Magnesium is often referred to as the forgotten mineral. It’s needed for over 300 different biochemical reactions in the body, yet most people don’t get enough of it through their diet. Why is so important? Magnesium is vital for bone health, blood sugar control, blood pressure regulation, and more. Learn more about magnesium deficiency symptoms, causes, and how to prevent them in this article.
Magnesium is an essential mineral that our bodies need to function properly. However, it is estimated that up to 80% of Americans are deficient in this vital nutrient. It is a cofactor for enzymes involved in DNA synthesis, protein synthesis, and cell signaling. In other words, it helps our bodies make new cells as well as regulate cellular function. However, there is no need to worry about this deficiency. A natural diet and magnesium supplements play a vital role in overcoming magnesium deficiency.
What are the Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency?
Magnesium is a mineral that helps in bone formation and the conversion of food into energy. It’s a really important mineral that can be depleted through various factors like stress, diet, age, medication, or illness. The symptoms are often hard to detect because they’re so general but they can include muscle aches, insomnia, dizziness, and severe cramps!
Here’s how you can tell if you might be one of them:
Unexplained fatigue
Magnesium is a mineral that helps you use energy, and it’s found in whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens like spinach and Swiss chard, plus other foods. It’s also available as a supplement, take 400 to 500 milligrams daily if you’re not getting enough from food sources.
Studies have shown that people who are deficient in magnesium may suffer from:
- Numbness or tingling
- Muscle cramps or spasms (especially at night)
Muscle cramps and muscle spasms
Magnesium is an essential mineral that contributes to normal muscle and nerve function, immune system health, energy production, and a healthy metabolism. Magnesium deficiency can cause muscle cramps and spasms, restless leg syndrome (RLS), insomnia, migraine headaches, high blood pressure (hypertension), heart palpitations, and even abnormal heart rhythms.
Numbness, tingling, and other odd sensations
Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant, which means it can help you feel less tense and more relaxed. So if you’re experiencing numbness or tingling, especially in your hands and feet, it may be caused by magnesium deficiency.
Magnesium also helps the nervous system function properly. It’s involved in many important processes such as regulating blood pressure and blood sugar levels, plus it helps the body metabolize calcium—which can contribute to muscle cramps. Additionally, magnesium plays an important role in sleep regulation—meaning that without enough of this mineral in your system (or not enough restful sleep), you might feel more stressed out than usual—and therefore more likely to experience unpleasant sensations like numbness or tingling throughout your body.
Irritability, anxiety, and mood disorders
If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor to make sure that they’re not caused by a more serious health condition. However, if your doctor says you’re fine and you still think something is off, try supplementing with magnesium—it may help.
Magnesium deficiency can cause anxiety and mood disorders by affecting the nervous system (which controls the body’s response to stress). Magnesium also helps regulate serotonin levels in the brain, which is related to depression.
High blood pressure
Magnesium is a vasodilator that relaxes the blood vessels and reduces blood pressure.
Magnesium is a natural calcium channel blocker. Calcium channels are pores in cell membranes that allow calcium to enter the cells, causing them to contract. Magnesium blocks these pores so they can’t open up and allow an influx of calcium into your cells—it helps relax your arteries and veins, lowering your blood pressure.
Magnesium helps reduce water retention. High levels of magnesium help decrease excess fluid in your system by facilitating its elimination through urination or sweating (diuretic effect). This reduces swelling throughout the body, including within the brain, kidneys, and liver—and improves overall circulation due to increased blood flow through these vital organs on account of less resistance from high levels of fluids within them as well!
Osteoporosis and low bone mineral density
Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a crucial role in bone health. It helps to prevent and treat osteoporosis, a condition in which the bones become soft and brittle. Magnesium also plays a part in muscle contractions, which can lead to rickets if there’s not enough of it in your body.
When you don’t get enough magnesium from food or supplements, your body will start breaking down its own stores of this mineral to meet its needs for energy production. This means that bone health suffers first—and over time, low levels of magnesium can lead to problems like osteoporosis and low bone mineral density (BMD).
Brain fog, trouble concentrating, memory problems
Brain fog, trouble concentrating and memory problems are all signs that you might be lacking magnesium. Magnesium is a key nutrient in the brain and central nervous system, and it’s especially important for people with ADHD or other learning disorders. The mineral plays a role in how well your brain cells communicate with one another, which helps to keep you alert and focused. It also helps regulate serotonin levels in the body—which is why magnesium supplements are sometimes used as an alternative treatment for depression.
Other signs of magnesium deficiency include confusion, difficulty thinking, and difficulty speaking. You may also experience muscle cramps or spasms in your arms or legs as well as heart palpitations.
Migraines and headaches
Did you know that migraines and headaches are not the same things? A migraine is a type of headache that results in throbbing pain on one side of the head, often accompanied by other symptoms like nausea and vomiting. If you suffer from migraines, you may find yourself getting them more frequently as well.
It’s also possible that stress can trigger your migraines—especially if you’re already prone to them. Women are more likely than men to suffer from this condition, perhaps because they’re generally under more pressure due to gender roles in society. While there’s no cure for migraines (yet!), there are some medications that can help ease their effects until they subside naturally—and hopefully leave behind less discomfort than before!
Why does magnesium insufficiency occur?
Magnesium deficiency can occur if you don’t get enough magnesium in your diet, but it’s also possible that you have a medical condition that causes it. Some of the most common reasons for magnesium deficiency include:
- Not eating enough magnesium-rich foods
- Eating a diet that’s high in processed carbohydrates, depletes your body of magnesium
- Certain medications, including diuretics and antibiotics
Conclusion
I hope that this blog post has given you a better understanding of the importance of magnesium and how it can affect you. I know that some of these symptoms can be hard to pinpoint, so if you think your body could use more magnesium than it’s getting, please see your healthcare provider.
FAQs
Q: Is it possible to have too much magnesium?
A: It’s rare to have too much magnesium in your body. In fact, most people don’t get enough of this essential mineral.
Q: How do I know if I have a magnesium deficiency?
A: You can ask your healthcare provider to test your blood levels of magnesium. If they are low, you may need to take supplements until your levels normalize.
Q: How long does it take to see results from magnesium supplements?
A: It can take several weeks for your body to process the magnesium and use it properly. So give it time before you make any judgments about whether or not supplements are working.
Q: What should I look for in a magnesium supplement?
A: Magnesium comes in many different forms. Some of these forms are more easily absorbed by the body than others. So it’s important to read labels carefully when choosing a supplement and choose one that contains magnesium citrate or chloride, as these are two of the most bioavailable forms of magnesium.
