Does Magnesium Help to Reduce Anxiety?

Magnesium is a mineral involved in hundreds of body processes, from muscle contractions and energy production to blood sugar control and healthy heart rhythm .

And thanks to how magnesium works in the body, magnesium supplements may help you manage anxiety. Considering that roughly 40 million adults in the United States - that's 1 in 5 - have an anxiety disorder , this potential benefit of magnesium is a significant one.

While you can get magnesium from foods like seeds, nuts, green leafy veggies, and beans, about half of U.S. adults fall short.

Here's what's most important to know about the connection between magnesium and anxiety.

What Are the Potential Benefits of Magnesium for Anxiety?

Anxiety is a normal body reaction that can make you more alert and ready to tackle a stressful event, like arguing with a friend or paying a medical bill. Both stress and anxiety can lead to symptoms such as headaches, body aches, sleep issues, and excessive worry. However, anxiety is distinct from stress (both are emotional responses) in that the latter is a response to an external trigger, while anxiety is a response to feeling stressed and can linger even after the stressor goes away.

When anxiety is constant, it can interfere with your work or personal life, signaling an anxiety disorder.

There are a few ways that magnesium may help with everyday anxiety and lower symptoms of mild anxiety disorders. Magnesium plays an important role in regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the communication network that manages your body's stress response.

Also, stress can deplete your body's magnesium stores, hampering your ability to bounce back once the stressor is gone.

Magnesium may also help lessen anxiety by easing muscle tension, a common symptom of stress and anxiety. Magnesium helps muscles relax by blocking calcium from entering and stimulating a muscle contraction.

"When you're feeling anxious, your muscles tense up - you can even see it in people's faces," explains Noah Kass, LCSW , a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist in New York City. When you're physically relaxed, your nervous system signals your brain to quit worrying, he says. "Magnesium works with the parasympathetic nervous system to relax those muscles."

And there's the sleep part of the equation. "Anxiety, sleep, and mental well-being are all intertwined," says Alex Dimitriu, MD , a board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine physician in Menlo Park, California. As a mild anti-anxiety agent, magnesium can also promote sleep. "Better sleep, in turn, results in less anxiety the following day," Dr. Dimitriu says.

What's more, there is some evidence that magnesium levels in the body are connected to development of mood and anxiety disorders - and that taking magnesium supplements may help with symptom management when it comes to anxiety.

One review of research investigating the link found that some data do indeed show a link between low magnesium intakes and the development of anxiety and depression .

But other studies show mixed results, so more research is needed. In another meta-analysis, 5 in 7 studies found people with anxiety and sleep disorders who took magnesium supplements reported greater improvements in anxiety symptoms than those who did not take magnesium supplements.

The most significant anxiety reduction occurred when people took 300 milligrams (mg) of magnesium, though those supplements included additional nutrients, like vitamin B6. The researchers concluded that magnesium may be promising for treating mild anxiety. Still, more trials are needed to determine the most effective forms and doses.

Which Type of Magnesium Is Best For Anxiety?

Many different types of magnesium supplements are available because free magnesium must be bound to another compound (such as amino acids, organic acids, and inorganic acids) to stabilize it before it can be absorbed by the body. Some types (or formulations) are better than others if you're taking a magnesium supplement to specifically help with anxiety.

Studies suggest magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, and magnesium lactate dihydrate may be effective.

However, many of the formulas used in these studies included other ingredients, such as vitamin B6 and plant extracts, that may affect anxiety.

Dimitriu generally recommends magnesium L-threonate because it's well-absorbed by the body and crosses the blood-brain barrier (a protective layer that controls how chemicals enter and exit your brain). Magnesium oxide also crosses the blood brain barrier, but it is poorly absorbed by the body and has laxative effects, so you may want to choose another form, says Taylor Wallace, PhD , food scientist and CEO of Think Healthy Group, a food science and nutrition consulting firm in Washington, D.C.

It's unclear how much magnesium to take for anxiety, but some research suggests 300 mg daily may be effective.

Note that the upper limit (the maximum amount considered safe to take in supplement form) is 350 mg, so keep this limit in mind when shopping for a supplement.

How to Take Magnesium for Anxiety: 3 Tips

If you have an anxiety disorder - or suspect you might - consult your healthcare provider before using magnesium supplements for anxiety. Supplements can interfere with medications and may cause side effects, especially if you take them at high doses.

Once you get your doctor's go-ahead to use magnesium supplements, keep the following tips in mind:

1. Keep Track of How You're Responding

Don't expect your mood to do a 180. Still, you should notice a difference pretty quickly, says Sophia Deahl, RD , a functional medicine dietitian in private practice in Costa Mesa, California. "I'll have clients report after several days if they feel a difference with the supplement," she says. This is the benefit of consulting a healthcare practitioner or registered dietitian while taking a supplement; they can tell you what to expect and help you determine if it's making a positive impact.

2. Don't Forget About Your Diet

Taking a magnesium supplement doesn't mean you don't have to pay attention to how much magnesium you're getting through your diet. "Include a variety of sources of magnesium from food, like whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, and you're more likely to meet the recommended magnesium intake [than taking supplements alone]," Deahl says. Plus, you'll score other essential vitamins and minerals through food.

3. Remember, You'll Likely Need Other Tools to Help Manage Anxiety

A magnesium supplement may help ease anxiety symptoms for people with everyday anxiety or an anxiety disorder, but don't expect magnesium to be a cure-all. If you have an anxiety disorder, you may also need mental health treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (a type of talk therapy), support groups, or prescription medication.

In fact, it can be harmful to your mental health to self-treat with supplements alone. "If every day is hard, if joy is gone, if sleep is constantly poor, and you cannot recharge in your time off, it might be time to speak to a professional," Dimitriu says.

The Takeaway

Magnesium is a mineral involved in hundreds of processes in the body and may help with anxiety. Research suggests that magnesium supplements might be helpful for mild anxiety, but they should not be used as a standalone treatment. Talk to your healthcare provider before using magnesium supplements for anxiety.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

Sources

1. Magnesium. National Institutes of Health . June 2, 2022.
2. Anxiety and Depression. Anxiety & Depression Association of America . October 28, 2022.
3. I'm So Stressed Out! Fact Sheet. National Institute of Mental Health .
4. Anxiety Disorders. National Institute of Mental Health .
5. Botturi A et al. The Role and the Effect of Magnesium in Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review. Nutrients . June 3, 2020.
6. Pickering G et al. Magnesium Status and Stress: The Vicious Circle Concept Revisited. Nutrients . November 28, 2020.
7. Magnesium for Muscle Recovery: How It Works & How to Use It. International Sports Sciences Association . March 25, 2023.
8. Botturi A et al. The Role and the Effect of Magnesium in Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review. Nutrients . June 3, 2020.
9. Rawji A et al. Examining the Effects of Supplemental Magnesium on Self-Reported Anxiety and Sleep Quality: A Systematic Review. Cureus . April 29, 2024.
10. Anjom-Shoae J et al. The Association Between Dietary Intake of Magnesium and Psychiatric Disorders Among Iranian Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study. British Journal of Nutrition . August 2, 2018.
11. Magnesium. National Institutes of Health . March 22, 2021.
12. Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know. National Institutes of Health . January 4, 2023.