Cited by 162Magnesium in Health and DiseaseMagnesium Alloys: Properties and ApplicationsMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum

The Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Subjective Anxiety and Stress—A Systematic Review

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Boyle, Neil, Lawton, Clare, Dye, Louise·2017·Nutrients

Abstract

Background: Anxiety related conditions are the most common affective disorders present in the general population with a lifetime prevalence of over 15%. Magnesium (Mg) status is associated with subjective anxiety, leading to the proposition that Mg supplementation may attenuate anxiety symptoms. This systematic review examines the available evidence for the efficacy of Mg supplementation in the alleviation of subjective measures of anxiety and stress. Methods: A systematic search of interventions with Mg alone or in combination (up to 5 additional ingredients) was performed in May 2016. Ovid Medline, PsychInfo, Embase, CINAHL and Cochrane databases were searched using equivalent search terms. A grey literature review of relevant sources was also undertaken. Results: 18 studies were included in the review. All reviewed studies recruited samples based upon an existing vulnerability to anxiety: mildly anxious, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), postpartum status, and hypertension. Four/eight studies in anxious samples, four/seven studies in PMS samples, and one/two studies in hypertensive samples reported positive effects of Mg on subjective anxiety outcomes. Mg had no effect on postpartum anxiety. No study administered a validated measure of subjective stress as an outcome. Conclusions: Existing evidence is suggestive of a beneficial effect of Mg on subjective anxiety in anxiety vulnerable samples. However, the quality of the existing evidence is poor. Well-designed randomised controlled trials are required to further confirm the efficacy of Mg supplementation.

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  • Supplementation studies with magnesium alone or in combination with other nutrients have concluded, despite some methodological weaknesses, that magnesium can be a useful adjunct to manage mild anxiety symptoms.

    “Supplementation studies with magnesium alone or in combination with other nutrients has been recently reviewed and the conclusion has been, in spite of some methodological weaknesses, that magnesium can be a useful adjunct to manage mild anxiety symptoms [209].”

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4 of the 94 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. [59]Rouillon F. Lejoyeux M. Martineau C. A Double-blind Controlled Study of PCR 7060 vs. Buspirone in the Treatment of Generalised Anxiety Disorder Conference Abstract Proceedings of the 8th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress Venice, Italy 30 September–4 October 1995
  2. [71]Spielberger C.D. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory 2nd ed. Bibliography Consulting Psychologists Press Palo Alto, CA, USA 1989
  3. [82]Campbell D.T. Kenny D.A. Primer on Regression Artifacts Guildford Press New York, NY, USA 1999

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Authors
Boyle, N., Lawton, C., & Dye, L.
Affiliations
University of Leeds (GB)
Corresponding author
Boyle, Neil
Venue
Nutrients
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2017-04-26
Volume
9
Issue
5
Pages
429
ISSN
2072-6643 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2610150444
Cited by
162
References
94
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 2
FWCI
1.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nutrients (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Sanofi
  • European Food Safety Authority
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Magnesium in Health and Disease
  • Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Biomaterials › Magnesium Alloys: Properties and Applications
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Keywords
magnesium supplementation, subjective anxiety, stress, premenstrual syndrome, postpartum anxiety, hypertension, anxiety vulnerability, dietary supplements
MeSH terms
Anxiety, Humans, Magnesium, Stress, Physiological, Dietary Supplements

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