Magnesium Deficiency: Facts to Know & Foods to Eat
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Magnesium is an important mineral used by every organ in the body, especially the heart, muscle and kidneys. This is used by 300 of our regulatory enzymes that control muscle, nerve, protein, bone, glucose and energy metabolism.
If one suffers from unexplained fatigue or weakness, abnormal heart rhythms or muscle spasm and eye twitches, there's a high chance that the reason behind the condition is magnesium deficiency.
So what is magnesium deficiency? Magnesium deficiency or hypomagnesemia refers to inadequate intake of dietary magnesium or impaired absorption of magnesium, which can result in numerous symptoms and diseases.
According to MedicineNet, a low level of magnesium can cause an increased irritability of the nervous system with tetany (spasms of the hands and feet, muscular twitching and cramps, and more). The National Academy of Sciences announced that the Recommended Dietary Allowances of magnesium are 420 milligrams per day for men and 320 milligrams per day for women.
So, how to spot magnesium deficiency? Here are some signs of the condition per Ancient Minerals:
Neurological
- Behavioral disturbances
- Irritability and anxiety
- Lethargy
- Anorexia
- Nausea and vomiting
- Seizures
Muscular
- Weakness
- Muscle spasms
- Tics
- Muscle cramps
- Hyperactive reflexes
- Tremors
- Involuntary eye movement
- Difficulty swallowing
Metabolic
- Increased intracellular calcium
- Hyperglycemia
- Calcium deficiency
- Potassium deficiency
Cardiovascular
- Irregular or rapid heartbeat
- Coronary spasms
Among children
- Growth retardation or "failure to thrive"
Conditions related to magnesium problems:
- Depression
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
- Epilepsy
- Parkinson's disease
- Sleep problems
- Migraine
- Cluster headaches
- Osteoporosis
- Premenstrual syndrome
- Chest pain
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis
- Hypertension
- Type II diabetes
- Asthma
So, what should you avoid and eat to keep yourself from magnesium deficiency? According to Dr. Oz's Daily Tips in BayToday, eating processed food and drinking softened water can rob your daily supply of magnesium. Moreover, drinking alcohol can increase your excretion of magnesium four times and medications such as stomach-acid-squelching PPIs (proton-pump-inhibitors) might lower the magnesium level. It is also possible that magnesium deficiency is caused by genetics.
Lack of magnesium can hinder you from giving your best, so make sure to get enough every day. With enough amount of magnesium, you are protected against high blood pressure and it may boost brainpower (as it does in lab rats and mice).
The medical professionals advised that one should regularly eat a variety of beans, buckwheat, quinoa and brown rice, pumpkin, sesame and flower seeds; kale, collards, spinach; nuts (especially almonds and cashews); and wild salmon.
If you lack magnesium, there are magnesium supplements available in the market but the absorption rate differs depending on the kind. Here are the different types of magnesium supplement according to Dr. Axe: chelate, citrate, chloride oil, glycinate and threonate.
These supplements have few risks for side effects and toxicity that's why healthcare professionals are recommending adults to take it regularly to prevent deficiency.
