10 Ways Magnesium Relieves Anxiety & Stress

Written by:

published on:

Updated on:

Contents:

Note: Your support drives Find-A-Therapist. We earn a commission if you purchase services through our ads.

Looking for a therapist?

Living with anxiety and stress can be difficult to experience. It can keep you from reaching your goals, make it hard to get up in the morning, and tends to make people tired and upset.

The good news is that there are ways to relieve stress and anxiety such as exercise or taking time to relax. But one often overlooked way to relieve stress and anxiety is to ensure you’re getting essential vitamins and minerals your body needs, such as magnesium.

As we all know, minerals are a very important part of our health and nutrition. Magnesium is one of the most important minerals that we should be getting, yet 80% of the population is deficient in it.

If you’re curious of whether or not you’re deficient in magnesium, here are some common symptoms to look out for.

It’s no wonder that anxiety and stress are at an all-time high.

While other vitamins and nutrients can also help relieve stress, magnesium has one of the closest connections to the parts of your brain responsible for stress and anxiety. But just how does it all work?

Explore emotional well-being with BetterHelp – your partner in affordable online therapy. With 30,000+ licensed therapists and plans starting from only $65 per week, BetterHelp makes self-care accessible to all. Complete the questionnaire to match with the right therapist.

Note: We collaborate with top-tier mental health companies and receive advertising fees from purchases through the BetterHelp links.

Here are 10 ways magnesium relieves anxiety and stress:

1. Magnesium Helps You to Sleep Better

A lack of sleep is a leading factor in stress and anxiety. Sleep deprivation has a big effect on the nervous system and can even lead to cardiovascular problems.

If you tend to struggle with insomnia or just have a hard time turning off your brain before bed, you may find magnesium’s highly calming effects will work wonders.

This may be one of the most important ways that magnesium helps to relieve anxiety. A big reason you’re experiencing stress and anxiety could be due to poor sleeping habits, even if you’re not aware of it.

Spray some magnesium on your body before you hop into bed and let the mineral do its work by getting your body and mind calm enough for a good night’s sleep.

2. Magnesium Improves Your Metabolism

Having a faster metabolism can be extremely beneficial to our health all around, but it is especially useful for combatting stress. A healthy metabolism helps your body to function properly, including your nervous system.

Healthy organs, more energy, and a more relaxed perspective are all benefits from a faster metabolism.

Another factor to consider is that stress often causes weight-gain and speeding up your metabolism with magnesium can help you make sure this doesn’t happen.

3. Magnesium Helps People With ADHD

ADHD in adults tends to translate into anxiety and stress. One of the reasons for their hyperactivity and lack of focus is that people with ADHD have lower levels of magnesium.

It’s common for parents of children with ADHD to give their kids magnesium supplements to help them to relax and be able to pay more attention. This same calming effect helps adults to feel less anxious and less stressed when it comes to living with ADHD.

4. Magnesium Balances Out Calcium

Calcium is good for you, but too much of it can cause your nerves to be on edge and also contract your muscles.

While this may be good for when you need energy or to get things done, when it comes to calming your stress and being able to relax, it doesn’t help. Magnesium helps to balance out the calcium in your body, which is extremely important when you’re dealing with high anxiety and stress levels.

Also, one study found that high levels of calcium for a prolonged period can result in a higher mortality rate from heart disease.

5. Magnesium Helps to Relieve Depression

Many people don’t realize it, but depression isn’t just a “mood” or feeling. It’s also partially due to a chemical imbalance in your brain. Depression and anxiety often go hand in hand because anxiety can cause you to feel that everything is hopeless.

This is where magnesium can greatly help people who suffer from stress and anxiety that’s caused by depression. Magnesium enhances your body’s production of serotonin, which is the “happy hormone” that helps balance out your mood.

6. Magnesium Helps Regulate Your Hormone Production

Stress hormones exist and they can be responsible for our intense feelings of anxiety. If your hippocampus (the part of the brain responsible for processing emotional responses and long term memory) is releasing high levels of cortisol, magnesium works wonders in helping to balance out your stress hormones.

Not only does magnesium help to regulate our cortisol, but it is also beneficial in preventing thyroid problems and fatigue.

7. Magnesium Regulates the Nervous System

When our nervous system is out of whack, we feel it. It’s one of the reasons why anxiety can cause you to be unable to function and why even the smallest things can cause us to stress. Taking magnesium helps your nervous system and its transmissions function properly, thus helping your brain to function optimally.

Magnesium has a great calming affect which is necessary for people who have a hard time shutting off their anxiety and find it difficult to relax. Magnesium is such an important part of a calm and functioning nervous system, that too little of it can be one reason why people face depression and intense anxiety.

8. Magnesium Allows Muscles to Relax

When you’re continually stressed or anxious, you may notice you get cramps or your muscles tense up. While this is often your body’s natural response and a defense mechanism when it feels like it’s under attack, it can make it extremely difficult to feel relaxed and calm.

Magnesium can be a great way to loosen and release your tight muscles. In fact, many athletes soak in magnesium-infused salts to help with soreness and injuries. But even if you’re not a professional athlete, magnesium can still be an amazing way to soothe those aches and pains when your body tenses up.

magnesium bath salts

9. Magnesium Acts as a Natural Detoxifier

Magnesium does wonders for freeing your body of toxins. The build-up of toxins can cause water retention and a host of other problems that are typically related to stress and anxiety.

Sometimes our bodies contain toxins that are not only bad for our weight or digestive functions, but that can also cause build-up of toxins or metals in the brain which lead to anxiety and other mental problems.

10. Magnesium Encourages Serotonin Production

Anxiety can often come from depression or a feeling that nothing will work out well. This can be due to a lack of serotonin which as mentioned earlier, helps to lift your mood and make you feel good. Magnesium is known to be beneficial to the production of serotonin in the body.

Serotonin is highly important for your overall enjoyment of life. Have you noticed that during stressful situations or when you’re dealing with anxiety and depression, you have a difficult time even with every-day tasks.

Driving to work is more frustrating. Interactions with your spouse are less enthusiastic and you’re struggling just to make it through the day.

But when you’re calm and happy, you probably notice you’re less irritated, relaxed and overall functioning at your maximum level.

Your serotonin levels can play a huge part in how your day goes, and magnesium is partially responsible for producing more of this vital hormone.

Why Most People Lack Magnesium

With everything going on in the world, many of us are dealing with high levels of stress and anxiety, and low levels of magnesium. But why exactly are so many of us deficient in this vital mineral?

Here are some of the most common culprits behind magnesium deficiency.

  • Poor diet – Those who eat processed foods, who lack vegetables in their diet, or who don’t pay attention to what they eat, tend to have very low levels of magnesium.
  • Medication – Unfortunately, some people have to take certain medications, but these medications deplete magnesium. Some of these medications are painkillers, diuretics, or even birth control pills.
  • Calcium – We’ve always been told that calcium is very important for us and yet no one told us that we also need to have a balance of calcium and magnesium. Many people take calcium supplements without realizing that too much can be harmful. As a result, you’ll find that you need higher levels of magnesium to function correctly.
  • Alcohol – Too much alcohol is never good for anyone, but it’s especially detrimental to your magnesium levels. When someone with an alcohol addiction gets sick with vomiting and diarrhea on a regular basis, or they have problems with their liver, magnesium levels are greatly reduced.

These are just a few of the ways that your lifestyle choices and the things you consume affect your levels of magnesium. Unfortunately, many people don’t even realize the importance of magnesium in the body and continually make decisions that deplete a mineral they’re already deficient in.

But there are ways to up your magnesium levels and reduce your stress and anxiety.

How to Get More Magnesium

Now that you realize how important magnesium is in combatting stress and anxiety, the question is how do you get more of it? One of the most common ways is through your diet. Here are some foods that are high in magnesium:

  • Almonds and cashews
  • Spinach and kale
  • Fish
  • Avocado
  • Bananas
  • Brown rice
  • Whole wheat bread

Many of these foods are easy to eat and adding them to your diet can make a big difference in your health. However, getting the recommended levels of magnesium can be difficult through food alone.

In order to ensure you’re getting the right amount of magnesium every day, we recommend a topical (applied to your skin) supplement. Unlike food, tablets and pills, topical magnesium is absorbed quicker and more efficiently.

The supplement we recommend is EASE. It’s a very pure form of magnesium and it starts working within 90 seconds of applying it to your skin. You can get more info on EASE here.

ease magnesium supplement

Another reason we recommend EASE is because you can control your doses. With pills and even food, you’re stuck with whatever amount of magnesium is in a serving, which can sometimes be much more than you need. EASE gives you 25 mg of magnesium per spray, so you can spray as much as you need, and avoid overdoing it.

While it is important to increase your levels of magnesium, too much can cause diarrhea and extremely high levels of magnesium are not good for you. So as with everything, maintain a balance.

In addition to getting more magnesium, you also want to make sure you’re not causing yourself to be more deficient. Some foods that you may want to avoid that may be depleting your magnesium are:

  • Caffeinated drinks
  • Sodas
  • Soft water
  • Candy
  • Too much meat

Avoid heavily processed foods and sugars when trying to increase your magnesium levels. Your body and your happiness levels will thank you for it.

Conclusion

If anxiety has been causing you to function poorly or you haven’t been able to sleep due to high stress levels, a magnesium deficiency may be to blame.

If you have tried a number of things for your anxiety or are looking for a natural way to calm your nerves or get some sleep, try adding more of the magnesium rich foods we mentioned into your diet, and use a supplement daily to ensure you’re getting an adequate dosage of magnesium.

Additional Resources

Prioritizing our mental well-being is paramount in today’s fast-paced world. The digital age has redefined therapy and psychiatric care, making support more accessible than ever. To guide you towards a healthier state of mind, we’ve partnered with pioneering names in mental health.
Note: We collaborate with top-tier mental health companies and we earn a commission if you purchase services through our ads.

Online Therapy

Discover a path to emotional well-being with BetterHelp – your partner in convenient and affordable online therapy. With a vast network of 30,000+ licensed therapists, they’re committed to helping you find the one to support your needs. Take advantage of their Free Online Assessment, and connect with a therapist who truly understands you. Begin your journey today.

Relationship Counceling

Whether you’re facing communication challenges, trust issues, or simply seeking to strengthen your connection, ReGain’s experienced therapists are here to guide you and your partner toward a healthier, happier connection from the comfort of your own space. Get started.

Therapist Directory

Discover the perfect therapist who aligns with your goals and preferences, allowing you to take charge of your mental health. Whether you’re searching for a specialist based on your unique needs, experience level, insurance coverage, budget, or location, our user-friendly platform has you covered. Search here.

About the author

Keely
I'm an avid reader and love anything to do with mindfulness and mental health!

You might also be interested in

Disclaimers

In some articles, we include products we think are useful for our readers. When you buy through these links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you.

Information on our website is for educational and informational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute, nor does it replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a mental healthcare professional.

Online Therapy, Your Way

Discover the ease of starting therapy with BetterHelp. Complete the assessment and connect with a licensed professional therapist online.
Note: We earn a commission if you purchase services through our ads.