Magnesium is one of the most powerful antidotes that can be used to anxiety anywhere. This is surely a pertinent fact, concerning that most adults in the United States are abortive in this vital nutrient. The prescribed daily intake or RDI is between 320 and 400 milligrams per day while the average American adult consumes less than 250 milligrams. Magnesium is essential for an estimated 300+ biochemical bodily reactions.
Here is a short list of our body’s processes in which magnesium plays a major role:
- Aids a healthy immune system.
- Regulates heartbeat.
- Strengthens the bones.
- Supports energy production.
- Regulates blood sugar.
Magnesium is also crucial to brain function. Magnesium may decrease brain inflammation, suppress the stress response, and promote the normalization of neurotransmitters. Magnesium may also contain a calming effect on the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). While the SNS functions with the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) to keep us alive and kicking, it is also vital for anxiety.
According to Carolyn Dean, M.D., author of The Magnesium Miracle, “Simply taking a good magnesium supplement could pull you out of a downward spiral.”
Six Signs You Need More Magnesium to Help with Anxiety
Before we illustrate you how to make a great “miracle” beverage, here are a few signs you may need more “Mg” in your life!
- You are in trouble sleeping or insomnia.
- You’re irritable, often for no reason.
- You have the 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 bond between magnesium deficiency and anxiety is a convincing one. In a 2017 research published in the journal Nutrients, researchers found that magnesium supplements decreased subjective measures of anxiety in “moderately anxious individuals.”
There’s a way to make an anti-anxiety drink using magnesium as the main ingredient. And here it is.
Miracle Magnesium Anti-Anxiety Drink
First, here are the ingredients that you 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: Mix all ingredients in a blender and mix thoroughly.
Total Mg count: 234 milligrams; 59-73% of recommended daily intake (RDI).
Magnesium-rich Foods
According to Mark Hyman, M.D., author of The Ultra-Metabolism Cookbook and The Ultra-Mind Solution, “I find it funny that more doctors aren’t clued into the benefits of magnesium because we use it all the time in conventional medicine.”
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 1 ounce: 65 mg
- Avocado, 1 medium: 59 mg
- Tofu, 3.5 ounces: 53 mg
- Bananas, 1 large: 37 mg
