Magnesium is one of the most powerful antidotes to anxiety anywhere. This is certainly a pertinent fact, considering that most adults in the United States are deficient in this vital nutrient.
The recommended daily intake or RDI is between 320 and 400 milligrams per day while the average American adult consumes less than 250 milligrams. Magnesium is required for an estimated 300+ biochemical bodily reactions.
Here is just a short list of our body’s processes in which magnesium plays a role:
- Supports a healthy immune system.
- Regulates heartbeat.
- Strengthens the bones.
- Aids energy production.
- Regulates blood sugar.
Of course, magnesium is also critical to brain function. Magnesium may reduce brain inflammation, suppress the stress response, and promote the normalization of neurotransmitters. Magnesium may also have a calming effect on the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). While the SNS works with the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) to keep us alive and kicking, it is also responsible for anxiety.
“Simply taking a good magnesium supplement could pull you out of a downward spiral.” – Carolyn Dean, M.D., author of The Magnesium Miracle
Six Signs You Need More Magnesium To Help With Anxiety
Before we show you how to make a great “miracle” beverage, here are a few signs you may need more “Mg” in your life!
- You have trouble sleeping or insomnia.
- You’re irritable, often for no reason.
- You have a sensitivity to noise.
- You’re anxious, depressed, or restless.
- You suffer from sore muscles or muscle spasms, twitches, or tremors.
- You suffer from bone fragility or osteoporosis.
The relationship between magnesium deficiency and anxiety is a convincing one. In a 2017 study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers found magnesium supplements decreased subjective measures of anxiety in “moderately anxious individuals.” (By “moderately anxious individuals” do they mean everyone?!)
Did you know there’s a way to make an anti-anxiety drink using – you guessed it – magnesium as the main ingredient? And here it is.
Miracle Magnesium Anti-Anxiety Drink
First, here are the ingredients that you will need (and their magnesium count):
- 1 cup of kale or spinach (157 milligrams).
- 1 banana (32 milligrams).
- A tablespoon (TBSP) of raw cacao powder (27 milligrams).
- A teaspoon (TSP) of agave nectar or organic honey (1 milligram).
- 1 scoop of protein powder (optional; for additional nutrient benefits).
- 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk (17 milligrams).
Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix thoroughly.
Total Mg count: 234 milligrams; 59-73% of recommended daily intake (RDI).
Magnesium-Rich Foods
“I find it funny that more doctors aren’t clued in to the benefits of magnesium, because we use it all the time in conventional medicine.” – Mark Hyman, M.D., author of The Ultra-Metabolism Cookbook and The Ultra-Mind Solution
To close things out, here is a top ten list of our favorite magnesium-rich foods!
- Dark leafy greens, 1 cup: 100-160 mg
- Pumpkin seeds, 1 ounce: 150 mg (!!)
- Black beans, 1 cup: 120 mg
- Salmon, 1 fillet: 106 mg
- Cashews, 1 ounce: 82 mg
- Whole grains, 1 ounce: 50-70 mg
- Dark chocolate (yay!!), 1 ounce: 65 mg
- Avocado, 1 medium: 59 mg
- Tofu, 3.5 ounces: 53 mg
- Bananas, 1 large: 37 mg
