Fight Depression Naturally With… Magnesium?

A groundbreaking new study reveals surprising benefits of magnesium supplementation for people suffering from clinical depression…

Depression reportedly affects over 350 million people around the globe, making it one of the leading health problems in the world. Mainstream treatments typically involve some sort of anti-depressant drug, many of which have undesirable side effects such as weight gain, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, and reduced enjoyment of life. Many are also very expensive, and often offer relatively little improvement to the patient’s quality of life.

One area that has begun to receive more attention in recent years is the role that diet and nutrition play in the development of depressive symptoms – and in their treatment. Most clinical depression is caused by brain chemical imbalances, and since what you eat strongly influences brain chemicals, it stands to reason that there would be a connection between diet and depression.

As more studies have begun to focus on these connections, some interesting findings have come to light.

For example, in one recent study published in PLoS One,

Magnesium supplementation was found to be a safe, fast, inexpensive, and effective treatment for mild-to-moderate depression in adults, with positive effects observed within 2 weeks and less risk for side effects than drug treatment options.

Magnesium has been found to have a whole host of health benefits, including the prevention of diabetes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, kidney stones, cancer, insomnia, menstrual cramping, blood clotting, and more. And according to the World Health Organization, 75% of Americans aren’t getting enough magnesium.

However, until recently, little research had been done on the role magnesium may play in preventing and alleviating depression.

Here is more about the groundbreaking study:

The purpose of the randomized controlled trial published in PLoS One in June 2017 was to test the association between magnesium intake and depression in the adult U.S. population.

The study involved 126 participants — with a mean age of 52 — in outpatient primary care clinics, who consumed 258 mg of magnesium chloride per day for six weeks. The result? Eighty-nine percent of those taking the magnesium supplement showed clinically significant improvement in measures of depression and anxiety symptoms.

Study participants did not have any problems taking magnesium, close monitoring for toxicity was not needed, and the results were consistent regardless of sex, age, whether people were also taking antidepressants or other factors.

Emily Tarleton, the study’s lead author, commented:

“The results are very encouraging, given the great need for additional treatment options for depression, and our finding (is) that magnesium supplementation provides a safe, fast and inexpensive approach to controlling depressive symptoms.“

This isn’t the only study to find benefits from magnesium supplementation for depression and anxiety. Case studies of oral magnesium supplementation have reported improvements in anxiety and sleep within 1 week.

Read more about magnesium and depression, as well as foods that are high in this important nutrient, at FoodRevolution.org.