Doctor gives their verdict after TikTokers claimed their anxiety was ‘cured’ after taking magnesium and vitamin D3 supplements

TikTokers claim they ‘don’t have anxiety’ anymore after taking supplements and quitting their prescription medications. 

Users on the social media platform have gone viral after posting about magnesium and vitamin D3 supplements reducing their anxiety. 

One claimed that after a lifetime of anxiety, he no longer felt it. Another questioned why his doctor hadn’t put him on magnesium instead of prescription drugs in the first place.

However, experts told DailyMail.com that there is no solid evidence proving these supplements reduce anxiety and may not help in the long term. 

Tyler Wesley posted a video on TikTok in July after he started taking 500 milligrams of magnesium every day. 

‘Huge sufferer of anxiety, somebody had recommended that I start taking magnesium to try to fix it,’ he said in the video, which has more than 16 million views. ‘I don’t have anxiety anymore. Thirty years, anxiety my whole life, I don’t have it anymore.’ 

Tyler Wesley (left) posted a video on TikTok in July after he started taking 500 milligrams of magnesium every day. A creator named Brenden stitched Mr Wesley’s video and said magnesium and vitamin D3 also made a difference in his anxiety. ‘I feel fine. I feel normal,’ he said

Magnesium is one of the most common minerals in the body, yet only half of American adults get the recommended amount, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). On average, most Americans get about 200 milligrams of magnesium per day

‘Try it. I’m not a medical professional. Don’t take medical advice from me, but try it.’ 

Almost two months later, Mr Wesley posted an update and said that his panic attacks and anxious flare-ups are gone. He also started drinking more water and exercising more often. 

‘Everything’s been fine. I haven’t had any issues,’ he said.  

Another creator named Brenden stitched Mr Wesley’s video and said magnesium and vitamin D3 also made a difference in his anxiety. He started taking 200 milligrams of magnesium after previously using the prescription drug Klonopin. 

‘I feel like I took a Klonopin,’ he said in the video, which has nearly five million views. 

‘I feel fine. I feel normal. I have no anxiety.

‘Why did the doctor not get me to try this first?’

Brenden said his panic attacks stopped, and he stopped taking Klonopin. In a separate video, he claimed his sleep had improved.

This could be because magnesium has been shown to boost brain health by decreasing amounts of the stress hormone cortisol. 

Dr Carolyn Rubenstein, a licensed psychologist in Florida, told DailyMail.com: ‘If you don’t have as much magnesium, you can actually have higher levels of stress.

‘It’s so good that people are emphasizing the connection between our physical health, our nutrition, and our mental health.

‘We’re looking at mental health [from] a holistic, comprehensive perspective, versus just from a narrow lens. I think this is a really good direction and positive.’

However, Dr Rubenstein said that there’s still little research on the long-term health effects of supplements like magnesium and vitamin D, and it’s not clear if they actually reduce anxiety.

‘There’s no secret cure here,’ she said. ‘There’s no conclusive research to back that up.’ 

‘Even if it lowers or is able to ease your anxiety a little bit, you still have to do the work related to managing anxiety.’

‘I worry that that mindset is going to be short-lived and not actually a long-term solution.’ 

A 2017 review in the journal Nutrients looked at 18 studies on magnesium and anxiety and found that while there were improvements in mild and generalized anxiety, more controlled trials are still needed. 

Dr Rubenstein said one reason these TikTokers may have lower anxiety is because they’re deficient in those nutrients. Vitamin D deficiency, for example, has been directly linked to depression.

‘Some people will have lower levels of magnesium, and taking a supplement or eating foods that have contained magnesium can help to ensure that their body is doing the work that it needs to,’ she said.

Magnesium is one of the most common minerals in the body, yet only half of US adults get less than the recommended amount, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). On average, most Americans get about 200 milligrams of magnesium per day.

The current recommended daily intake of magnesium is about 400 to 420 milligrams per day for men and 310 to 320 milligrams for women. However, pregnant women should get closer to 350 to 360 milligrams to support lactation. 

Taking too much magnesium can cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, and cardiac arrest. 

‘You want to be careful with how much you’re taking and knowing what your baseline levels are already. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach,’ Dr Rubenstein said. 

Before picking up bottles of magnesium and vitamin D, she recommends talking to a primary care physician to see if you have a nutrient deficiency. ‘I think it’s important to really know the numbers so that you are supporting yourself and not putting yourself potentially in a situation where you’re doing more harm than good,’ she said.