Are you getting an adequate amount of elemental magnesium? Though it might be tough to know if you are deficient in this mineral, it’s widespread among many people. According to a study, around 48% of the US population suffers from magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is the most essential mineral for the proper functioning of the body. It plays a vital role in multiple bodily functions, from muscle contractions to nerve function. Around 360 mg to 410 mg of magnesium daily is sufficient for adults. Deficiency of the mineral can result in some symptoms that are important to keep an eye on. Here, this article has listed 11 warning signs of magnesium deficiency. Have a look!
What Is Magnesium Deficiency?
First, let’s discuss the importance of Magnesium for the body’s functioning. Well, magnesium is a potent mineral that is vital for your good health. The study says it serves as a cofactor that is involved in more than 300 metabolic reactions in the body. The health benefits of magnesium involve protein synthesis, blood glucose control, efficient muscle and nerve function, energy production, steady heartbeat, and regulation of blood pressure and cholesterol levels. When the body is unable to get enough magnesium content from the consumed food to meet its daily needs and function usually, it experiences magnesium deficiency. The shortage of magnesium can reduce the balance of all the physiological processes of the body. If overlooked, it can lead to numerous health issues. Therefore, it is essential to maintain the magnesium levels and this makes it crucial to watch out for low magnesium symptoms so that you can take action before it impacts your health.
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11 Warning Signs Of Magnesium Deficiency
The deficiency of magnesium can lead to many potential symptoms that can affect your overall health as well as well-being. Therefore, it is vital to be aware of all the signs and symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Read the listed low magnesium side effects and see if any of them sound familiar to you!
1. Fatigue
Do you always feel tired, no matter how comfortably you sleep? The feeling of tiredness throughout the day is one of the common magnesium deficiency symptoms. The reason is the inability of magnesium to convert glucose into energy. When your body is low on magnesium, it finds challenges in producing energy that is required to function normally or carry out day-to-day activities. Deficiency of the mineral impacts several body processes, such as nerve signaling, and, in addition, affects potassium levels in muscle cells. Respectively, the results are fatigue and weakness in the body. If you are continuously struggling to get the right amount of magnesium from your diet, magnesium supplements can come as a rescue.
Also Read: 5 Reasons Why You Always Feel Tired, Plus Tips to Boost Your Energy
2. Muscle Cramps
One of the most common signs of low magnesium levels is muscle cramps. If the shortage of the mineral is severe, you may experience a seizure (sudden, uncontrolled eruption of electrical activity between brain cells). For some people, this symptom may feel like sudden twitch or calf cramps that occur unexpectedly while walking. The reason is believed that when your body is low on magnesium levels, it leads to an increased flow of calcium toward the nerve cells. The results are overexcitement of the nerves and consequently, cramps and twitches happen. So, magnesium is very highly essential for proper muscle function.
3. Trouble Sleeping
Are you feeling physically and mentally exhausted? Does your body long to sleep? If yes, it’s a warning sign of magnesium deficiency. Your body needs enough magnesium to have a sound sleep. This is because magnesium helps regulate the circadian rhythm of the body, and for your information, circadian rhythm leads to your sleep-wake cycle. It relaxes the muscles and manages the sleep-centered neurotransmitters such as Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which favors sleep. All this becomes critical as you grow older because the more you age, the more difficult it gets to sleep peacefully during the night time, research says. Here, magnesium supplements can benefit by delivering the right amount of the mineral required for normal body functioning. It will help you have a peaceful sleep while also providing your body, muscles, and brain with sufficient minerals to repair throughout the night.
Also Read: Why I Cannot Sleep: 15 Possible Causes & Tips
4. High Blood Pressure
When you are low on magnesium, there is the risk of increased blood pressure. High levels of blood pressure can put your health at specific serious issues such as kidney problems, heart diseases, stroke, and other significant health problems. It is generally considered a silent killer as it rarely has any symptoms. So, you always need to keep a check on your blood pressure levels. A sufficient amount of magnesium intake from your well-balanced diet or oral magnesium supplements may help lower your high blood pressure. As per research, magnesium can relax the blood vessels and improve insulin resistance, which aids in decreasing the reading of your blood pressure.
5. Osteoporosis
Research says, around 60% of the total magnesium in the body is significantly stored in bones. So, it is evident how essential this mineral is for your good bone health. It helps the body in the absorption of calcium and several other minerals, which are vital for strong bones. However, lack of magnesium can be a risk factor for osteoporosis, which is a condition marked by loss of bone mass, which makes the bones weak and brittle. This can increase the chances of bone fractures. Magnesium deficiency sometimes also leads to hypocalcemia, a condition that occurs when there are low levels of calcium in your blood, and calcium is something essential in the formation of the bones.
Also Read: 8 Effective Exercises For Osteoporosis
6. Irregular heartbeat
Magnesium is a critical element in regulating your healthy heart rate and keeping it fit. So, taking a sufficient amount can prevent the heart from functioning out of whack. As a consequence, a deficiency of magnesium in the body can lead to heart arrhythmias, also called irregular heartbeats. And it should be taken extremely seriously. Magnesium plays a significant physiological role by regulating the heart’s electrical system. The heart muscles need enough potassium and calcium regulation for proper contraction. Again, magnesium helps manage the contraction by altering the cellular levels of both potassium and calcium. It also keeps the blood vessels very healthy.
Also Read: How Long Can You Live With Irregular Heartbeat?
7. Anxiety or Depression
When your body is low on magnesium, it increases the risks of anxiety and depression. This deficiency changes the balance of the potassium and calcium in the body cells, which, as a result, increases the cortisol and adrenaline hormones. Elevated levels of both hormones can cause feelings of anxiety and nervousness. Additionally, a shortage of magnesium also leads to alteration in brain neurotransmitters that are associated with depression. Hence, maintaining the proper levels of magnesium in the body is essential for your mental well-being. The mineral acts like an ointment for your mood. Balancing potassium and calcium levels helps in a better stress response and relieves the symptoms of depression, especially in females who have already undergone menopause.
8. Numbness and Tingling
Magnesium has a significant role in nerve impulse conduction. If your body is low on magnesium, there are chances that you may feel numbness and tingling, particularly in your hands and legs. It is a common magnesium deficiency skin symptom that can be irritating for some people. The impact of numbness can decrease sensation which can increase the risk of getting damage to the numb body part. Sometimes, symptoms of numbness and tingling can be more severe or chronic issues. So, if you experience it continuously for a longer time, seek professional help. Doctors can quickly and efficiently evaluate the symptoms and provide the right solution to maintain your magnesium level. They can help you plan a nutritious magnesium-rich diet or provide magnesium supplements if significantly required.
Also Read: Why are My Fingertips Numb? 7 Common Causes and Solutions
9. Loss Of Appetite
No craving for food as you used to normally? If yes, then this could be a sign of a shortage of magnesium. When your body is low on magnesium, you may find yourself uninterested in eating anything. You may feel too tired to worry about consuming food or face challenges to get enough calories to be full of energy. Some individuals might also have a feeling of nausea post the meal. This situation arises in cases of severe deficiency. An inferior diet, not containing whole grains, green vegetables, nuts, or legumes, can cause this deficit. Again, magnesium comes as a rescue by regulating your glucose levels and providing energy. Having magnesium-rich food or taking magnesium supplements can help meet the required amount of the mineral for normal bodily functions.
10. Headaches
Magnesium is essential for neurotransmitter release in the brain and blood vessel function. If you have a deficiency of magnesium, you might experience headaches and migraines. If you are already struggling with migraine, this shortage might cause you to suffer from it more often. It is believed that people with migraines are more deficient in magnesium as compared to others. As per research, migraine sufferers specifically have magnesium supplements to reduce the intensity and frequency of migraine. So, if you ever notice signs of headache, consider taking food rich in magnesium like seafood, green veggies, nuts, grains, or soy products.
11. Blood Sugar Imbalance
An imbalance in your blood sugar levels can not be neglected, especially if you have diabetes. Adrenal fatigue, mid-day tiredness, and lack of energy is one of the 11 warning signs of magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is significantly essential for optimizing glucose absorption. It helps in blood glucose metabolism and insulin secretion. So, if there is a shortage of the mineral, it can cause insulin resistance, which can lead to increased blood sugar levels. Magnesium can act as a savior. According to research, magnesium supplementation shows glycemic control and insulin sensitivity improvement in people struggling with magnesium deficiency.
What Causes Magnesium Deficiency?
Understanding the causes of low magnesium is crucial for identifying the symptoms and preventing the shortage of this mineral. The following are the potential reasons for low magnesium levels:
- Insufficient dietary intake as a diet low on magnesium.
- Chronic stress, as the body uses much magnesium during stressful situations.
- Diabetes can lead to increased magnesium deficiency because of impaired magnesium usage and increased urination.
- Long-term use of certain medications like diuretics, antibiotics, and proton pump inhibitors might interfere with magnesium absorption and excretion.
- Gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn’s disease and celiac disease can hinder magnesium absorption.
- Excessive consumption of alcohol can hinder magnesium absorption and increase urination, which causes low magnesium levels.
- Certain kidney disorders can cause an increase in magnesium excretion which leads to low magnesium levels.
How To Treat Low Magnesium?
Well, based on the magnesium deficiency levels, medication you are currently taking, and underlying health issues, doctors may recommend some dietary changes or supplementation. The nutritional changes might include adding magnesium-rich food to your everyday diet, such as leafy vegetables, plain yogurt, avocado, whole grains, black beans, and nuts like pumpkin seeds and almonds. Also, avoiding refined sugar, alcohol, sodium-rich diet, and saturated fat can be helpful. Moreover, oral magnesium supplements are the other options. Magnesium supplements benefit your body by meeting the daily requirement of the mineral and help control blood sugar, improve bone health, and prevent headaches, anxiety, and depression. Just follow the guidance of your doctor regarding the amount and dosage of the magnesium supplements. Besides this, medications like laxatives and antacids have a large quantity of magnesium which can also be an effective solution.
Also Read: 15 Magnesium-Rich Foods to Boost Your Health
Summing Up
These 11 warning signs of magnesium deficiency are generally subtle unless the levels go extremely low. The lack of this mineral may cause muscle cramps, irregular heartbeat, fatigue, anxiety, depression, headaches, blood sugar imbalance, and osteoporosis. Some people get sufficient magnesium from their everyday diet, but others may need supplementation. If you experience these issues for a long time, it can be a matter of concern. The severity of any health condition can be dangerous and need immediate treatment. Without any delay, you should consult the licensed healthcare providers as soon as possible. With a planned diet chart and prescribed supplements, you can maintain your body’s magnesium levels.
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