The science behind Magnesium Evening Drink

What it is:Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in your body and a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme reactions, including the ones that make energy (ATP), relax muscle fibres and calm nerve signalling. We use the citrate form because it dissolves in water and, in a randomised double-blind study, was more bioavailable than magnesium oxide, the cheap form in many tablets.In your body:Magnesium regulates the NMDA receptor, the brain's main excitation switch, and supports GABA, the main calming neurotransmitter. It is needed to make melatonin from serotonin and it helps keep the stress hormone cortisol in check. Low intake is common: dietary surveys in Europe and the US find that a large share of adults do not reach the recommended intake.What the research says:In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 500 mg of magnesium a day for 8 weeks improved insomnia severity scores, sleep efficiency, total sleep time and time to fall asleep, and lowered serum cortisol compared with placebo. In a sleep-EEG study in older adults, magnesium increased slow-wave (deep) sleep and dampened the night-time stress-hormone response. A 2017 systematic review found evidence that magnesium can reduce subjective anxiety in people vulnerable to it, while calling for larger trials.

Sources: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]

What it is:Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin your body cannot store for long, so it needs a daily supply. In its active form (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) it is the cofactor for more than 100 enzymes.In your body:B6 is required by the enzyme that converts 5-HTP into serotonin, which your pineal gland turns into melatonin after dark. It also helps make GABA and dopamine and is involved in regulating hormonal activity. Nutritional reviews describe B6, together with magnesium, as a limiting factor in the body's own melatonin production.What the research says:In a placebo-controlled study, 250 mg of vitamin B6 taken before bed increased dream vividness and recall, a sign of its effect on sleep-related brain chemistry. The role of B6 in the tryptophan-to-melatonin pathway is well described in the nutrition literature.

Sources: [6], [7]

What it is:B12 is needed to make red blood cells, protect nerve fibres and recycle homocysteine. It is found naturally only in animal foods, so vegetarians, vegans, people over 50 and anyone on acid-reducing medication are often low.In your body:B12 supports normal energy metabolism and nerve function. It also acts on the circadian system: it increases the clock's sensitivity to light and helps keep the sleep-wake rhythm in phase with the day, which is why it has been studied for sleep-wake rhythm problems.What the research says:In a placebo-controlled study in healthy volunteers, two weeks of vitamin B12 improved self-rated sleep quality, concentration and the feeling of being refreshed on waking.

Sources: [8]

What it is:Pantothenic acid is the building block of coenzyme A, the molecule at the centre of energy metabolism in every cell.In your body:Coenzyme A is needed to burn carbohydrates and fats for energy and to make steroid hormones, including cortisol, and neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine. The adrenal glands have a particularly high demand for B5, which is why it is often called the anti-stress vitamin.What the research says:The evidence for B5 is mainly mechanistic and nutritional: EFSA accepted that pantothenic acid contributes to normal mental performance and to the synthesis and metabolism of steroid hormones and some neurotransmitters.

Sources: [9]

What it is:Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble antioxidant your body cannot make. It is concentrated in the adrenal glands and the brain, and it is used up faster during stress and illness.In your body:Vitamin C protects cells from oxidative stress, is needed to make collagen, carnitine and the neurotransmitter noradrenaline, and supports the normal function of immune cells. It also helps you absorb iron from plant foods.What the research says:A 2017 review summarised how vitamin C supports both the innate and the adaptive immune system and how deficiency raises susceptibility to infection. In a nationally representative US survey, people with sleep complaints had lower intakes of several nutrients, including vitamin C.

Sources: [10], [11]

What it is:Your skin makes vitamin D from sunlight. In most of Europe and the northern US the sun is too low for that between October and March, which is why deficiency is so common in autumn and winter. D3 is the form your skin makes and the one that raises blood levels most reliably.In your body:Vitamin D is a hormone precursor with receptors in muscle, bone, immune cells and the brain, including regions involved in regulating sleep. It is needed to absorb calcium and to keep bones and muscles working normally.What the research says:A 2018 meta-analysis of nine studies found that vitamin D deficiency was associated with a higher risk of sleep disorders, poor sleep quality and short sleep. In a randomised controlled trial in adults with sleep complaints, 8 weeks of vitamin D supplementation improved sleep-quality scores compared with placebo.

Sources: [12], [13]

What it is:Zinc is a trace element found in every cell: a cofactor for roughly 300 enzymes and part of thousands of proteins. Needs are higher for people who eat little meat, and absorption drops with age.In your body:Zinc is involved in immune signalling, DNA synthesis and antioxidant defence. In the brain it modulates the same NMDA and GABA receptors that magnesium acts on, and zinc levels in the blood follow a day-night rhythm.What the research says:A 2017 review in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences summarised animal and human data showing that zinc intake affects sleep: higher zinc status was linked to better sleep, and zinc-rich foods shortened the time to fall asleep and improved sleep efficiency in a randomised trial of healthy adults.

Sources: [14]

What it is:Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Only about 1% of it is outside your bones, but that 1% runs every muscle contraction and every nerve impulse.In your body:Calcium and magnesium work as a pair: calcium makes muscle fibres contract, magnesium lets them relax. Calcium is also needed to release neurotransmitters, and in the brain it helps cells use tryptophan to make melatonin. The small dose here is deliberate: it balances the magnesium without competing with it for absorption.What the research says:In US survey data, people who had trouble falling asleep or staying asleep had lower calcium intakes than good sleepers.

Sources: [11]

What it is:Chamomile has been used as a calming evening herb for centuries. Its flowers contain apigenin, a flavonoid that binds to the same sites on the GABA-A receptor that sleep medicines act on, but far more gently.In your body:Apigenin and related compounds have mild calming and muscle-relaxing effects, and chamomile is traditionally used for a nervous or upset stomach, which is often what keeps people awake in the first place.What the research says:In a randomised, placebo-controlled pilot trial, a standardised chamomile extract taken for 28 days produced a modest improvement in daytime functioning, with non-significant trends towards falling asleep faster and fewer night-time awakenings. In a randomised controlled trial of 80 postnatal women, drinking chamomile tea daily for two weeks improved sleep-quality and depression scores compared with the control group.

Sources: [15], [16], [19]

What it is:Lemon balm is a lemon-scented member of the mint family. Its rosmarinic acid and terpenes inhibit GABA transaminase, the enzyme that breaks down GABA, so more of your own calming neurotransmitter stays available.In your body:That mechanism is why lemon balm shows up in European nerve teas and why it is studied for restlessness, stress and sleep rather than as a sedative. It does not make you drowsy; it turns the noise down.What the research says:In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, a single 600 mg dose of lemon balm extract reduced the negative mood effects of laboratory-induced stress and increased self-rated calmness. In an open pilot trial, 600 mg of lemon balm extract a day for 15 days reduced anxiety symptoms by 18% and insomnia symptoms by 42% in volunteers with mild-to-moderate anxiety and sleep disturbance.

Sources: [17], [18], [19]