- It has been suggested that magnesium may play some role in responses related to stress and anxiety.
- The evidence score is 68, and the reliability of the information can be considered moderate.
- This content is relevant to people who are prone to stress or who have concerns about sleep quality.
Magnesium is a type of mineral that plays a variety of roles in the body.
It is taken as a nutrient and is treated as an important substance for maintaining bodily function.
Research has examined the possibility that magnesium plays an important role in the mechanism that controls our stress response. There are reports that magnesium plays a key role in neurotransmission (the mechanism that conveys information) in suppressing the normal stress response. In other words, it may be involved in the response to stress through the workings of the brain.
This content is suggested by research targeting the general population as well as people experiencing psychological stress. Specifically, a systematic review (a method that gathers the results of many past studies and integrates their content to draw a conclusion) was conducted, combining and analyzing multiple existing studies. Through this kind of investigation, the involvement of magnesium in regulating the stress response has been examined.
For people with concerns about sleep quality, there is research on a possible effect of taking magnesium. In people whose blood CRP level (one indicator of inflammatory response) was higher than 3.0 mg/L, a result showing a decrease in that value has been reported. In other words, this is a report of a change in a value related to inflammation in the body.
This study involved 100 adults aged 51 and over. It was conducted by having participants take 320mg of magnesium daily for approximately 7 weeks (49 days), comparing this against doing nothing. As a specific method, a randomized controlled trial was used (research in which participants are randomly divided into groups, with one group given the substance and another given something with no effect, for comparison). This is a highly reliable method for suppressing the influence of chance and confirming the action of the substance itself.
There are also several reports on the relationship between magnesium and women's menstrual cycle and feelings of anxiety. It has been suggested that taking magnesium together with vitamin B6 may have some effect on premenstrual anxiety. On the other hand, there is also a reported result showing no change when magnesium was taken alone.
This research is based on a systematic review (a method that gathers and analyzes many past studies) targeting adult women aged 18 and over. Also, in a study targeting people prone to anxiety (a group with symptoms such as mild anxiety or premenstrual syndrome), it has been suggested that there may be a beneficial effect on subjective anxiety. However, there is also a report that, for dysmenorrhea (pain or discomfort associated with menstruation), no effect was seen, whether magnesium was used in combination or alone.
| Study | Design | Number of participants | Duration | Main result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnesium Research (2010, PMID:21199787) | Randomized controlled trial (RCT) | 100 people | 49 days | A positive effect was reported |
| JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports (2017, PMID:28178022) | Systematic review | Unknown | Unknown | A positive effect was reported |
| Nutrients (2017, PMID:28445426) | Systematic review | Unknown | Unknown | A positive effect was reported |
| Nutrients (2020, PMID:33260549) | Systematic review | Unknown | Unknown | A positive effect was reported |
The study subjects included 100 adults aged 51 and over with low sleep quality, adult women aged 18 and over, samples with vulnerability to anxiety (mild anxiety, PMS, postpartum states, hypertension), and subjects from the general population as well as those experiencing psychological stress.
This shows that a diverse range of people were studied, from those with sleep concerns to those with menstruation-related conditions or those experiencing psychological stress.
The total number of studies is 4. In terms of study design, this consists of 1 randomized controlled trial (RCT) and 3 systematic reviews.
Because reports based on systematic reviews are included, this is not yet at a stage where causal relationships for individual phenomena can be stated definitively.
In addition, since the subjects are divided among specific age groups or people in specific conditions, this does not necessarily apply uniformly to every case.
What has been reported about the effect of magnesium on stress?
Studies have been reported showing that magnesium has a positive effect on stress (4 studies, moderate reliability).
What has been reported about taking magnesium in relation to women's menstruation-related conditions?
There is a report that combining magnesium with vitamin B6 reduced premenstrual anxiety. On the other hand, there is also a report that no effect was seen when magnesium was taken alone.
Is magnesium related to symptoms of anxiety?
In samples with vulnerability to anxiety, it has been suggested that there may be a beneficial effect on subjective anxiety. This comes from research targeting people with vulnerability to anxiety.
Research suggests that magnesium may have some effect on regulating stress and on anxiety. On the other hand, there are also reports that no effect is seen when it is taken alone, and that it has no effect on dysmenorrhea — results vary depending on the situation. This content is based on 4 studies, but the number of studies is not yet sufficient, and this cannot be said to be certain. To learn about your own state, try using the self-check assessment as well.