Can magnesium help depression – or is it just a placebo?

Conclusion Depression is a serious illness that can cause a great deal of distress to those who have it, as well as to their friends and family. Current treatments – both medication and talking therapies – work well for some people but less well for others. Antidepressants can have unwanted side effects. So, a new treatment for depression with few side effects would be very welcome. Despite the researchers' interpretations of their results, however, it's hard to recommend a treatment when we don't know whether a sugar pill would work just as well. The lack of a placebo group in the study means we cannot be sure whether magnesium is a useful treatment for depression. We know that the placebo effect is real, and that it can bias results of clinical trials if not tested for by a placebo group in the study. This study was relatively small (only 112 people provided data that could be analysed); lasted only 12 weeks and did not include a placebo group. It's entirely possible that the results shown with magnesium pills are due to the placebo effect, and that they would have worn off with a longer study period. Although the researchers say that magnesium is "safe", high doses can cause diarrhoea. UK guidelines state that most people should be able to get sufficient magnesium through their diet, such as by eating more green vegetables, and that the effects of high-dose magnesium in the long term are unknown. Also, magnesium supplements are not recommended for people wi...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Mental health Source Type: news