Clinical trial shows magnesium supplements may be an alternative to antidepressant drugs
"A recent clinical trial conducted in the United States has found that magnesium supplements are effective in the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression. Published in the PLoS One journal, the researchers showed that daily supplementation with magnesium leads to a significant decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms regardless of a patient’s age, gender, baseline severity of depression, or use of antidepressant drugs."
"Clinical trial shows magnesium supplements may be an alternative to antidepressant drugs" source
"Noting that magnesium works quickly and is well tolerated, the study concluded that it may be a safe over-the-counter alternative to pharmaceutical medication.
Conducted over a period of 12 weeks, the study involved a total of 126 patients with an average age of 52. Each patient was randomly assigned to one of two groups. The first group received the magnesium supplements for a period of 6 weeks, while the second group received no treatment during this time. For the following 6 weeks the roles of the two groups were reversed, with the second group then being given the supplementation.
During each 6-week treatment portion of the trial, the magnesium was given to the patients at a dose of 248 mg per day. Impressively, the researchers found an improvement in symptoms was evident within two weeks and that it was maintained during treatment. Notably, therefore, based on their experiences during the trial, a majority of the patients reported they would use magnesium supplements in the future.
Growing evidence that nutritional approaches are effective against depression
The publication of this study adds to the growing evidence that nutritional approaches are effective in controlling depression. Recently, for example, in a finding consistent with the key principle of Cellular Medicine that long-term micronutrient deficiency is the primary cause of chronic diseases, a scientific review noted that low levels of B vitamins are common in patients with depression and that supplementation with these nutrients has been shown to improve depression outcomes.
Similarly, a meta-analysis published in 2016 found that omega-3 fatty acids can reduce symptoms of even major depressive disorder. Examining 13 randomized placebo-controlled trials involving 1,233 participants suffering from the condition, the researchers stated that higher doses of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were especially beneficial."
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