Magnesio para Depresión
El magnesio muestra evidencia prometedora para la mejora de los síntomas depresivos.
Impacto
Confianza en la evidencia
Distribución de resultados entre estudios
Resumen de Evidencia
Múltiples meta-análisis y ensayos controlados aleatorizados (RCTs) sugieren que la suplementación con magnesio puede reducir significativamente los síntomas depresivos en adultos con trastorno depresivo, con algunos estudios mostrando un tamaño de efecto grande. Existe una asociación entre bajos niveles de magnesio y depresión, y la ingesta dietética adecuada de magnesio se ha vinculado a un menor riesgo de depresión. Sin embargo, los efectos pueden variar según la población, con evidencia nula en depresión perinatal y síntomas depresivos en fibromialgia. Algunos estudios también indican beneficios en la reducción del estrés, a menudo en combinación con vitamina B6.
- ✓Un meta-análisis de 2023 (n=325) encontró que la suplementación con magnesio redujo significativamente las puntuaciones de depresión en adultos con trastorno depresivo, con un tamaño de efecto grande (SMD: -0.919).
- ✓Otro meta-análisis de 2017 (n=17 estudios) mostró que la ingesta dietética de magnesio estaba inversamente asociada con el riesgo de depresión, con la mayor reducción de riesgo observada con 320 mg/día.
- ✓Aunque la evidencia es mayormente positiva, un meta-análisis de 2023 (n=28 estudios) no encontró una reducción significativa en la depresión perinatal con metales elementales, incluyendo magnesio, en comparación con placebo.
👥 Población con mayor evidencia
Adultos con trastorno depresivo o síntomas depresivos, especialmente aquellos con niveles bajos de magnesio o ingesta dietética insuficiente.
💊 Dosis con mayor evidencia
Dosis de alrededor de 300-320 mg de magnesio elemental por día han mostrado el mayor beneficio en algunos estudios, aunque la forma específica de magnesio (ej., orotato, valproato) y su administración en combinación con otros nutrientes también son factores.
⚖️ Por qué hay resultados contradictorios
Las inconsistencias pueden deberse a diferencias en las poblaciones estudiadas (ej., depresión clínica vs. síntomas leves, depresión perinatal, fibromialgia), las formas y dosis de magnesio utilizadas, y si se administra solo o en combinación con otros nutrientes.
⚠️ Limitaciones de la evidencia
La mayoría de los estudios son meta-análisis, y algunos RCTs usan magnesio en combinación con otros suplementos, dificultando aislar el efecto puro del magnesio. Se necesita más investigación sobre las formas y dosis óptimas para diferentes subtipos de depresión.
Otros beneficios de Magnesio
Ver todos los beneficios →Otros suplementos para Depresión
Ver todos los suplementos →Estudios Individuales (25)
Moabedi Mahdi, Aliakbari Mohammadreza, Erfanian Shima et al. · Frontiers in psychiatry 2023 · n=325
A 2023 meta-analysis (n=325) found that magnesium supplementation significantly reduced depression scores in adults with depressive disorder (SMD: -0.919, 95% CI: -1.443 to -0.396).
Pascual-Ramírez J, Gil-Trujillo S, Alcantarilla C · Minerva anestesiologica 2013 · n=817
A 2013 meta-analysis (n=817) found that intrathecal magnesium 50-100 mg prolonged time to first analgesia request by at least 35 minutes as an adjuvant to spinal anesthesia.
Strodl Esben, Bambling Matthew, Parnam Sophie et al. · Scientific reports 2024 · n=120
A 2024 RCT (n=120) found that a combination of probiotics, magnesium orotate, and coenzyme 10 significantly reduced major depressive episodes and depressive symptoms over 8 weeks in adults with MDD.
Cheungpasitporn W, Thongprayoon C, Mao M A et al. · Internal medicine journal 2015 · n=19137
A 2015 meta-analysis (n=19,137) found a potential association between hypomagnesaemia and depression, with a pooled RR of 1.34 (95% CI 1.01-1.79).
Zeng Xianling, Xue Yan, Tian Quan et al. · Medicine 2016 · n=18655
A 2016 meta-analysis (n=18655) found magnesium sulfate reduced risk of moderate to severe cerebral palsy (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.42-0.89) in preterm infants exposed in utero, with no significant adverse effects on babies but maternal side effects.
Wang Huan, Jin Mengdi, Xie Mengtong et al. · Journal of affective disorders 2023 · n=4049
A 2023 meta-analysis (n=4049) found that magnesium supplementation significantly improved depressive status (SMD=0.16, p=0.03).
Pouteau Etienne, Kabir-Ahmadi Marmar, Noah Lionel et al. · PloS one 2018 · n=264
A 2018 RCT (n=264) found that magnesium plus vitamin B6 was not superior to magnesium alone for stress reduction overall, but in those with severe/extremely severe stress, the combination provided 24% greater improvement at week 8.
Noah Lionel, Morel Veronique, Bertin Claire et al. · Nutrients 2022 · n=100
A 2022 RCT (n=100) found Mg-Teadiola significantly reduced DASS-42 stress scores in chronically stressed healthy individuals compared to placebo, with small effect size (0.29).
Shaheen Rahma Sameh, Ismail Rahma Abdelaziz, Salama Esraa Y et al. · BMC women's health 2024 · n=2813
A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis (n=2813) found no statistically significant difference in efficacy or safety between 12-hour and 24-hour magnesium sulfate regimens for pre-eclampsia and eclampsia.
Diaz Virginia, Long Qian, Oladapo Olufemi T · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews 2023 · n=3020
A 2023 systematic review (n=3020) found very low-certainty evidence that alternative magnesium sulphate regimens differ in effects on recurrence of convulsions or maternal death in women with pre-eclampsia or eclampsia.
Lakhan Shaheen E, Vieira Karen F · Nutrition journal 2010 · n=2619
A 2010 systematic review (n=2619) found that nutritional and herbal supplementation is effective for treating anxiety and anxiety-related conditions, with 71% of RCTs showing positive direction of evidence.
You Hyun Ju, Cho Seo-Eun, Kang Seung-Gul et al. · Nordic journal of psychiatry 2018
A 2018 meta-analysis (18 studies) found decreased serum magnesium levels in depression compared to controls.
Tsai Zoe, Shah Nirmay, Tahir Umair et al. · The American journal of clinical nutrition 2023
A 2023 meta-analysis (n=28 studies) found that elemental metals including magnesium did not significantly reduce perinatal depression compared to placebo (SMD: -0.42; 95% CI: -1.05 to 0.21).
Dong Shen, Lv Wangqiang, Fengli Sun et al. · Alternative therapies in health and medicine 2023
A 2023 meta-analysis of Chinese patients with depressive episodes found that salt valproate (sodium or magnesium) significantly reduced the switch rate to mania associated with antidepressant treatment, with odds ratios ranging from 0.11 to 0.18.
Li Bingrong, Lv Jing, Wang Weijing et al. · The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry 2017
A 2017 meta-analysis of 17 studies found that dietary magnesium intake was inversely associated with depression risk (RR=0.81, 95% CI [0.70, 0.92]), with largest risk reduction at 320 mg/day.
Noah Lionel, Dye Louise, Bois De Fer Béatrice et al. · Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress 2021
A 2021 RCT (n not reported) studied magnesium with and without vitamin B6 in stressed adults with low magnesemia; depression was a secondary endpoint and showed improvement with magnesium + vitamin B6 compared to magnesium alone.
Botturi Andrea, Ciappolino Valentina, Delvecchio Giuseppe et al. · Nutrients 2020
A 2020 systematic review (32 articles) found mixed results: 12 studies showed positive effects on depressive symptoms, 7 found correlation between low magnesium and depression, but no significant association with anxiety disorders; overall supplementation may be beneficial.
McCabe Delia, Lisy Karolina, Lockwood Craig et al. · JBI database of systematic reviews and implementation reports 2017
A 2017 systematic review (14 studies) found that combined magnesium and vitamin B6 supplementation reduced premenstrual anxiety but had no effect when used in isolation, and did not affect stress in women with dysmenorrhea.
Derom Marie-Laure, Sayón-Orea Carmen, Martínez-Ortega José María et al. · Nutritional neuroscience 2013
A 2013 systematic review (n=27 studies) found that higher dietary magnesium intake was associated with lower depression symptoms, but results from blood and cerebrospinal fluid magnesium were inconclusive; oral magnesium supplementation may be effective but data are scarce.
Ferreira Isadora, Ortigoza Ángela, Moore Philippa · Medwave 2019
A 2019 systematic review (11 primary studies, 1 RCT) found that magnesium and malic acid supplementation made little or no difference on pain and depressive symptoms in fibromyalgia patients.
Fathy Wael, Hussein Mona, Elanwar Rehab et al. · BMC anesthesiology 2024 · n=80
A 2024 RCT (n=80) found that intraoperative magnesium sulphate administration was an independent predictor of reduced postoperative insomnia and pain in patients undergoing lumbar fixation.
Ljungberg Tina, Bondza Emma, Lethin Connie · International journal of environmental research and public health 2020
A 2020 systematic review (n=20 articles) found that magnesium intake was associated with reduced depressive symptoms or depression.
Sylvia Louisa G, Peters Amy T, Deckersbach Thilo et al. · Psychotherapy and psychosomatics 2013
A 2013 systematic review found conflicting but mainly positive evidence for n-3 and chromium in bipolar depression, and limited evidence that choline, magnesium, folate, and tryptophan may reduce manic symptoms.
Macfater Hoani, Xia Weisi, Srinivasa Sanket et al. · World journal of surgery 2019
A 2019 systematic review (18 RCTs) found limited procedure-specific evidence of analgesic effects for magnesium in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.
Martínez-González Miguel Ángel, Sánchez-Villegas Almudena · Magnesium research 2016 · n=15836
A 2016 observational study (n=15,836) found no significant association between magnesium intake and depression incidence (HR=0.85, 95% CI 0.60-1.22 for highest vs lowest quintile).