TikTok users claim that supplementing with magnesium and vitamin D can help alleviate anxiety.
While it pays to be cautious when following TikTok trends, a recent viral video from user @tylerjohnwesley that’s currently sitting at 16.3 million views may just be on to something.
His followers are raving about what he calls “500 milli vanilli grams of peace.” Tyler says the hack — which calls for daily supplementation with 500 milligrams of magnesium glycinate and 125 micrograms (5,000 IU) of vitamin D3 — helped him with lifelong anxiety.
“I don’t have anxiety anymore,” Tyler proclaimed. “Thirty years, anxiety my whole life. I don’t have it anymore. Try it.” User Jesseca Weeks commented, “This is the first thing to actually help me,” while jaymiekraft responded, “Dude I started the exact same thing a few months ago. IT WORKS!!!!”
Yet others were chiming in to ask about timing and dosage, saying that they too wanted to try it. Clearly, people who have tried the combo believe they are getting good results, but what does the science say? Can magnesium and vitamin D really be used to treat anxiety?
What can magnesium and vitamin D do for the body?
While the medical advice to be found on TikTok is often sketchy, Dr. Uma Naidoo, director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and author of “Calm Your Mind With Food,” told Healthline there is “clear support for the role of vitamin D and magnesium in helping symptoms of depression and anxiety.”
She explained that vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a role in:
- calcium absorption
- bone growth
- mineralization
- remodeling of bone
“In the brain,” said Naidoo, “vitamin D acts as a neuro-steroid and plays a role in protecting against depression and anxiety disordersTrusted Source, and there is a well-established link between vitamin D deficiency and symptoms of depression, as well as worsened anxiety, as the deficiency or excess of vitamin D plays a crucial role in regulating stress responses … .”
What can magnesium and vitamin D do for anxiety?
Nadoo further explained that magnesium is a mineral that regulates at least 300 different biochemical reactions in the body, such as protein synthesis and muscle and nerve function. “This mineral helps to regulate many key neurotransmitters involved in mood regulation,” said Naidoo.
“Magnesium deficiencyTrusted Source is also associated with anxiety, ADHDTrusted Source, fatigue, and low libidoTrusted Source,” she said, “in fact, symptoms of having low stores of this key mineral include tension, irritability, and symptoms of anxiety.”
She additionally noted that magnesium deficiency has been associated with both depression and reduced levels of dopamine while supplementation has been shown to increase these levels.
“Adding more to one’s diet is also shown to improve quality of sleep, hydration and muscle growth and recovery,” Naidoo added, “and sleep, nutrition, and physical activity are all closely tied to our mental health, especially symptoms of anxiety and depression.”
Source: Healthline Media