Magnesium Glycinate: Can It Help Relieve Anxiety?

Magnesium Glycinate can regulate the levels of various sleep-related hormones in the brain (such as GABA , melatonin , serotonin, cortisol, etc.).

The second best-selling ingredient in North America in 2019 was magnesium.

Melatonin plays an important role in maintaining the biological clock and helping the body follow the circadian rhythm . It is suitable for people with bad living habits or those over 50 years old with pineal gland degeneration. However, it is ineffective for anxiety-induced insomnia .

But the truth is, many people’s sleep problems are related to stressful life and have nothing to do with circadian rhythms. Every night, when they lie in bed, they find that their brains are racing and it’s hard to fall asleep. After reluctantly falling asleep, they wake up at 3 a.m. and can’t fall asleep again.

An American scientist named George Eby once conducted an experiment. He selected a group of people with long-term anxiety and depression as subjects. Many of them were addicted to smoking, drinking, and even taking drugs. George added 200-500mg of magnesium to each of their meals. Just a few days later, in the blood samples collected, it was found that the subjects’ 

cortisol levels dropped significantly, and 

their sleep quality generally improved . At the same time, they also expressed more confidence in overcoming those addictive habits.

So if you suffer from insomnia caused by anxiety, magnesium supplements that can relieve stress will be more suitable for you. Among them, magnesium glycinate has the best cost-effectiveness.

Magnesium glycinate is an amino acid chelate form of magnesium with a high absorption rate. It is one of the most easily absorb magnesium sources by the human body. Its bioavailability is about 6 times that of magnesium oxide, and it is also the most cost-effective among chelated magnesium. In addition, the glycine (an amino acid) released after magnesium glycinate is absorb into the blood can also help the body produce serotonin ^( a hormone and neurotransmitter that has a significant impact on sleep and mood), shorten the time it takes to fall asleep, and stabilize the sleep state. It can also affect key receptors in the brain that affect learning and memory.

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Other Benefits of Taking Magnesium

• Relieve menstrual pain 

After taking magnesium supplements for 4 months, I found that my period pain was gone. The mechanism is that magnesium can relieve the pain caused by uterine muscle spasms . Girls with period pain can start taking 300mg/dose a few days before their period, which is helpful. (I usually take 200mg/day, and I will increase the dose a few days before my period.)

• Reduce the incidence of migraines 

Mechanisms include: 1. Magnesium can regulate a variety of neurotransmitters related to migraine, including: 5-HT, catecholamines , norepinephrine , histamine, PGE, etc.; 2. Magnesium can inhibit the toxicity of excitatory amino acids ( glutamate , aspartate excessive release has neurotoxicity), maintain the normal function of nerve cells, and avoid abnormal excitement of neurons and induce migraine; 3. Magnesium can relax cerebral blood vessels

• Supports athletic performance

Long-term continuous exercise can increase the level of cortisol in plasma. A 1984 study compared the changes in cortisol and aldosterone levels after long-term exercise in 9 adult males before and after 14 consecutive days of magnesium supplementation . The results showed that before magnesium supplementation, serum cortisol and aldosterone levels increased after high-intensity exercise; but after 14 consecutive days of magnesium supplementation, serum cortisol and aldosterone levels after high-intensity exercise decreased.