The category of anxiety disorders includes a variety of illnesses, such as generalized anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, specific phobias and panic disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders describes general anxiety as "the unpleasant experience of fear in the absence of that of which we might be afraid." This means that at its core, any anxiety disorder involves fear and worry in excess of what the actual situation calls for. Given the loss of function that often occurs in these cases, there have been many attempts, pharmaceutical and behavioral, at finding effective treatment. Researchers have started looking at the role of magnesium citrate, which is magnesium engineered to be absorbed more easily in the digestive system, in the development and treatment of anxiety disorders.
Magnesium and Mental Illness
The role between decreased magnesium intake and depression has been studied extensively and verified clinically. However, newer research is starting to examine how anxiety is impacted by magnesium. A study published in the "Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry" in 2009 looked at whether decreased magnesium was linked to anxiety. Researchers at the University of Melbourne asked 5,708 individuals ages 46 to 49 or 70 to 74 questions about their levels of depression, anxiety and daily nutrition. Though their results upheld the idea that decreased magnesium is related to depression, the inverse relationship between magnesium and anxiety was present but too weak to be considered statistically significant.
Alternative Treatments for Anxiety
In 2004, researchers at Innothera Laboratories in France published a study in the "Journal of Current Medical Research Opinions" examining the clinical efficacy of nonpharmaceutical substances for the treatment of anxiety disorders. They created a compound using two plant extracts -- Crataegus oxyacantha and Eschscholtzia californica -- and magnesium and compared the use of this substance to a placebo in the treatment of mild-to-moderate anxiety disorders. The scientists recruited 264 male and female patients who met specific criteria for generalized anxiety disorder. They divided these patients into two groups, giving one group a created plant-magnesium compound and the other group a placebo. The results showed that the group receiving the compound reported significantly less anxiety than the control group, indicating that there is a clinical relationship between magnesium and anxiety.
Research
The relationship between natural substances and anxiety is not clear. To help gain a better understanding of the different studies, researchers at the Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation in Los Angeles conducted a meta-analysis of current data to look for answers and published their results in "Nutritional Journal" in 2010. In a meta-analysis study, scientists critically review previous work that has been conducted on a subject and look for congruent results. In this particular analysis, the researchers reviewed 24 projects that investigated five alternative therapies and eight combined therapies. They found that, overall, nutritional and herbal supplementation is an effective method for treating anxiety. However, in specific terms of magnesium, more research is needed.
Treating Anxiety
Anxiety disorders are complex and come from many sources. Before treating an anxiety disorder, proper diagnosis from a licensed clinical psychologist or psychiatrist is important. Though there may be promise in alternative substances such as magnesium, research has been mixed. There are, however, validated behavioral and pharmaceutical approaches for the treatment of anxiety that can be prescribed by a doctor.
References
- "The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders"; The American Psychiatric Association; 1994
- "The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry"; Association Between Magnesium Intake and Depression and Anxiety in Community Dwelling Adults; Jacka N.F., et al.; January 2009
- "Current Medical Research Opinion"; Double-blind, Randomised, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of a Fixed Combination Containing Two Plant Extracts; Hanus M.; January 2004
- "Nutritional Journal"; Nutritional and Herbal Supplements for Anxiety and Anxiety-related Disorders; Systematic Review; Lakhan S.E., et al.; September 2010
