Should You Take Magnesium for Your Anxiety?

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals your body needs to stay healthy. People take it to help with anything from headaches to constipation. But what about magnesium for anxiety? Let’s take a closer look at whether it can help.

How does magnesium affect the body? 

Every cell in your body needs magnesium. It affects all your body systems in different ways. Many of these effects are calming in nature. And that makes magnesium relevant to the way people experience feelings of anxiety. For example, magnesium helps:

• Muscles contract and relax

• Blood vessels relax, lowering your blood pressure

• Maintain a steady heart beat, lowering your heart rate

• Regulate neurotransmitters in the brain, like serotonin

Magnesium’s effects on the brain and nervous system in particular have led to research in its role for anxiety.

Can magnesium help anxiety? 

Magnesium might help with anxiety. But so far, the evidence supporting this is weak. Here’s what we know.

Only a handful of studies have looked at whether taking magnesium can help with anxiety. Half of them suggest that magnesium can decrease symptoms of anxiety. The other half didn’t show any effect.

Researchers have also looked at the effect of magnesium on sleep and anxiety together. And they found positive results in over half of the existing studies. 

But there’s no research that specifically answers the following questions:

• Does magnesium work for all types of anxiety? Most of these studies have looked at specific groups of people particularly prone to anxiety — like those experiencing post-partum depression or people recovering from open heart surgery. 

• What’s the best dose of magnesium to take for anxiety? All of these studies used different formulations and dosages of magnesium.

• Should you combine magnesium with other supplements or medications for anxiety? Many studies combined magnesium with other supplements. Some experts also think magnesium may be more effective when combined with other mental health medications, like anti-depressants.

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• Can magnesium help you sleep? Studies suggest magnesium may help you get better sleep. This may be an added benefit if you take magnesium for anxiety.

• What about blood pressure? Yes, magnesium may also help decrease your risk for heart disease and stroke.

• Foods high in magnesium: One of the best ways to get more magnesium into your body is by adding more magnesium-rich foods to your diet.

Many more studies have been done on magnesium for depression than on magnesium for anxiety. Symptoms of depression and anxiety overlap. So, there’s promise that taking magnesium for anxiety will get more support. We just need larger studies to know for sure. 

What type of magnesium is best for anxiety? 

Magnesium comes in many different forms. And each form has a different bioavailability. This refers to how easy it is for your body to absorb them. Below, we go over these different forms, along with dosing and possible risks. 

Organic magnesium

Some types of magnesium are more easily absorbed into the bloodstream. These forms of magnesium are called “organic magnesium.” (Here, the use of the word “organic” refers to the type of molecule. It has nothing to do with organic labels in food.) 

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Organic magnesium may be more helpful for anxiety since it allows more magnesium to get to the brain. Examples include:

• Magnesium citrate

• Magnesium glycinate 

• Magnesium L-threonate 

Inorganic magnesium

“Inorganic magnesium” is harder to absorb. These types of magnesium tend to stay in the intestine rather than be absorbed into the bloodstream. This makes them particularly helpful for constipation. But they may be less helpful if you’re taking them for something like anxiety. Some examples include:

• Magnesium oxide

• Magnesium chloride

• Magnesium carbonate

If you’re taking magnesium to help with both anxiety and sleep, the best choice is likely magnesium glycinate or magnesium L-threonate. These formulations combine magnesium with amino acids that may help with relaxation and sleep.

Dosing and risks

At the end of the day, your body will absorb any type of magnesium you take. There may just be small differences in absorptions among different products. And the dose you take likely has a bigger impact than the exact type. In most studies looking at magnesium for anxiety, people took doses between 200 mg and 400 mg of magnesium a day.

Magnesium is a relatively low-risk supplement. Higher doses are more likely to cause digestive side effects like nausea or diarrhea. But for most people, this isn’t harmful, and your body will get rid of any excess magnesium. 

If you have any history of kidney problems, though, check with your healthcare team before you take extra magnesium. 

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

Reviewed by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. An experienced and dedicated pulmonologist and hospitalist, she spent a decade practicing and teaching clinical medicine at academic hospitals throughout London before transitioning to a career in health education and health technology.

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