Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential electrolyte and cofactor for over 600 enzyme systems. Half of the body’s magnesium stores are in bone tissue. The vast majority of the remaining magnesium stores are located within cells.

Magnesium is involved in a wide range of biochemical pathways, including DNA and RNA synthesis, cell proliferation, bioenergetics, cell differentiation, cell signaling, and the metabolism of protein, glucose, and lipids.

Magnesium is a neurologically-critical element essential to nerve conduction and neuromuscular transmission. Magnesium is vital to mitochondrial energy production; each molecule of ATP (the cell’s fuel source) binds to a magnesium ion to create its biologically active complex. In addition, magnesium is involved in the production of neurotransmitters (e.g., dopamine) and maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier.

Furthermore, magnesium has important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory roles, especially within the nervous system. Of interest, magnesium helps maintain the integrity of the gut barrier and the health of the gut microbiome [Maier, 2023].

Low magnesium levels are linked to many neurological and psychiatric disorders, including migraine, depression, anxiety, insomnia, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury, insomnia, dizziness, vertigo, headache, pain, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, chronic stress, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [Martami, 2023; Wang, 2018].

Magnesium levels are low in people with migraine, especially during migraine attacks [Thomas, 2000]. In clinical studies, magnesium supplementation reduces the likelihood of migraine attacks and is thus, an effective migraine prophylactic [Pfaffenrath, 1996; Slavin, 2021].

Magnesium supplementation also may help depression [Tarleton, 2019], anxiety [Boyle, 2017], cognitive function [Zhang, 2022], fatigue, and athletic performance [Brilla, 1992].

References

Boyle N.B., Lawton C., Dye L. The Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Subjective Anxiety and Stress-A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2017;9:429

Brilla L.R., Haley T.F. Effect of magnesium supplementation on strength training in humans. J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 1992;11:326–329

Martami F, Holton KF. Targeting glutamate neurotoxicity through dietary manipulation: potential treatment for migraine. Nutrients 2023;15:3952

Pfaffenrath V., Wessely P., Meyer C., et al. Magnesium in the Prophylaxis of Migraine—A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Cephalalgia. 1996;16:436–440

Slavin M., Li H., Khatri M., Frankenfeld C. Dietary magnesium and migraine in adults: A cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2004. Headache 2021;61:276–286

Tarleton E.K., Kennedy A.G., et al. The association between serum magnesium levels and depression in an adult primary care population. Nutrients. 2019;11:1475

Thomas J., Millot J.-M., Sebille S., Delabroise A.-M., et al. Free and total magnesium in lymphocytes of migraine patients—Effect of magnesium-rich mineral water intake. Clin. Chim. Acta. 2000;295:63–75

Wang J, Um P, Dickerman BA, Liu J. Zinc, magnesium, selenium, and depression: a review of the evidence, potential mechanisms and implications. Nutrients 2018;10:584

Zhang C, Hu Q, Li S, et al. A Magtein, Magnesium-L-threonate,-based formula improves brain cognitive functions in healthy Chinese adults. Nutrients 2022;14:5235