Magnesium and major depression (2011) • Hacker News Board

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#161

Post by nradov » Fri, Jun 14, 2019, 4:50 PM UTC

thorwasdfasdf wrote: post #158

DoreenMichele wrote: post #108

The onset of depression has greatly increased in incidence, and it is affecting people much earlier in their lives during the late 20th century and early 21st century than before the 20th century (Meyer and Quenzar, 2005). The reasons for these findings are not quite clear, but inadequate dietary Mg is prevalent in America and is the most likely cause. There is probably a real increase in depression, coupled with a c…

There have been a number of experiments where they gave patients more magnesium, and in response most patients reduce their depression by a statistically significant amount. The inverse was found when they gave them calcium (more calcium increases depression). It's all about the ratio of calcium to magnesium. We're a society that consistently gets way too much calcium and way too little magnesium. That's because our…

Which specific studies were those?

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#162

Post by tempguy9999 » Fri, Jun 14, 2019, 4:51 PM UTC

thorwasdfasdf wrote: post #158

DoreenMichele wrote: post #108

The onset of depression has greatly increased in incidence, and it is affecting people much earlier in their lives during the late 20th century and early 21st century than before the 20th century (Meyer and Quenzar, 2005). The reasons for these findings are not quite clear, but inadequate dietary Mg is prevalent in America and is the most likely cause. There is probably a real increase in depression, coupled with a c…

There have been a number of experiments where they gave patients more magnesium, and in response most patients reduce their depression by a statistically significant amount. The inverse was found when they gave them calcium (more calcium increases depression). It's all about the ratio of calcium to magnesium. We're a society that consistently gets way too much calcium and way too little magnesium. That's because our…

> There have been a number of experiments where they gave patients more magnesium, and in response most patients reduce their depression by a statistically significant amount

Can you link to those studies please?

> more calcium increases depression

now that really is curious. Again, do you have a link? TIA

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#163

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Jun 14, 2019, 4:56 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#164

Post by thorwasdfasdf » Fri, Jun 14, 2019, 4:56 PM UTC

kmmlng wrote: post #19

I once tried supplementing magnesium while in the midst of moderate depression. Interestingly enough, the effect was not relief, but rather major, absolutely crushing depression (i.e. cannot get out of bed all day depression). I went back to moderate depression after stopping the supplementation and a subsequent second attempt brought back the major depression. By that point I gave up on the whole thing. Anyone have…

First of all, check the ratio of calcium to magnesium. A lot of supplement companies put in 2 to 1 ratio of calcium which is incorrect because they're going off the USDA's (big agra influenced) incorrect recommendation.

Most people get too much calcium in the first place. So, you'll want to stick to a supplement that only has magnesium in it. But supplement companies aren't regulated by anyone so, you really need to trust the brand that what they're putting in there is what they say they're putting in there. Because they're so unregulated I wouldn't trust them at all.

Better yet, try some whole foods. The very highest densities of Magnesium are (per calorie): Wheat Bran, Zuchini, Pumpkin Seeds, Hemp Seeds, most beans. Green veggies are also super high but I know most people won't eat a ton of those. So, Cashews are also fairly high in magnesium and delicious. Put Wheat bran in your oatmeal to increase the magnesium content. if you want more ideas, check out: https://kale.world/c (sorry to link to it twice, but that's where i've done all my nutrient density analysis)

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#165

Post by geggam » Fri, Jun 14, 2019, 4:58 PM UTC

kerkeslager wrote: post #157

geggam wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure. Hemp is a weed and was growing prolifically all over the US until the 1920's and 1930's, when it was outlawed. Free range cattle still is a big thing but was even larger then. Most of the beef in the nation consumed hemp, and the people consumed hemp 2nd hand by eating the domestic and wild animals that grazed on this wild growing weed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp Then you take a look at the "newly" (1990…

> Hemp is a weed and was growing prolifically all over the US until the 1920's and 1930's, when it was outlawed. Free range cattle still is a big thing but was even larger then. Most of the beef in the nation consumed hemp 2nd hand by eating the domestic and wild animals that grazed on this wild growing weed > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp 1. The link you provided states that hemp contains varying amounts of CBD…

You should do some learning on your own and not just read what I post

https://extension.psu.edu/industrial-hemp-production

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#166

Post by thorwasdfasdf » Fri, Jun 14, 2019, 4:59 PM UTC

benjaminwootton wrote: post #8

I'm quite skeptical on supplements, but I have to say that Magnesium helps me sleep like a baby and feel much more relaxed generally.

Your right to be skeptical of supplements. Supplement companies are completely unregulated, so in theory, they don't even have to put into their product what they say they're putting in.

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#167

Post by thorwasdfasdf » Fri, Jun 14, 2019, 5:02 PM UTC

dade_ wrote: post #36

An excuse to use too much maple syrup! https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5602/2

as the other comment stated, there isn't much magnesium in maple syrup. Magnesium is not the same thing as manganese. Furthermore manganese is abundantly available in numerous foods. So much so, that it's extremely unlikely that you need more of it.

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#168

Post by nestorD » Fri, Jun 14, 2019, 5:02 PM UTC

DoreenMichele wrote: post #88

less_penguiny wrote: post #38

FWIW Gwern has done some careful self-experiments on magnesium supplementation, finding it wasn't all rosy: https://www.gwern.net/nootropics/Magnesium

It's a long read with a lot of data and can be hard to make sense of. Here is the TLDR: Conclusion The interpretation which seems to best resolve everything I know about magnesium with the data from my experiment is that magnesium supplementation does indeed help me a large amount, but I was taking way too much.

The couple paragraphs above this citation are also worth reading, in particular:

I find this very troubling. The magnesium supplementation was harmful enough to do a lot of cumulative damage over the months involved, but not so blatantly harmful enough as to be noticeable without a randomized blind self-experiment or at least systematic data collection—neither of which are common among people who would be supplementing magnesium I would much prefer it if my magnesium overdose had come with visible harm (such as waking up in the middle of the night after a nightmare soaked in sweat), since then I’d know quickly and surely, as would anyone else taking magnesium. But the harm I observed in my data? For all I know, that could be affecting every user of magnesium supplements! How would we know otherwise?

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#169

Post by DoreenMichele » Fri, Jun 14, 2019, 5:03 PM UTC

balabaster wrote: post #153

DoreenMichele wrote: post #108

The onset of depression has greatly increased in incidence, and it is affecting people much earlier in their lives during the late 20th century and early 21st century than before the 20th century (Meyer and Quenzar, 2005). The reasons for these findings are not quite clear, but inadequate dietary Mg is prevalent in America and is the most likely cause. There is probably a real increase in depression, coupled with a c…

I would wager it's a combination of factors: 1. In general, the north american diet is disgraceful. 2. Consumerism and brainwashing people into believing that they can only be happy when they achieve X, Y or Z, does nothing for people's emotional emptiness. 3. The constant barrage of shit news, most of which is largely irrelevant to most of our lives, most of the time. 4. The constant threat of automation and off-sho…

I would add at least two more that I think are huge and largely overlooked most of the time:

a. Loss of a sense of community and the very real practical support that provides with moving from small town/rural to big city life for most people.

b. "Sick building syndrome" which I think is far, far more widespread than is generally recognized. Among other things, indoor air quality is crap more often than not.

Re: Magnesium and major depression (2011)

#170

Post by pmoriarty » Fri, Jun 14, 2019, 5:05 PM UTC

An unusual but effective way of taking magnesium is taking epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) baths. This way, the magnesium is absorbed through the skin, so one does not have to worry about possibly not absorbing it through the stomach when taking supplements orally.