میگنیشیم · glycinate, citrate, oxide, threonate
Mixed evidence
Cheap, mostly harmless, modest evidence — and the form on the label decides whether you absorb it.
This is information, not medical advice. This page is information, not medical advice. Nothing here is a prescription, a diagnosis or a recommendation to take anything, and none of it replaces a doctor who knows your history. Supplements are not harmless because they are natural: they interact with prescription medicines, some are unsafe in pregnancy, and a few can cause real damage. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before starting anything here, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, have a liver, kidney or heart condition, or take any regular medication. Never stop a prescribed antidepressant to try a supplement instead.
A mineral involved in hundreds of reactions including nerve signalling and muscle relaxation. In nuts, seeds, pulses, greens and whole grains.
Small trials report improvements in depression and anxiety scores, and low intake travels with low mood in population studies - association, not cause. Trials are small and often unblinded. Most defensible where the diet is genuinely short, and for sleep and muscle tension rather than mood itself.
Trials commonly use 200 to 400 mg of elemental magnesium daily. Glycinate and citrate absorb better and are gentler; oxide is cheapest, most common on shelves, and largely passes through you.
Recorded because a person who has decided to try something will find a number somewhere, and a forum's number is worse than a trial's. It is not a recommendation, and the right amount for you depends on things only a doctor who knows your history can weigh.
Loose stools mean too much - reduce it. Anyone with kidney disease must ask a doctor first, as magnesium can build up dangerously. Reduces absorption of some antibiotics and thyroid medication - separate by a few hours.
Inexpensive and easy to find. Check the form and the ELEMENTAL amount: "500 mg magnesium oxide" is nothing like 500 mg of magnesium.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist about everything else you take, prescription and herbal both. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, or have a liver, kidney, heart or thyroid condition, ask first. And if what brought you here is that you have been feeling low or frightened for weeks, that deserves more than a supplement — ask us anything, anonymously, or talk to us on WhatsApp.