If you’re feeling anxious or upset, potassium and magnesium supplements can help you feel more calm and relaxed. 

While potassium and magnesium are often known to treat fatigue, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, they can also improve mental health and mood. 

Potassium and magnesium are essential minerals and that play important roles in many bodily processes. The electrolytes work synergistically together performing many functions including regulating muscle movement and the nervous system. Magnesium also maintains and repairs DNA and potassium regulates fluid balance. In addition, these two minerals influence overall mood, sense of satisfaction and calmness.

According to the World Health Organization, 75% of US adults do not meet the FDA’s recommended daily intake of 420 mg of magnesium. Also, according to the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), adults absorb only about 50% of the average daily potassium intake of 4,700 mg. 

Discover how you can increase your mood by increasing your potassium and magnesium intake.

1. Potassium and Magnesium Support Mental Health

A healthy mind is a happy mind. Magnesium plays a critical role in balancing brain function and regulating mental health. Low levels of magnesium are linked to an increased risk of depression. According to a 2013 study, “Magnesium is one of the most essential minerals in the human body, connected with brain biochemistry and the fluidity of neuronal membranes. A variety of neuromuscular and psychiatric symptoms, including different types of depression, was observed in magnesium deficiency.”

Magnesium activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for helping you feel calm and relaxed. In a 2008 trial to treat depressed adults in their 60’s, taking magnesium daily improved mood as effectively as an antidepressant drug. 

Potassium deficiency has been linked to mood changes and mental fatigue. Potassium influences blood flow which affects mental health. Low blood potassium levels can disrupt the signals that help maintain optimal brain function. A 2009 study found that hypokalemia, aka a potassium deficiency, was common among psychiatric patients with mental disorders. 

2. Potassium and Magnesium Improve Sleep

If you’re not getting enough sleep, your mood will most likely suffer.  Magnesium is one of the top minerals to regulate the hormone melatonin, which affects circadian rhythms aka sleep-wake cycles. When magnesium and melatonin levels are balanced, sleep cycles are regular and consistent. Magnesium deficiency can lead to insomnia. 

Potassium also plays a role in improving sleep. Muscle cramps, soreness and spasms can wake you up at night. Since potassium balances sodium and electrolytes, it can prevent nighttime muscle cramps. It acts as a muscle relaxant to help you fall asleep quicker and prevent sleep disruptions.

Finally, both magnesium and potassium bind neurotransmitter GABA receptors. GABA is responsible for calming nerve activity and is used in sleep drugs like Ambien as explored in this 2008 study. By helping to quiet the nervous system, magnesium and potassium can help you fall asleep faster.

3. Potassium and Magnesium Increase Breathing

Symptoms of anger, anxiety and panic attacks often include difficulty in breathing. If you suffer from chronic breathing problems, that may indicate a magnesium and potassium deficiency. According to a 2007 study, magnesium deficiency is a common electrolyte disorder in patients with acute severe asthma. 

Magnesium can prevent calcium buildup in the muscles lining the airways of the lungs. The buildup causes the airways to constrict, making breathing more difficult. Inhalers with magnesium sulfate can reduce severe asthma by relaxing and expanding airways. 

Potassium also influences how lungs expand and contract by regulating muscle movement. According to another 2007 study, a severe potassium deficiency can cause breathing difficulties such as shortness of breath. 

When magnesium and potassium levels are balanced, muscles and lungs can operate correctly, improving breath and therefore mood. Deep breaths calm the central nervous system, which magnesium heavily influences. When your body moves out of fight or flight mode and into a calm, stable state, you feel more relaxed and refreshed.

Try a Potassium and Magnesium Supplement 

To boost your mood with potassium and magnesium, try taking a natural supplement. 

• Magnesium in the aspartate, citrate, lactate, or chloride form is absorbed more completely than magnesium oxide and magnesium sulfate. 
• Potassium is often present as potassium chloride, but there are also many other forms, including potassium citrate, phosphate, aspartate, bicarbonate, and gluconate.

At Natural Bio Health, our natural magnesium and potassium supplement can support mental health, sleep health and heart health. 

Order Your Natural Potassium and Magnesium Supplement

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