What you eat and drink has a huge effect on how you feel. You might have heard this before. But the truth is that the effect of nutrition on anxiety is less than clear.

It’s true that gut-bacteria have a likely effect on mood and stress, studies show. Beyond that, among the few dietary supplements that really are effective is Magnesium.

Introducing Magnesium

The trace element Magnesium plays an important role in our nervous system and the immune system. A couple of studies — both in animals and in humans — have shown that Magnesium can reduce our in-built stress response. It offsets the effect of calcium whose job is to help muscles contract and run away quickly when things get too dangerous.

On the other hand, when we experience anxiety, we tap into our Magnesium reservoirs and deplete it. So the effect goes both ways: The less Magnesium we have, the more likely we are to become anxious. And the more anxious we are, the more we deplete our Magnesium reserves.

The latest meta-review from May 2017 explains this nicely and in more detail:

What to do?

Unfortunately, most people in Western countries are Magnesium-deficient. That means that many of us don’t take in enough through our normal diet. Yet only few of us know because it doesn’t show up in a common blood test. The obvious answer is to take in more Magnesium.

Simple dietary changes should do the trick: You can find much of what you need in spinach and other green leafy vegetables, beans and nuts as well as whole grains. Almonds, dark chocolate and avocados are also good sources for Magnesium. And if all this doesn’t sound right for you, there’s always the option to reach for Magnesium supplements.

Here is an excellent article that goes into more detail on how to add magnesium to your diet. So give it a try and see for yourself if it makes a difference!