Page 66 - FoodFocusThailand No.241 May 2026

STRATEGIC R & D

The Overlapping Symptoms: The Vicious Circle:
A Warning Sign Hiding in Plain Sight How Magnesium Deficiency Amplifies Stress
A review conducted by Pickering and colleagues, published in When the body becomes magnesium-deficient, the stress
Nutrients in 2020, compiled scientific evidence from both animal response system grows more sensitive, more reactive,
and human studies to illustrate the bidirectional relationship and more difficult to switch off. Animal studies provide
between magnesium and stress. compelling mechanistic evidence as magnesium-deficient
One of the most striking findings reported is the near-complete rodents consistently display heightened anxiety-like and
overlap between the symptoms of psychological stress and depression-like behaviors compared with control groups. They
those of magnesium deficiency. Both conditions produce fatigue, also show elevated CRH and ACTH levels and are significantly
irritability, mild anxiety, headache, poor sleep quality, and muscle more susceptible to stress-induced gastric ulceration.
tension. This convergence is not coincidental but reflects a deep In addition, women experiencing chronic emotional stress
biological entanglement between the two states. who were magnesium-deficient reported high rates of irritability,
Diagnosing magnesium deficiency in clinical practice is fatigue, and sleep disturbance. Critically, dietary magnesium
complicated by the fact that serum magnesium, which is the intake was found to be significantly and inversely correlated
most commonly measured parameter, represents less than with scores on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS).
1% of the body’s total magnesium. Individuals may present In other words, lower magnesium intake is associated with
with apparently normal serum magnesium concentrations higher levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. This reinforcing
while experiencing significant depletion within bone tissue and cycle must be addressed to reduce the long-term health
intracellular compartments. For this reason, serum magnesium consequences of stress.
levels below 0.7 mmol/L should be considered a lagging indicator
of underlying physiological magnesium depletion. Clinical Evidence for Magnesium Supplementation
A study by Pickering and colleagues found that nearly 44% Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that male
of individuals screened for stress had chronic latent magnesium students receiving 250 mg/day of magnesium for four weeks
deficiency (defined as serum Mg below 0.85 mmol/L), a level showed both an increase in erythrocyte magnesium content
below the threshold that would trigger clinical attention, yet and a significant reduction in serum cortisol. Supplementation
sufficient to meaningfully impair physiological stress regulation. at 400 mg/day demonstrated measurable improvement in
heart rate variability which considered as objective marker
Magnesium as the Body’s Stress Off-Switch of autonomic nervous system recovery from stress. Most
When the brain perceives a threat, the HPA axis activates and strikingly, daily supplementation with 300 mg of magnesium
cortisol floods the system. The sympathetic nervous system combined with 30 mg of vitamin B6 reduced DASS scores by
simultaneously releases adrenaline and noradrenaline, preparing up to 45% from baseline in participants reporting severe stress
the body for fight-or-flight responses. Magnesium plays a critical with the magnesium plus B6 combination proving superior
inhibitory role at multiple levels of this stress circuit. It functions as to magnesium alone among those with the lowest baseline
a cofactor for tryptophan hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in magnesium levels.
serotonin synthesis, a neurotransmitter central to mood stability. Chronic stress is a major factor contributing to magnesium
It physically blocks the NMDA receptor channel at resting loss in the body. Conversely, magnesium deficiency intensifies
membrane potential, preventing excessive glutamate-driven stress-related biological responses and slows recovery. In
neuronal excitation that underlies anxiety and hyperarousal. It modern society, many individuals are at risk of inadequate
acts as an agonist at the GABA-A receptor, promoting the same magnesium intake due to dietary patterns and high levels of
inhibitory, anxiolytic signaling pathway targeted by benzodiazepine lifestyle-related stress, which further exacerbates this cycle.
medications. It also indirectly reduces ACTH release, thereby Prioritizing magnesium-rich foods—such as leafy green
attenuating cortisol output. vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts, and whole grains——
along with considering appropriate supplementation, is not
Mechanisms of Stress-Induced Magnesium Loss merely a general nutritional recommendation. Rather, it
During acute stress, catecholamine hormones stimulate represents an important strategy for restoring physiological
magnesium movement from intracellular compartments into balance and effectively supporting the body’s stress regulation
the bloodstream, followed by rapid excretion through the system.
kidneys. Clinical studies support this mechanism. Even a
single administration of adrenaline has been shown to produce
a significant reduction in plasma magnesium levels, with
concentrations failing to return to baseline even one hour after
cessation of the stimulus. In everyday settings, the pattern More Information Service Info C011
is consistent. University students showed elevated urinary
magnesium excretion alongside increased anxiety scores during
examination periods. Young adults exposed to three months of เอกสารอ้างอิง / References
chronic psychological stress demonstrated progressive reductions Folkman S. Stress: appraisal and coping. InEncyclopedia of
in plasma magnesium levels. Chronic sleep deprivation was behavioral medicine 2020 Oct 20 (pp. 2177-2179). Cham:
associated with measurably lower erythrocyte magnesium Springer International Publishing.
concentrations. These events collectively form part of a self- Pickering G, Mazur A, Trousselard M, Bienkowski P, Yaltsewa N,
amplifying cycle. Amessou M, Noah L, Pouteau E. Magnesium status and stress:
the vicious circle concept revisited. Nutrients. 2020 Dec;12(12):3672.
Selye H, Selye H, Selye H, Physician H, Selye H, Médecin H. The
stress of life. New York: McGraw-hill; 1956.
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