Magnesium reduced hostility in young adults
Earlier clinical trials found a link between magnesium and improved mood, but this is the first to explore magnesium and hostility. In this study, doctors estimated magnesium in the diets of 4,716 young adults, aged 18 to 30, from their answers to food questionnaires and nutritional supplement reports.
They found a direct link: as the level of magnesium in the diet increased, measures of hostility decreased. Those who also got more omega-3s in the diet along with better magnesium levels were even less likely to exhibit hostile behaviors.
Doctors think that there are several biologically plausible ways magnesium may influence hostility, including playing a role in the signaling between the hypothalamus in the brain, the pituitary, and adrenal glands, which secrete hormones linked to stress. Magnesium may also help metabolize serotonin, a major mood hormone.
Because hostility increases chances for heart and circulatory problems, doctors drew participants for this study from a larger clinical trial examining heart and circulatory factors in young adults.
Reference: Nutrition Research; 2021, Vol. 89, 35-44
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