Take magnesium glycinate in the evening

Magnesium glycinate is the best-tolerated form for nervous system effects — taken at night, it supports both sleep and anxiety.

Why it works

Magnesium glycinate chelates magnesium with glycine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter that also supports sleep quality. The compound improves absorption compared to magnesium oxide while avoiding the laxative effect common with magnesium citrate at higher doses. Evening timing aligns with the role of magnesium in activating GABA receptors and blocking NMDA overactivation — the peak of the anxiety-relevant physiological effects occurs during the hours of sleep and the transition into it.

How to do it

1. Start with 100–200 mg elemental magnesium glycinate in the evening with food.
2. Increase to 300–400 mg elemental if well-tolerated after two weeks.
3. Take consistently — magnesium effects accumulate with tissue saturation, not from a single dose.
4. Look for products listing "elemental magnesium" on the label, not just total weight of the compound.

Evidence

Tarleton et al. found that 248 mg elemental magnesium per day over six weeks significantly improved depression and anxiety scores in adults with mild-to-moderate symptoms. (rct)

The Tarleton RCT is open-label (not blinded), which is a design limitation. The population had mild-to-moderate symptoms; evidence for severe clinical anxiety disorders is not established from this trial.

Sources

• Tarleton et al. (2017), Role of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial, PLOS ONE

Common mistake

Taking magnesium oxide, which is cheap but has poor bioavailability and mostly acts as a laxative, then concluding "magnesium doesn’t help with anxiety."