Volume 29, Issue 166, December 2025

The association between magnesium deficiency and the occurrence of anxiety disorders

Milena Kędzierska¹, Agnieszka Kowalska^1♦, Michał Wójcicki1, Michał Biernacki¹

¹Collegium Medicum at Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Agnieszka Kowalska, ul. Jana Chryzostoma Paska 10/30, 25-108 Kielce, Poland

ABSTRACT

Magnesium (Mg) is a key mineral for mental health. Its deficiencies are common and may be linked to anxiety disorders. This paper reviews the evidence and mechanisms explaining this relationship. Neurobiologically, magnesium deficiency contributes to anxiety on several levels. It weakens the physiological blockade of NMDA receptors, which leads to neuronal hyperexcitability. It also disrupts the GABA system and causes hyperactivity of the HPA stress axis. Diagnosing the deficiency is complicated. Standard serum magnesium measurements are unreliable due to compensatory tissue release, but patients with anxiety often have lower ionized magnesium (iMg), correlating with symptom severity. Magnesium supplementation appears beneficial for anxiety, especially with well-absorbed organic forms.

Keywords: Magnesium, Anxiety, Magnesium Deficiency, Hypomagnesemia, Anxiety Disorders.

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e232ms3761

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Published: 24 December 2025