Is Low Magnesium Intake Associated With Depression?

Magnesium is an essential mineral known to play a role in over 300 different enzymatic reactions in the human body. The textbooks repeatedly tell us that magnesium is required for the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats; and for the production of the currency of cellular energy, known as ATP.

But the fact that over two-thirds of Americans chronically fail to consume adequate magnesium makes magnesium’s role in human health of much more than just academic interest. On the contrary, the widespread magnesium deficit in the food supply of industrialized countries is certain to have pressing real-world significance.

Chronic magnesium deficiency is well-known to be associated with some of the most common maladies of the Western world – including heart disease, and blood-sugar disorders such as diabetes. Interestingly, these disorders overlap not only with one another, but also with common mood disorders such as depression.

Numerous animal studies support a link between magnesium-deficient diets and the incidence of depression-like behavior, and increasingly, research has begun to uncover a similar link in humans.

Recent research published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry found a relationship between low magnesium intake and a higher incidence of depression in community-dwelling adults:

Study Link - Association between magnesium intake and depression and anxiety in community-dwelling adults: the Hordaland Health Study.

Quote from the above study:

The hypothesis that magnesium intake is related to depression in the community is supported by the present findings. These findings may have public health and treatment implications.

In other studies, conducted on elderly patients with diabetes and low magnesium levels (low magnesium, or, hypomagnesemia, is common in diabetes), magnesium supplementation was found to be equally as effective against depression as antidepressant medications:

Study Link - Efficacy and safety of oral magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression in the elderly with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, equivalent trial.

Quote from the above study:

In conclusion, MgCl2 is as effective in the treatment of depressed elderly type 2 diabetics with hypomagnesemia as imipramine 50 mg daily.

Though magnesium rarely receives the attention it deserves, ensuring sufficient magnesium intake through proper diet and supplementation is likely to be one of the most important steps a health-conscious person can take – for mind and body alike.

More details to come soon – stay tuned…