Dietary Magnesium may help to reduce depression

Systemic inflammation is associated with both the dietary intake of magnesium, and depression.

Limited experimental and clinical data suggest an association between magnesium and depression. Thus, there are reasons to consider dietary magnesium as a variable of interest in depressive disorders. A recent Australian study suggest that magnesium-rich diet could play a role in preventing and treating depression. The study examine the association between magnesium intake and depression and anxiety in a large sample of community-dwelling men and women. This sample consisted of 5708 individuals aged 46-49 or 70-74 years who participated in the Hordaland Health Study in Western Norway.

There was an inverse association between standardized energy-adjusted magnesium intake and standardized depression scores that was not confounded by age, gender, body composition or blood pressure. The association was attenuated after adjustment for socioeconomic and lifestyle variables, but remained statistically significant. The strength of the magnesium's link to depression was comparable to that of low education and inadequate exercise, two established risk factors for the condition.

Magnesium is present in high concentrations in fish, grains, nuts and many fruits and vegetables. Research had revealed that almost 70% of US adults consumed less than the country’s recommended daily intake of magnesium. Findings from this study suggest that magnesium intake is related to depression in the community, further supporting the theory that there may be an association between diet and aetiology of depression, which some studies had linked with a lack of fatty acids and fish consumption. These findings may have public health and treatment implications.

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2009. 43(1):45-52.