Magnesium Deficiency And Depression

Major depression disorder is a disorder characterised by pessimism, sense of inadequacy, inability to feel pleasure in usually pleasurable activities, decreased activity and sadness. Antidepressants are often non effective and may cause a wide range of problematic side effects. There is a link between magnesium deficiency and depression. Lack of magnesium contributes to depression and related mental illnesses.

Relation Between Magnesium Deficiency and Depression

Magnesium deficiency is known to cause numerous neuromuscular symptoms such as depression, vertigo, focal seizures, muscular weakness, irritability. Magnesium is recognised in homeopathic medicine for the treatment of depression. Magnesium chloride has been used to relieve various emotional issues such as anxiety, depression, apathy, headaches, irritability or restlessness. 

Chronic stress increases oxidative stress in humans and there is a need for magnesium supplementation for people who live in conditions of chronic stress. For example, around 70%  of United States and Western countries have diets that contain less than recommended 400 mg of magnesium per day. Elevated stress builds up further, aggravating magnesium deficiency, resulting in health problems like depression or cardiovascular disease (Eby, E., 2006).

The existence of depression was rare 100 years ago, showing primarily in elderly. Only 1% of Americans born before 1905 developed depression before reaching age of 75, whereas 6%  of Americans born in 1955 developed depression before they were 24 years old (Eby, E.). 

Modifications in Food and Drinking Water and Their Impact on Magnesium

Prior to 1905 grains were not refined and there was an adequate amount of magnesium in diet. Nowadays, only 16% of magnesium found in whole wheat grain remains in refined flour. Furthermore, residential water systems eradicate all minerals from drinking water. As a consequence of widespread removal of magnesium from food and water, it is possible that vast cases of major depression (including postpartum depression) may be connected to magnesium deficiency.

Along with increasing of incidence of depression in the last 100 years, the age of onset has also tremendously fallen. Depression was generally unheard of in children in 1906. These days, children in US are taking four times the amount of psychiatric medications as children in the rest of the world combined. There is also no emphasis placed on magnesium in their food.

Postpartum depression may be much more drastic than clinical depression. The foetus and placenta absorb immense amounts of nutrients and the loss of magnesium along with insufficient intake of magnesium by the mother may be the cause of postpartum depression. Furthermore, lactation is also known to reduce maternal magnesium.

Separate observations were made regarding elimination of cravings for tobacco, alcohol and cocaine using magnesium. Magnesium supplements reduced number of cigarettes smoked, decreased cravings for cocaine and were helpful with alcohol withdrawal (Eby, E., 2006).

Source:

Eby, E. (2006). Rapid recovery from major depression using magnesium treatment. Medical Hypotheses, 67(2), 362–370. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987706001034