Randomised trial, 2006
Are women with PMDD low in magnesium, and does magnesium help their mood symptoms?
No, this small study found no evidence that women with PMDD are magnesium deficient, and a magnesium infusion worked no better than placebo for mood.
What they did
Researchers gave an intravenous magnesium infusion to 17 women with PMDD and 14 women without it, measuring magnesium levels and mood before, right after, and the next day. Because mood seemed to improve in this open (unblinded) part, 10 of the PMDD women then did a stricter double-blind, placebo-controlled test where they received magnesium and placebo in random order.
What they found
Women with PMDD retained a similar amount of magnesium (31.5%) as women without PMDD (27.5%), and blood magnesium levels did not differ between groups at any point. Mood improved over time in the PMDD group, but this happened equally whether they got magnesium or placebo, meaning magnesium itself gave no extra benefit.
What it means for you
This study does not support the idea that PMDD is caused by magnesium deficiency, or that magnesium infusions treat PMDD mood symptoms better than placebo. The main limit is the very small sample, especially the 10 women in the placebo-controlled comparison, and it only tested a single infusion, not everyday magnesium supplements.
31.5% vs 27.5%
Magnesium retained, PMDD vs control group
n=17
Women with PMDD studied
n=10
Women in placebo-controlled crossover test
About the study
- Original title
- Magnesium (mg) retention and mood effects after intravenous mg infusion in premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Authors
- Khine K, Rosenstein DL, Elin RJ et al.
- Journal
- Biological psychiatry
- Year
- 2006
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 17
- What was tested
- Intravenous magnesium infusion compared with placebo
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.07.022
Topics
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