Which magnesium is best for sleep and anxiety

                      Which Magnesium is best for Sleep and Anxiety?

Which Magnesium is best for Sleep and Anxiety? Magnesium glycinate and Magnesium L Thrionate are best for sleep and anxiety. Magnesium is one of the most common supplements that you can try to deal with your sleep and anxiety issues. These provide you with the natural, healthier option in place of harsher pharmaceutical drugs. Our body needs magnesium to stay in overall good condition, including muscle function, bone health, heart, and brain function. Your body requires magnesium for over 600 cellular reactions, enabling the body to perform well. Magnesium has the therapeutic quality to soothe tension, relax muscles, and nervous system.

The natural sources of magnesium include beans, bananas, dark chocolate, avocado, nuts, whole grains, leafy greens vegetables, salmon, mackerel, also added to fortified food items and breakfast cereals.

Generally, people can obtain their required dose of magnesium through a balanced diet. However, if your body is deficient in magnesium, you can also take magnesium supplements. These are magnesium chloride, magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate, magnesium sulfate, magnesium glycinate, and magnesium L threonate. In this article, you will know about magnesium supplements that are good for anxiety and sleep and other forms of magnesium.

Could Anxiety be a Symptom of Magnesium Deficiency?

Nowadays, anxiety has become a significant mental health issue throughout the world, including symptoms as panic and fearfulness. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America has estimated that about 18 percent of the American population struggles with anxiety. In addition to the environmental and genetic factors, researchers are considering the nutritional factor as well. That’s why magnesium intake has captured the attention of researchers. The National Institute of Health recommends an intake of 310 to 420 mg of magnesium per day in adults based on their age and sex. People who are likely to be at risk of magnesium deficiency include:

1. People suffering from gastrointestinal disease
2. People with type 2 Diabetes
3. People with alcohol dependence
4. Elderly people
5. Women with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)

Warning Signs that you are Magnesium Deficient

Low magnesium intake is a contributing factor for anxiety, sleep disorders, and depression. It also has a connection with various other illnesses such as fatigue, depression, restless leg syndrome, muscle cramping, asthma, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, sleep problems, and anxiety.

How does Magnesium Cure Insomnia?

 Magnesium deficiency may be an underlying factor for insomnia. Similarly, insomnia may be an unknown factor for anxiety and stress. Studies reveal that boosting magnesium intake showed a remarkable improvement in the sleeping pattern of the participants. They enjoyed longer sleeping hours. The brain of the people who have insomnia, is unable to receive the shutdown signal at night. Magnesium slows down the brain’s thinking process by stimulating a neurotransmitter called GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric acid). It is an amino acid crucial for overall sleep health. This neurotransmitter acts by slowing down the communication in your brain, helping you to relax and fall asleep. Magnesium intake helps the body to maintain a desirable level of GABA.

Magnesium: Food for the Brain

Magnesium provides the necessary nutrients to your mind. It assists in maintaining neurological pathways to enhance a good connection between the brain and the body. Specifically, the magnesium- anxiety link advocates that magnesium controls the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, which acts as a center of your body’s stress response system. Studies also reveal that proper magnesium intake can alleviate your feelings of panic and fear.

Magnesium Glycinate

Low intake of magnesium tends to decrease the production of the hormone serotonin, which has a negative effect on mood. Magnesium glycinate, a chelated type of magnesium, is the most recommended supplement because of its best absorption in the body. It is hugely beneficial for your mental health and is gentle on your stomach as well. It acts as a potential supplement for fighting anxiety and depression, increasing the serotonin hormone level, which may influence the feelings of anxiety. In research, the administration of a dose of magnesium glycinate (125 to 300 mg) in subjects, during meals and before bedtime, resulted in fast recovery from anxiety and depression.  

Furthermore, the presence of nonessential amino acids, a glycine in magnesium glycinate, leaves a calming effect on your brain. It may also enhance better sleep.

Besides this, magnesium glycinate also gives you some additional health benefits as:

• It strengthens bones reducing risks for osteoporosis.
• It helps to control blood glucose levels.
• It acts as a natural remedy for constipation.
• It is effective against symptoms of premenstrual syndrome like fatigue, cramps, and water retention.

Magnesium L- Threonate

This magnesium is more specifically suitable for a healthy brain and nervous system. The myriad of reasons for this includes its anti-stress, anti-depressive, anti-anxiety, and neuroprotective properties. Like other magnesium molecules, it is a chelated molecule of magnesium and L-threonate (a vitamin C metabolite). Chelation improves its absorption and bioavailability. Unfortunately, a minimal amount of magnesium is able to reach the cells of your brain. So, neuroscientists created this molecule to pass through the brain’s protective filter (the blood-brain barrier).

Another significant feature of magnesium L- threonate is that it enhances brain plasticity, which is the brain’s ability to grow and change, stimulating the formation of new brain cells, which is pre-requisite for memory and learning. An improvement in mental health leads to an increase in mental clarity.

It enhances your learning and retention capacity, which benefits your critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision making. Moreover, it increases your stress resilience, lifts your mood, and improves sleep quality. It can alleviate and delay the symptoms of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and anxiety disorders such as phobias and post-traumatic stress disorders.

It may also be helpful in curing health issues other than mental health like asthma, osteoporosis, heart diseases, and high blood pressure.

Other forms of Magnesium

Magnesium citrate

It is a compound of magnesium and citrate (a compound in citric acid). Citrus fruits are a rich source of citric acid. It gives food a sour taste and acts as a preserving agent. It is ideal for people who face trouble in magnesium absorption due to their gut issues. This form of magnesium is easy to absorb for your body. Due to its laxative effect, it is also effective for the treatment of constipation. This supplement aids in pulling water into the intestine to ease your bowel movements. Another crucial function it performs in your body is to relax the muscles in the stomach and intestine, thus, promoting a healthy gut. Researchers also discovered that magnesium-deficient individuals are vulnerable to anxiety symptoms because of an imbalance of microbiota in the digestive tract. Besides this, people have also experienced it as a calming agent to relieve symptoms associated with anxiety and depression. People struggling with migraines also found it useful. However, there is a dire need for further research in this regard.

Magnesium oxide

Magnesium oxide has more magnesium in it than any other supplement. It is the main ingredient of milk of magnesia. Besides regulating magnesium levels in the body, it can help to relieve a variety of illnesses. When magnesium combines with water, it produces magnesium hydroxide, a compound good for naturalizing stomach acids. It may prove effective in managing depression-related symptoms and behavior, mainly because of its stress-reducing quality. It also provides instant relief for migraines. Some researchers have also reported that magnesium oxide supplements may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Diarrhea is the common side effect of magnesium oxide. You can avoid it by taking the supplement with meals. 

Magnesium Oil

Magnesium oil as a topical remedy can relax your muscles and help you sleep better. It also has the additional advantage of improving the health of your skin. It is a mixture of magnesium chloride and water. People also use it in the bath for calming purposes. In fact, people have started using it in well-being and spa centers. Occasionally, it is used in combination with certain essential oils in aromatherapy.

Some Caveats about Magnesium Supplemental Intake

• Magnesium overdose may lead to cardiac arrest and an irregular heartbeat.
• The supplement may interact with medicines such as bisphosphonates, antibiotics, diuretics.
• People with kidney problems, breastfeeding, and pregnant women should consult their doctor for optimum dose.

Tips for Buying a Suitable Magnesium Supplement

• Try to look for one with food in a part of the nutrient list, for example, spinach and chard.
• If your magnesium dose exceeds 600 milligrams per day, it will cause diarrhea.
• A magnesium supplement can interfere with some medications like blood thinners, so consult your physician
• Look for the supplement that has been tested for its potency, nutrients, and contaminants
• Usually, magnesium deficiency is also linked to other deficiencies like calcium or potassium.

Final Word

Magnesium supplements are readily available in the market, but it is always best to get the required supplement through food. Although there is limited research concerning the best magnesium for the treatment of anxiety and sleep issues, people find relief in symptoms. If the magnesium supplement is not working, you can try certain other strategies like yoga, meditation, and counseling.

References

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/

https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198864/

https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6024559/