Magnesium is a metallic element that is essential to human health. Your body contains several ounces of magnesium, most of which is contained in your bones and teeth. According to Dr. Elson Haas, author of "Staying Healthy with Nutrition," this essential mineral participates in several hundred enzymatic reactions within your cells. Many of magnesium's activities contribute to energy production and normal cardiovascular function. Magnesium deficiency has been linked to depression, restlessness and migraines.
Depression
An April 2010 review in "Medical Hypotheses" reported that magnesium was first used to treat agitated depression in 1921, with 220 of 250 cases experiencing improvement in symptoms. The authors of this review state that 60 percent of cases of clinical depression are treatment-resistant, and that magnesium levels tend to be decreased in the brains of individuals with treatment-resistant depression. Furthermore, inadequate brain levels of magnesium interfere with the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is intimately involved in maintaining normal mood, so all patients with depression could benefit from magnesium supplementation.
Restlessness
Whereas calcium tends to exert stimulating effects in your body, magnesium does the opposite. The December 2010 issue of "Magnesium Research" states that magnesium counteracts many of calcium's effects, which has important implications for people with high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular conditions that are aggravated by magnesium deficit. Magnesium has been used for decades to treat preeclampsia, a pregnancy-related condition characterized by hypertension and hyperactive reflexes. A study published in the March 2006 issue of "Magnesium Research" demonstrated that magnesium supplementation led to improvement in symptoms among children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Migraines
Magnesium deficiency has been linked to migraine headaches in a variety of clinical and epidemiologic studies, according to a 1998 review in "Clinical Neuroscience." Magnesium plays a vital role in maintaining normal neurotransmitter levels, blood vessel tone, nitric oxide levels and other physiologic variables that influence migraine frequency and severity. Up to 50 percent of migraine sufferers might have depressed magnesium levels, and treatment with magnesium often aborts an acute episode. Further, regular oral supplementation with magnesium can decrease migraine frequency.
Considerations
Magnesium has been removed from many of the processed and refined foods that constitute a major part of the American diet. A serum magnesium level, which usually is used to measure your magnesium status, does not accurately reflect your true body stores of magnesium. Thus, magnesium deficiency could more prevalent than is commonly recognized. Daily requirements for magnesium vary from 30 mg for infants to 420 mg for adult males.
References
- "Staying Healthy with Nutrition: Magnesium"; Elson M. Haas, M.D.; 2006
- "Medical Hypotheses"; Magnesium for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Review and Hypothesis; G.A. Eby, K.L. Eby; April 2010
- "Magnesium Research"; Vascular Biology of Magnesium and its Transporters in Hypertension; A. Yoqi, et al. December 2010
- "Magnesium Research"; Improvement of Neurobehavioral Disorders in Children Supplemented with Magnesium-B6. I. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders; M. Mousain-Bosc, et al.; March 2006
- "Clinical Neuroscience"; Role of Magnesium in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Migraines; A. Mauskop, B.M. Altura; 1998
- "Biological Trace Element Research"; Intravenous Magnesium Sulfate with and without EDTA as a Magnesium Load Test -- Is Magnesium Deficiency Widespread?; R.S. Waters, et al.; September 2008
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