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There was a thread on this about a year ago here, and after reading through the results I decided to start taking Magnesium supplements. I've had very good res

There was a thread on this about a year ago here, and after reading through the results I decided to start taking Magnesium supplements. I've had very good results. I really recommend it to anyone that has issues with anxiety or depression. While its certainly not a cure-all, its easy, cheap, and safe, so its absolutely worth a try.

aantix 9y ago
Agree. Magnesium Glycinate made a world of difference in calming my nerves. https://www.amazon.com/KAL-Magnesium-Glycinate-400-tablets/dp/B00013YZ1Q https://www.amazon.com/KAL-Magnesium-Glycinate-400-tablets/d... Also, L-Theanine is incredibly calming as well. https://www.amazon.com/NOW-L-Theanine-200-120-Capsules/dp/B00GQV9YX6 https://www.amazon.com/NOW-L-Theanine-200-120-Capsules/dp/B0...
- ianai 9y ago
  Is magnesium glycinate easier on your stomach?
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - jcomis 9y ago
    yes it is
  - TheSpiceIsLife 9y ago
    If I recall correctly magnesium glycinate is the most readily absorbed and utilised form of supplemental magnesium, followed by magnesium citrate.
- amelius 9y ago
  Also, creatine (the stuff used by bodybuilders). http://healthyeatingharbor.com/5-side-effects-creatine-supplementation http://healthyeatingharbor.com/5-side-effects-creatine-suppl...
- meej 9y ago
  Seconded on the L-Theanine. I get mine with 5-HTP and B-Vitamins: https://www.natrol.com/products/5-htp-mood-positive/ https://www.natrol.com/products/5-htp-mood-positive/
  - aantix 9y ago
    How many capsules do you take of the "Mood Positive" at a single sitting? Do you cycle your dosages to prevent the body from becoming acclimated or do you just take regular dosages?
    - nnfy 9y ago
      I took ~200mg, you can buy 200mg capsules on amazon. I haven't noticed any kind of tolerance, although just in case I no longer take it daily, as I do worry about a possible rebound of anxiety. I've probably taken as much as 600mg in one sitting to no known ill effects. Wikipedia page similarly seems to confirm no known harmful effects from theanine. Also it is present, albeit in smaller quantities, in green and black tea. And the ratio of theanine to caffeine allegedly increases with longer steeps, although I haven't confirmed by checking, oh, what was it, dissociation constants that determine rate of dissolution? Anyway, CBD edibles/tinctures work as well, although our friendly neighborhood Dr. DEA has listed CBD as schedule 1 (!) so, you know, use at your own risk. I recommend it though.
    - meej 9y ago
      I take one twice daily, in the morning and the evening. I take regular doses. I haven't noticed becoming acclimated. It is a supplement that I have taken on and off for a decade or so. I decided to take it again regularly a few years ago, after noticing a tendency toward angry mood swings during a period where I was not taking any supplements at all. After observing this, I thought back on my previous supplement usage, and I recalled having a more even mood when I had been using 5-htp and l-theanine, and decided to try it again to see if it evened things out again. It did, and it continues to do so.
- ladzoppelin 9y ago
  Magnesium Glycinate also helped me with constipation. I also don't get headaches anymore. Personally, I like the liquid tabs. https://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Glycinate-ActivGels-Kal-Softgel/dp/B00JWZTRNA/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1505978950&sr=1-1&keywords=KAL+-+Magnesium+Glycinate+gel https://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Glycinate-ActivGels-Kal-Sof...
3pt14159 9y ago
Which form do you take it in? I've been reading examine.com and there seems to be a number of different forms with varying effects.
- shepardrtc 9y ago
  I've been taking this the entire time: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BD0RT0/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BD0RT0/ Its Magnesium Glycinate/Lysinate
  - StavrosK 9y ago
    Anecdotally, I tried to find some Magnesium Glycinate in Vancouver a month ago, and everything was various mixtures, mostly citrate. I couldn't find pure Glycinate, although your Amazon links looks promising (for residents of the Americas). Not sure where I can find some in Europe.
    - skore 9y ago
      I just went looking myself. German Amazon has a few options. This one seems promising: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B06XHPXSSQ https://www.amazon.de/dp/B06XHPXSSQ Particularly because of discussions like this: https://www.amazon.de/Bis-glycinat-Hochdosiert-Bioverf%C3%BCgbar-Verdauungsschonend-Magnesiumcitrat/product-reviews/B06XHPXSSQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&coliid=I1ANEIFCPFY72S&sortBy=recent&colid=1EVGKP0XA71JJ#RNIAHBPFRCIA7 https://www.amazon.de/Bis-glycinat-Hochdosiert-Bioverf%C3%BC...
      - technics256 9y ago
        Fellow person living in Germany here, DM often has it in the dissolvable tablets too.
        StavrosK 9y ago
        What's DM?
jeffshek 9y ago
This seems like a reasonable time to do a shameless plug of a side project - finding which supplements worked and didn't over for me personally has been a huge PITA. https://betterself.io/ https://betterself.io/ - I'd love feedback! I too also found Magnesium to be really helpful. But taking it with food made it much more effective.
- oriel 9y ago
  I love this! I've avoided all the personal tracking apps specifically because I don't control my own data. I love options like these that offer hosted or DIY variations (data ownership!). Especially for DIY people like myself, you should make the github link a lot bigger. I would have missed it if I hadn't gone looking for it, which I only did because it was linked through HN :) Some questions (and I haven't dug too deeply yet): 1. How much do you perform/use (if at all) analytic conclusions from groups of people not just individuals? 2. Is it mobile-web friendly? 3. Do you have plans for making a mobile version (I saw something about a REST api, and it seems just having a bidirectional channel to iOS HealthKit might be valuable) 4. What data sources do you use for supplement information/listings (eg examine.com and such). Especially since copyright of such source could be a contended issue in the future. Thanks!
  - jeffshek 9y ago
    Yeah - I didn't trust anyone with all my data to give it back to me. Anonymity was another concern. The delete user setting is also something I provided just to illustrate I wasn't kidding. And then open-source was the last thing since otherwise, how can you tell if someone is just bullshitting you with saying they care about anonymity? (Aka everyone in the supplement industry!) 1. Zero. The goal is to maybe do it but provide a recommendation engine based off of X class of medicine/supplements have worked for you, and you fall into a bucket of Y people that respond to X, then recommend based off of that. (So simple machine learning clustering). I'm not going into that until I hit a minimum of a certain threshold of users (which maybe never, not willing to compromise). I care much more about information leakage and making sure that IF I do this, it's incredibly well-thought out. The last thing I want to recommend is microdosing/modafinil/research chemicals just because X% of users are using it. Nothing against them, just safety and privacy are always going to come before cool features. I've given a bit of thought into this, and I could write for pages on what a proper analytics engine should look like. I'll spare you the snore :) 2. YES. I haven't made the iOS or Android app yet. (but React was specifically chosen for this reason). Right now it's super mobile friendly for entering in data. I use it on my tablet and phone about 30-40 times a day. Yeah. I try a lot of supplements ... It's a weird thing. For charts and stuff, it's mediocre for mobile. 3. Yes! FitBit integration is done and works really well with sleep data. Next on the vendor list is Garmin. The problem with HealthKit is the SDK isn't as export-friendly (I understand why Apple is paranoid), so it's harder for me to move data from there, into the analytics engine and back. 4. Don't have a definite answer just yet. It actually will come in the next few months, but at the time being - people are coming in generally knowing exactly what they're taking. I'd also like something that just goes HEY, WHAT YOU'RE TAKING INTERFERES WITH Y! I also want to bring in decay effects, ie. if you start consuming caffeine at this hour and showing decay effects. There's a lot here that I'm super passionate about, but work's been super crazy so it's all a balancing act of what do I add. Sorry for the GitHub link changing, but before it was right at the bottom (where it now says demo), but when I showed it to a friend he was like "you understand that everyone thinks that's the signup button is 100% of the time right?" So I had a lot of people clicking on the page, clicking onto GitHub and then disappearing. Love the questions!

aantix 9y ago

Agree. Magnesium Glycinate made a world of difference in calming my nerves. https://www.amazon.com/KAL-Magnesium-Glycinate-400-tablets/dp/B00013YZ1Q https://www.amazon.com/KAL-Magnesium-Glycinate-400-tablets/d... Also, L-Theanine is incredibly calming as well. https://www.amazon.com/NOW-L-Theanine-200-120-Capsules/dp/B00GQV9YX6 https://www.amazon.com/NOW-L-Theanine-200-120-Capsules/dp/B0...

ianai 9y ago
Is magnesium glycinate easier on your stomach?
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- jcomis 9y ago
  yes it is
- TheSpiceIsLife 9y ago
  If I recall correctly magnesium glycinate is the most readily absorbed and utilised form of supplemental magnesium, followed by magnesium citrate.
amelius 9y ago
Also, creatine (the stuff used by bodybuilders). http://healthyeatingharbor.com/5-side-effects-creatine-supplementation http://healthyeatingharbor.com/5-side-effects-creatine-suppl...
meej 9y ago
Seconded on the L-Theanine. I get mine with 5-HTP and B-Vitamins: https://www.natrol.com/products/5-htp-mood-positive/ https://www.natrol.com/products/5-htp-mood-positive/
- aantix 9y ago
  How many capsules do you take of the "Mood Positive" at a single sitting? Do you cycle your dosages to prevent the body from becoming acclimated or do you just take regular dosages?
  - nnfy 9y ago
    I took ~200mg, you can buy 200mg capsules on amazon. I haven't noticed any kind of tolerance, although just in case I no longer take it daily, as I do worry about a possible rebound of anxiety. I've probably taken as much as 600mg in one sitting to no known ill effects. Wikipedia page similarly seems to confirm no known harmful effects from theanine. Also it is present, albeit in smaller quantities, in green and black tea. And the ratio of theanine to caffeine allegedly increases with longer steeps, although I haven't confirmed by checking, oh, what was it, dissociation constants that determine rate of dissolution? Anyway, CBD edibles/tinctures work as well, although our friendly neighborhood Dr. DEA has listed CBD as schedule 1 (!) so, you know, use at your own risk. I recommend it though.
  - meej 9y ago
    I take one twice daily, in the morning and the evening. I take regular doses. I haven't noticed becoming acclimated. It is a supplement that I have taken on and off for a decade or so. I decided to take it again regularly a few years ago, after noticing a tendency toward angry mood swings during a period where I was not taking any supplements at all. After observing this, I thought back on my previous supplement usage, and I recalled having a more even mood when I had been using 5-htp and l-theanine, and decided to try it again to see if it evened things out again. It did, and it continues to do so.
ladzoppelin 9y ago
Magnesium Glycinate also helped me with constipation. I also don't get headaches anymore. Personally, I like the liquid tabs. https://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Glycinate-ActivGels-Kal-Softgel/dp/B00JWZTRNA/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1505978950&sr=1-1&keywords=KAL+-+Magnesium+Glycinate+gel https://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Glycinate-ActivGels-Kal-Sof...

3pt14159 9y ago

Which form do you take it in? I've been reading examine.com and there seems to be a number of different forms with varying effects.

shepardrtc 9y ago
I've been taking this the entire time: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BD0RT0/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BD0RT0/ Its Magnesium Glycinate/Lysinate
- StavrosK 9y ago
  Anecdotally, I tried to find some Magnesium Glycinate in Vancouver a month ago, and everything was various mixtures, mostly citrate. I couldn't find pure Glycinate, although your Amazon links looks promising (for residents of the Americas). Not sure where I can find some in Europe.
  - skore 9y ago
    I just went looking myself. German Amazon has a few options. This one seems promising: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B06XHPXSSQ https://www.amazon.de/dp/B06XHPXSSQ Particularly because of discussions like this: https://www.amazon.de/Bis-glycinat-Hochdosiert-Bioverf%C3%BCgbar-Verdauungsschonend-Magnesiumcitrat/product-reviews/B06XHPXSSQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&coliid=I1ANEIFCPFY72S&sortBy=recent&colid=1EVGKP0XA71JJ#RNIAHBPFRCIA7 https://www.amazon.de/Bis-glycinat-Hochdosiert-Bioverf%C3%BC...
    - technics256 9y ago
      Fellow person living in Germany here, DM often has it in the dissolvable tablets too.
      - StavrosK 9y ago
        What's DM?

jeffshek 9y ago

This seems like a reasonable time to do a shameless plug of a side project - finding which supplements worked and didn't over for me personally has been a huge PITA. https://betterself.io/ https://betterself.io/ - I'd love feedback! I too also found Magnesium to be really helpful. But taking it with food made it much more effective.

oriel 9y ago
I love this! I've avoided all the personal tracking apps specifically because I don't control my own data. I love options like these that offer hosted or DIY variations (data ownership!). Especially for DIY people like myself, you should make the github link a lot bigger. I would have missed it if I hadn't gone looking for it, which I only did because it was linked through HN :) Some questions (and I haven't dug too deeply yet): 1. How much do you perform/use (if at all) analytic conclusions from groups of people not just individuals? 2. Is it mobile-web friendly? 3. Do you have plans for making a mobile version (I saw something about a REST api, and it seems just having a bidirectional channel to iOS HealthKit might be valuable) 4. What data sources do you use for supplement information/listings (eg examine.com and such). Especially since copyright of such source could be a contended issue in the future. Thanks!
- jeffshek 9y ago
  Yeah - I didn't trust anyone with all my data to give it back to me. Anonymity was another concern. The delete user setting is also something I provided just to illustrate I wasn't kidding. And then open-source was the last thing since otherwise, how can you tell if someone is just bullshitting you with saying they care about anonymity? (Aka everyone in the supplement industry!) 1. Zero. The goal is to maybe do it but provide a recommendation engine based off of X class of medicine/supplements have worked for you, and you fall into a bucket of Y people that respond to X, then recommend based off of that. (So simple machine learning clustering). I'm not going into that until I hit a minimum of a certain threshold of users (which maybe never, not willing to compromise). I care much more about information leakage and making sure that IF I do this, it's incredibly well-thought out. The last thing I want to recommend is microdosing/modafinil/research chemicals just because X% of users are using it. Nothing against them, just safety and privacy are always going to come before cool features. I've given a bit of thought into this, and I could write for pages on what a proper analytics engine should look like. I'll spare you the snore :) 2. YES. I haven't made the iOS or Android app yet. (but React was specifically chosen for this reason). Right now it's super mobile friendly for entering in data. I use it on my tablet and phone about 30-40 times a day. Yeah. I try a lot of supplements ... It's a weird thing. For charts and stuff, it's mediocre for mobile. 3. Yes! FitBit integration is done and works really well with sleep data. Next on the vendor list is Garmin. The problem with HealthKit is the SDK isn't as export-friendly (I understand why Apple is paranoid), so it's harder for me to move data from there, into the analytics engine and back. 4. Don't have a definite answer just yet. It actually will come in the next few months, but at the time being - people are coming in generally knowing exactly what they're taking. I'd also like something that just goes HEY, WHAT YOU'RE TAKING INTERFERES WITH Y! I also want to bring in decay effects, ie. if you start consuming caffeine at this hour and showing decay effects. There's a lot here that I'm super passionate about, but work's been super crazy so it's all a balancing act of what do I add. Sorry for the GitHub link changing, but before it was right at the bottom (where it now says demo), but when I showed it to a friend he was like "you understand that everyone thinks that's the signup button is 100% of the time right?" So I had a lot of people clicking on the page, clicking onto GitHub and then disappearing. Love the questions!