a fascinating read and very informative

[Itsbab]

Thanks for posting this Dave👍 I can suffer with low moods and will certainly google Magneisium and its benefits. Glad you have found something that helps you and suits you.

[George56 in reply to Itsbab]

Good morning I tsbab, I'm going to get checked out to, as I never used to feel this way. Have a good day. G

[Itsbab in reply to George56]

Good idea George to get yourself tested👍 I have been taking Vit d a smaller dose and that helps a little. I think I may increase the green leafies and dairy (eggs) before embarking on a supplement see how that pans out.

Have a good day hope you have good news from the health centre👍 you are doing brill by the way and staying active on here that's where the incentive and support to carry on comes from, it is for me anyway.

Best wishes 😊

[EllaMidlands]

Thanks for sharing. You mention bumping a post - how do you do this?

[Fran182716 in reply to EllaMidlands]

You reply to the end of the thread Ella, even if you just put "bump" it will the shoot to the top of everyone's news feed again 😀

[EllaMidlands in reply to Fran182716]

Ah bumps it up the news feed, got u

[LessToLose 4lbs Restart April 2024]

That's very interesting, Dave, I too suffer from depression and it does affect my eating habits, indeed.

Thanks for the head's up, I shall certainly be incorporating it into my supplement routine now.

[Ceals]

Very interesting and really good to hear personal experience Dave1961 . I eat shed loads of green leafy veg, nuts and seeds so I don't think you are describing me but I will certainly take cognisance of your wise words.

[starsandshards]

What a wonderful and informative post I actually had no idea on the effects of magnesium on mood. I should, considering I do have depression and anxiety, two things you've mentioned it would help! I have started taking magnesium supplements for my period pains, which are bloody (ha) awful. I get cramps in my leg, wtf!

I take a soluble one every day, I don't know how bioavailable it is, but I've had no adverse side effects (so far)... I also take a mouth spray of vitamin D to improve my mood, and I find it has helped, especially in the greyer days that we get over here in Blighty.

[Itsbab in reply to starsandshards]

Hi did you have leg cramps before taking magnesium? As cramps can be a side effect of this, maybe if it's only since then try upping foods rich in magneisium instead of a supplement I don't know if it would help or not.

[starsandshards in reply to Itsbab]

I've always had awful period pains/cramps in my leg and no painkillers help, the only thing that has helped is taking magnesium which lessens them.

[Itsbab in reply to starsandshards]

How horrible leg cramps are truly horrendous when they wake you up at night especially. Glad the tablets help at least.

[starsandshards in reply to Itsbab]

God yeah I struggle to sleep on the worst nights. Recently been experiencing other symptoms though so it might be something else - seeing a doctor tomorrow, ho hum!

[Itsbab in reply to starsandshards]

Hope he/she can sort something out to help. Good luck👍😊

[starsandshards in reply to Itsbab]

Thank you lovely!

[Dave1961 25kg in reply to Itsbab]

I forgot about leg cramps! A friend of mine used to have them really badly and I gave her the spray I didn't use. She loved it and has completely gotten rid of her cramps. Magnesium is generally a relaxant (nature's chill pill) so it relaxes muscles as well including obviously leg muscles and in my case the heart muscle so it doesn't beat in weird patterns.

[Fran182716]

That's interesting to know Dave, when I'm stressed even though I might not "feel" anxious, I get painful tension in my muscles, I had a little read about magnesium and might possibly be deficient as I've taken a lot of PPIs over the last few years, think I'll look into a supplement. Thanks😀

[Dave1961 25kg in reply to Fran182716]

I realised I didn't specifically talk muscular relaxation but magnesium is great for this (have updated my post). Leg cramps during the night are a common one it seems to help with. It really is a relaxant for the body generally and so invaluable for us.

[Itsbab in reply to Dave1961]

Brill it's lovely to get so much info from people who share their experiences that's what's so good about the forum.

[Bazile in reply to Dave1961]

Thank you for this,Dave1961. I go through periods of night leg cramps and thought it was something you just put up with. I shall certainly look at magnesium supplements. Great advice

[AnnTandy]

What an interesting post. I take St John's Wort between October and February every year to get me through the winter (hate the cold and the dark, some days I struggle even to get out of bed without it) but I think I'll look into this as a supplement instead, since it would appear to have other benefits that SJW doesn't (please note that SJW also shouldn't be taken with prescribed anti-depressants, it's just that I've found it to help me with something that temporarily affects me every year).

[pilatesrocks]

Enjoyed reading the post thanks. I used the spray one , at one point and it is actually helps you to sleep!they promote the spray as a sleep aid. It also irritated my skin but I kept using it. Got used to it. I also read, but have no research now to back it up , that when taking vitamin d supplements that you need to take magnesium and vitamin k. A word on vitamin d too - I felt so terrible and my vitamin d was so very low and in fact my doctor said that she couldn't give me a figure because the scale stopped at 18 and mine was below that. I experienced sudden and drastic feelings of being down and so low.it was horrible. My d is up there now and it's been a year that I never felt that again. I think it was the d, because it's gone now. It's worth asking for it.

[ChrisHB]

I have taken Magnesium for a few years now. Used to suffer with leg cramps, which disturbed my sleep. Firstly tried the spray, before moving onto the tablets. If I stop taking them for a while, the cramp & restless legs come back.

[Annnon58]

Very interesting post , also could be worth getting your b12 and folate tested at same time as if the levels are low could account for many symptoms , check out the Pernicious Anemea society , 😀

[splodgybum64]

Really interesting article, just beware if you have Chronic Kidney Disease (10% of the UK population have and don't even know it )as any compromise to normal kidney function can really take a hit when taking magnesium supplements...

[cheritorrox]

I discovered this when did a search on Cortisol. I take magnesium citrate in powder form, 200mg as part of a supplement with collagen + hialuronic acid and approx another 200 on its own later in the day. I've only been doing this for a few weeks but I really hope the reducing cortisol and helping with insomnia will kick in soon!