A supplement costing just 7p a pill could help improve your sleep and alleviate anxiety, according to research. Taken daily this tablet has the potential to provide a number of benefits that affect both your physical and mental health.
Magnesium is a mineral vital to keep the body functioning as normal. It helps keep blood pressure normal, bones strong, and the heart rhythm steady.
On top of this, it also controls your blood sugar levels and makes protein and DNA. If you stick to a healthy, balanced diet you should be able to get all the magnesium you need from food.
It can be found in a variety of nutrient-dense foods, including whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and several fruits and vegetables. It is also present in what you might consider “treat” foods like dark chocolate, peanuts, and avocados.
However, sometimes it is not always possible to get all the nutrients we need through diet alone, which is why many people rely on daily supplements to stay healthy. Doing so to top-up your magnesium intake could bolster your sleep habits and also reduce anxiety.
One scientific study, published in the Journal of Research in Medicinal Sciences in 2012, looked at the effect of magnesium supplementation on 46 elderly people. Participants were split into two groups – one of which that received 500mg of magnesium every day for eight weeks or on that took a placebo.
Questionnaires of insomnia severity index (ISI), physical activity, and sleep log were completed at the start and end of the trial. Blood samples were taken at baseline and after the intervention period for analysis of serum magnesium, renin, melatonin, and cortisol.
It found that those taking magnesium experienced improved sleep. The study authors concluded: “Supplementation of magnesium appears to improve subjective measures of insomnia such as ISI score, sleep efficiency, sleep time and sleep onset latency, early morning awakening, and likewise, insomnia objective measures such as concentration of serum renin, melatonin, and serum cortisol, in elderly people.”
Separate research, from Sleep journal in 2023, analysed magnesium intake and sleep in 3,964 participants. Magnesium intake was associated with both better sleep quality and longer sleep duration.
However, authors concluded that randomised controlled trials were needed to further establish this connection.
This is backed by experts at the Sleep Foundation who said: “More research is needed to determine how magnesium supplements might impact people of other ages who experience insomnia. However, some people take magnesium for insomnia and anecdotally report that it helps.”
Several studies suggest that magnesium also plays a role in anxiety. In one 2017 review of 18 existing studies, researchers found that magnesium supplements had the potential to improve measures of anxiety in people vulnerable to the condition.
But they noted that the quality of evidence is currently poor. Further to this, a 2016 review study reports that people with anxiety related to premenstrual syndrome benefited from taking magnesium supplements.
Medical News Today lists some magnesium-rich foods as:
- Spinach
- Quinoa
- Almonds and cashews
- Dark chocolate
- Black beans.
According to the NHS, the amount of magnesium you need is:
- 300mg a day for men (19 to 64 years)
- 270mg a day for women (19 to 64 years).
The health body warns that taking high doses of magnesium (more than 400mg) for a short time can cause diarrhoea. If you take any medications you should speak to your GP before starting magnesium supplementation.
At the time of reporting you can buy a 180 tablet pot of magnesium supplements from Holland & Barrett for £12.49, which works out at 7p a pill.