The Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Depression Status in Depressed Patients with Magnesium Deficiency: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Abstract Objectives The aim of this trail was to determine the effect of magnesium supplementation on depression status of depressed patients suffering from magnesium deficiency. Methods In this trial 60 depressed people suffering from hypomagnesemia participated. The individuals were randomly categorized into two groups of 30 members; one receiving daily two 250-mg tablets of magnesium oxide(MG) and the other receiving placebo(PG) for 8 weeks. Beck II test was conducted and the concentration of serum magnesium was also measured. Results At the end of intervention 88.5% of the MG and 48.1% of the PG (p=0.002) had a normal level of magnesium. The mean changes of serum magnesium had a significant difference across the two groups. After the intervention, the mean score of Beck test significantly declined. However, in the MG this reduction was more significant than in the PG (P=0.02), so that the mean changes in this group experienced 15.65±8.9 reduction, but in the PG, it declined by 10.40±7.9. Conclusions Daily consumption of 500mg magnesium oxide tablets for at least 8 weeks by depressed patients suffering from magnesium deficiency leads to depression status as well as magnesium levels improvement. Therefore, assessment of the magnesium serum and resolving this deficiency positively influence the treatment of the depressed patients.