Magnesium and B vitamins – the anti-stress minerals
Too many exams at school, challenging tasks at work or a diary full of meetings: for many people, stress is part of their daily routine, often with consequences for their physical health. We now know that constant pressure is bad for your health. But not many people know that magnesium and B vitamins are also closely associated with stress, too. The energy mineral and the nerve vitamins help keep our bodies resilient, and a vitamin B or magnesium deficiency can make us more vulnerable to stress.
Strong nerves: why magnesium is important when you're stressed
Stress isn’t always a bad thing. In short bursts, it actually mobilises our energy reserves and makes our immune system fitter – our bodies are “plugged in”. But constant stress can be a problem over longer periods. As stress persists, the body loses more and more magnesium. Increased amounts of hormones such as adrenalin and cortisone are excreted, increasing heart rate and blood pressure and muscle tension. As cortisone levels in the blood increase, more and more magnesium is filtered out from the kidneys and eliminated via urine. That’s why people under a great deal of stress have a higher magnesium requirement.
The anti-stress mineral has a dual effect on the nervous system:
- Magnesium reduces the amount of adrenalin and cortisone released during stress.
- Magnesium has a stabilising effect. It inhibits the transmission of nerve impulses that cause the symptoms of stress such as increased muscle tension. If your magnesium supply is low, nerve cells might send too many signals, increasing irritability.
So people suffering from stress need to make sure they are taking enough foods that are rich in magnesium. But it’s just when everything gets too much, for example when you seem to have a never-ending list of jobs to do at work, that many people tend to eat unhealthily. They simply don’t have the time for a balanced diet with fresh vegetables or fruit. But they then run the risk of not getting enough magnesium as well as other vital minerals. And that in turn causes stress, releasing even more stress-causing hormones – a vicious circle.
Relaxed nerves with B vitamins
B vitamins help your body to cope better with stress. They support your energy metabolism and nerve function. Vitamin B acts as a prop so you can face the challenges the day brings, helping to relax muscles and nerves. These “nerve vitamins” support your body in two ways:
- Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 support your immune system, keeping your body resilient.
- All the B vitamins help to keep your metabolism and nerve system working properly.
Like magnesium, B vitamins are not produced by the body itself. So they have to be taken through food or products such as Biolectra® Magnesium Depot. So making sure you have an adequate intake of magnesium and B vitamins is a good way of resisting stress. It will keep you and your nerves relaxed, even on long days.
Taking magnesium and B vitamins can help with stress
We need to get one thing clear - If you’re stressed you need to start by working out what’s causing this and develop strategies to help overcome it. But if you’re feeling agitated or prone to stress it may very well be a good idea to have your own magnesium supply and vitamin B levels checked by a doctor.
Magnesium, sometimes called the “mineral of inner peace”, helps us to relax more quickly and remain calm after moments of stress. B vitamins help to supply your body with energy. If you don’t have an adequate supply of these two vital substances you will be more prone to stress. In these situations it can be a good idea, along with a diet that’s rich in magnesium, to supplement your daily supply with Biolectra®.
A study has shown that supplementing your magnesium intake can be particularly helpful for people under mental or physical stress. Maintaining a normal supply of magnesium is important for preventing irritability, restlessness or lack of concentration occurring in the first place.
Wienecke E., Nolden C.: Langzeit-HRV-Analyse zeigt Stressreduktion durch Magnesiumzufuhr, MMW – Fortschritte der Medizin, Volume 156, Supplement 6. 2016; S. 12-16.
https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-2008-1038821
