Is magnesium the best ally against stress?

Many French people suffer from a magnesium deficiency. This mineral salt is involved in a very large number of metabolic reactions, particularly those linked to stress . What is the relationship between this mineral salt and stress? What are the benefits of magnesium to combat daily stress ? How does vitamin B6 strengthen its action?

What is stress ?

In 1948, Doctor Hans Selye highlighted the “general adaptation syndrome” (GAS).

What we more commonly call “ stress ” is a general alarm reaction of our body when it is subjected to external aggression. This corresponds to an attempt to adapt to a new environment.

This response of our body corresponds to the SGA, a set of biological reactions broken down into three phases.

The alarm phase

The alarm phase is a normal emergency reaction of the body suddenly exposed to an external attack.

Various physiological changes are triggered such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, dilation of pupils or increased muscle tone. Vigilance, memory and the ability to think are strengthened under the effect of adrenaline.

This alarm phase lasts between a few minutes and 24 hours. Beyond that, we enter a resistance phase.

The resistance phase

Also known as endurance, the resistance phase is the response to prolonged exposure to aggression.

The physiological manifestations subside, but the body calls upon other resources to try to adapt to this persistent situation. In particular, it secretes endorphins, dopamine, cortisol, dopamine and serotonin.

The exhaustion phase

Faced with an aggression that persists over time, our body cannot cope. In pain, it exhausts its energy reserves while other functions lose efficiency.

The consequences can be serious, both physically and psychologically: exhaustion of the person, chronic fatigue, irritability, depression, damage to the cardiovascular system with risk of heart attack, drop in immune defenses, etc.

How does magnesium help fight stress?

Magnesium (Mg) is a very important mineral salt in the human body. In fact, it is involved in more than three hundred metabolic reactions, in bones, the immune system and even memory.

Stress lowers Mg concentration

Due to our hectic lifestyle, we are constantly subjected to stressful situations . You have to hurry to pick up the children, perform well at your job and much more.

Each time we are subjected to a stimulus perceived as aggression, our body releases a large quantity of norepinephrine. Also called norepinephrine, norepinephrine is a hormone and neurotransmitter similar to adrenaline.

If this molecule provides an almost instantaneous response, it also causes the excretion of magnesium . In a nutshell, our body eliminates magnesium. This mineral salt being less present in our body, the latter offers less resistance to stress. To cope with this, more norepinephrine is released by our body into the blood system.

This even more massive release of norepinephrine causes the elimination of an ever greater quantity of magnesium. This endless loop leads to a state of hypomagnesemia. This term designates a blood magnesium concentration that is too low (< 1.8 mg/dL or < 0.70 mmol/L). Hypomagnesemia characterizes significant stress, both in its duration and in its intensity.

Magnesium, the best anti-stress

To break this loop which inevitably leads to very complicated situations, you just need to make up for the lack of magnesium.

This can be done through diet. Significant quantities are found in dark chocolate, wheat germ, almonds and even green vegetables. However, this is generally not enough to quickly return to normal. Food supplements allow you to return to a more peaceful state, more quickly.

Indeed, this magnesium intake helps reduce the release of chemical messengers linked to stress in the blood. It also helps increase serotonin secretion.

This is aptly nicknamed the happiness hormone since it influences the feeling of well-being. Anxiety is reduced, nights less restless, irritability less marked. It facilitates muscle relaxation and has a beneficial effect on tachycardia.

Vitamin B6 and magnesium, the perfect anti-stress cocktail

The benefits of magnesium are numerous, particularly for nervous balance.

Anti-fatigue, muscle relaxant, anti-stress, it contributes to good balance and good health on a daily basis. In association with vitamin B6 , the benefits of magnesium are reinforced.

In fact, these elements have a complementary action:

• magnesium is very present in the human body. It is found in the liver, the heart and even in the muscles. When it comes to stress, it helps regulate muscle tone, blood pressure and heart rate. It plays a central role in nerve transmission. So many actions that can be described as relaxing;
• Vitamin B6 contributes to better assimilation of certain nutrients, including magnesium. Among its many other properties, vitamin B6 plays a role in the proper functioning of the immune system. It also contributes to maintaining mental balance.

How to meet your magnesium needs to combat stress?

Magnesium deficiency is very common today in France.

According to various studies published in recent years, at least one in five adults are affected. The origin of this deficiency is very diverse. It may be linked to an illness, a medical prescription, stress or even an unbalanced diet.

To cover our daily needs, we need at least 360 mg for a woman and 420 mg for a man. These numbers increase among pregnant or breastfeeding women.

This obviously requires a more balanced diet incorporating some of the many foods with a high magnesium content. Among these, we find in particular wholemeal bread, wholemeal rice, spinach, bananas, prunes and even dark chocolate.

However, in times of stress, it may be good to use the food supplement Argalys which brings together magnesium (50% of the RDA per capsule) and vitamin B6 associated with potassium. This food supplement allows you to benefit from the benefits of magnesium, in particular to regain a calm state. Nervous fatigue is reduced, cramps fade, sleep is restorative.

Our Multivitamin food supplement can also be an alternative solution because it also provides 25% of the RDA for Magnesium, which is perfectly suited to ensuring good coverage of average daily needs.