Depression affects more than 3 million Americans each year. Worldwide, that number rises to over 350 million adults (1). Despite pharmaceutical drugs not performing as well as they should, more and more people are prescribed anti-depressants. Not only are these pills expensive but they also come with many side effects.
Think about this for a second, the global anti-depressant market is forecasted to reach $16 billion by 2030 (2); there is a lot of money to be made if things remain the same. The lack for an effective treatment has created a need for safer and better alternatives.
One of the solutions that has received a lot of attention for its potentially beneficial effect on people with depression is magnesium therapy. There are over 600 studies that analyze the link between mental health and magnesium. Even though the research findings have been positive, most of the papers involving human participants are not high-quality (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). But one specific study published by the PLOS Journal (9) stands out from the rest. This paper is a randomized clinical trial that examined the link between magnesium supplement and depression.
248mg of Magnesium Chloride
The researchers recruited 126 out-patients who have been diagnosed with mild to moderate depression. All participants were adults with an average age of 52 years; 62% of the group were women. At the beginning of the study, the patients received a PHQ-9 questionnaire which was used to measure the severity of their symptoms. Then, the participants were split into two different groups. Within the next 6 weeks, one group was given 248 mg of generic drug store magnesium chloride daily while the other received a placebo.
The researchers called the patients twice a week to collect data on their progress. They concluded this study by comparing the difference between initial symptoms with the results at the end. This study also measured the participant’s level of anxiety, adherence to medication, side effect outcomes, and willingness to continue taking the magnesium supplements. However, four people were excluded from the results because of incomplete data.
Magnesium Alleviates Symptoms of Depression in Just 2 Weeks
