Magnesium Usage

How exactly magnesium might play a role in the management of anxiety is yet unknown, but making sure to have adequate levels of this and other key nutrients can only help treat anxiety and other...

Read more about Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Magnesium.

How exactly magnesium might play a role in the management of anxiety and/or panic disorder is yet unknown, but making sure to have adequate levels of this and other key nutrients can only help treat...

Read more about Panic Disorder and Magnesium.

Magnesium has been called "nature's calcium channel blocker" because of its ability to block calcium from entering muscle and heart cells. Calcium-channel blockers work in a similar way, although...

Read more about Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Magnesium.

Magnesium may have many beneficial effects on the heart. Our bodies need mangesium for healthy functioning, including muscle relaxation, blood clotting, and the manufacture of ATP (adenosine...

Read more about Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and Magnesium.

Magnesium may have many beneficial effects on the heart. Our bodies need mangesium for healthy functioning, including muscle relaxation, blood clotting, and the manufacture of ATP (adenosine...

Read more about Arrhythmias (Heart Rhythm Disturbances) and Magnesium.

Preliminary double-blind studies suggest that regular use of magnesium supplements may help prevent migraine headaches , ¹ hearing loss caused by exposure to loud noises, ² and kidney stones , ³ and help treat high blood pressure , ^{4 5 6} angina , ⁷ dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps), ⁸ pregnancy-induced leg cramps , ⁹ and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) (including menstrual migraines). ¹⁰ People with diabetes are often deficient in magnesium, ^{11 12} and according to some (but not all) studies, magnesium supplementation may enhance blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity in people with diabetes or prediabetic conditions. ¹³ One study found that magnesium supplements might be helpful for people with mitral valve prolapse who also have low levels of magnesium in the blood. ¹⁴ There is some evidence that magnesium may decrease the atherosclerosis risk caused by hydrogenated oils, the margarine-like fats found in many junk foods. ¹⁵ Studies on magnesium supplements for improving sports performance have returned contradictory results. ^{16 17 18 19 20 21 22} Magnesium supplements do not appear to be very helpful, if at all, for preventing preeclampsia . ²³ (Magnesium, taken by injection rather than orally, however, is probably helpful for treatingpreeclampsia that already exists. ²⁴ )

Magnesium is sometimes said to decrease symptoms of restless legs syndrome , but the evidence that it works consists solely of open trials without a placebo group, and such studies are not trustworthy. ²⁵ (For information on why this is so, see Why Does This Database Rely on Double-blind Studies? ) Very weak evidence hints at possible benefits for insomnia . ²⁶ It is often said that magnesium supplements are essential for preventing or treating osteoporosis , but there is only minimal supporting evidence for this claim. ²⁷ Magnesium has also been suggested as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease , attention deficit disorder , fatigue , fibromyalgia , low HDL ("good") cholesterol , periodontal disease , rheumatoid arthritis , and stroke . However, there is virtually no evidence at all that it is helpful for any of these conditions.

Magnesium is sometimes advocated for stabilizing the heart after a heart attack , but one study actually found that use of magnesium slighltly increased risk of sudden death, repeat heart attack, or need for bypass surgery in the year following the initial heart attack. ²⁸ However, magnesium may be helpful in congestive heart failure . ²⁹ In a well-designed trial involving 79 patients with severe congestive heart failure, magnesium (as magnesium orotate) significantly improved survival and clinical symptoms after one year compared to a placebo. ³⁰ Despite some early enthusiasm, combination therapy with vitamin B 6 and magnesium has not been found helpful in autism . ³¹ Alternative medical literature frequently mentions magnesium as a treatment for asthma . However, this idea seems to be based primarily on the use of intravenous magnesium as an emergency treatment for asthma. When you take something by mouth, it's a very different matter from having it injected into your veins. Studies of oral magnesium for asthma have shown more negative than positive results. ³² Inhaled, aerosolized magnesium, however, has shown some promise. ³³ Although magnesium is sometimes mentioned as a treatment to help keep the heart beating normally, a 6-month, double-blind trial of 170 people did not find it effective for preventing a particular heart rhythm abnormality called atrial fibrillation. ³⁴ However, a small double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that magnesium supplements reduced episodes of arrhythmia in individuals with congestive heart failure (CHF) . ³⁵ One possible explanation: People with congestive heart failure often take drugs ( loop diuretics ) that deplete magnesium. The combination of magnesium deficiency with digoxin (another drug given for CHF) may cause arrhythmias. ³⁶ Thus, it is possible that the benefits seen here were caused by correction of that depletion.

One double-blind, placebo-controlled study failed to find magnesium helpful in glaucoma . ³⁷