Magnesium is responsible for at least 300 plus, enzymatic reactions in the body.  Some scientific research has found it a viable natural supplement that may some day replace antidepressants. A deficiency has been linked to conditions such as irregular heart beat, asthma, emphysema, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, mitral valve prolapse, stroke and heart attack, diabetes, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, migraine, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and probably many more. Magnesium is particularly important when it comes to ensuring the health of the heart and bones. About 99% of the body's magnesium stores are found in the bones and tissues and heart tissue is particularly rich in this important mineral. About half of the body’s magnesium stores can be found in bones, so it is clearly a very important mineral as far as osteoporosis prevention is concerned.

In the book Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, the authors note that food allergies are usually associated with low hydrochloric acid levels and poor digestion. The authors' rationale for this is that low stomach acid leaves food undigested and fermenting in the intestinal tract. This fermentation causes gas, bloating and stomach upset, the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Undigested and fermented food causes the body to raise histamine levels, which produce allergic reactions. This is why people take antihistamines for allergies, to lower histamine levels. Interestingly, Mg is needed to reduce histamine levels. While drugs such as antidepressants may cause a state of imbalance, magnesium works like a super computer throughout the body.

In its study, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at 2.4 billion drugs prescribed in visits to doctors and hospitals in 2005. Of those, 118 million were for antidepressants.  Out of 750,000 heart attacks in the USA annually, an estimated 340,000 deaths occur within one hour of a heart attack. One study showed the relative risk of sudden-death heart attack is more than 1.5 times higher among adults who consume on average 105 milligrams of magnesium a day compared to adults who consume 233 milligrams a day. Magnesium may hold a world of promise for many in a state of depression.