Minerals are essential for human health, but their deficiencies are often overlooked. Magnesium deficiency is particularly widespread, with far-reaching effects both physically and mentally if left unaddressed. Physically, magnesium deficiency can cause muscular aches and pains, while mentally, it can lead to sleep problems, such as insomnia. To combat these issues, doctors often recommend taking a magnesium supplement. Magnesium-rich foods, such as nuts, legumes, and dark green leafy vegetables, should be incorporated into one’s diet. It is important to remember that mineral deficiencies are very common and can have detrimental effects on health if not addressed. Taking steps to ensure adequate mineral intake is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.
Fortunately, this deficiency can be easily rectified through supplementation, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Dietary supplements can help increase the intake of magnesium. These can be taken in pill form or consumed in the form of fortified foods.
Magnesium is an essential mineral that is often overlooked in the diet. However, it is important to distinguish between not getting enough magnesium from your diet and true magnesium deficiency. People who don’t get enough magnesium in their diet can benefit from adding more magnesium to their diet as it can help to maintain healthy energy levels and support proper muscle and nerve functioning. Additionally, it can increase calcium absorption for healthy bones and teeth. Ultimately, magnesium plays an important role in overall health, so it is important to ensure you are getting the recommended daily allowance of magnesium from food sources or supplements.
We can be appreciative of the kidneys’ role in maintaining optimal magnesium levels in the body, particularly in cases where dietary intake is low. The kidneys prevent magnesium from excreted in the urine, averting the risk of deficiency.
Magnesium insufficiency can be difficult to diagnose due to its diverse range of symptoms, which are often similar to other conditions. As magnesium plays a role in many bodily processes, it is important to consider its potential side effects.
If the intake of magnesium is inadequate for a prolonged period, the following are some of the most frequent indicators of a magnesium deficiency in the body:
- Aches and pains
- Migraines
- Premenstrual syndrome
- Irregular sleep patterns and insomnia
- Heart irregularities
- Anxiety and depression
- Digestive disturbances and constipation
- Cognitive difficulties include brain fog and memory problems
- Decreased appetite
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
It can be difficult to identify a magnesium insufficiency, as some individuals may not present with any obvious symptoms. Despite this, it is not advisable to disregard the potential signs of a deficiency, considering that magnesium supplements are both inexpensive and widely available.
Why is magnesium so essential?
It may come as a surprise, but magnesium is essential for every cell in the body, as it is the second most abundant mineral inside human cells. Its involvement in over 300 enzyme reactions per day speaks to its importance in the functioning of the body. What does this mean for us?
Due to its ability to convert the nutrients we consume into usable energy for our cells, magnesium has become a vital source of fuel for the body. Unfortunately, those who are deficient in magnesium may suffer from fatigue and even difficulty losing weight. As such, magnesium plays an important role in our overall health and well-being.
Magnesium plays an important role in maintaining electrolyte balance in the body. It is essential for regulating mineral levels inside our cells.
Magnesium plays an important role in helping to maintain electrolyte balance. It helps ensure that minerals are evenly distributed throughout the body’s cells.
Magnesium plays an important role in regulating calcium levels in the body, which is essential for maintaining healthy bones and a healthy heart.
Magnesium plays an important role in protecting our DNA from damage caused by environmental factors. It stabilizes the structure of our DNA and helps with repair processes if any damage occurs.
Given the state of the air and water we breathe, our bodies can take a toll over time. Taking magnesium as a supplement can help provide protection and support our health.
What causes magnesium deficiency?
It’s not as easy to get the magnesium we need as it was for our great-great-grandparents. Monocropping and soil depletion has caused a decrease in the number of minerals present in the vegetables we eat today. Even natural spring water is no longer a reliable source of minerals, as many of us are now drinking filtered water from a bottle or fridge. And if you rely on public water, it most likely contains fluoride, which further depletes magnesium from our bodies.
Fortunately, magnesium supplements are both cheap and easy to come by. You can feel the effects of taking the right supplement relatively quickly. If you have low magnesium levels, it is important to take steps to preserve your magnesium, as there.
- Many medications, such as antacids, antibiotics, birth control pills, blood pressure medications (diuretics), and stomach acid blockers (proton pump inhibitors) (among many others), can affect the body’s levels of magnesium if taken for extended periods. Be sure to consult your healthcare provider if you plan to take any of these medications long-term to ensure that your magnesium levels remain balanced.
- Chronic conditions such as Crohn’s disease, kidney disorders, celiac disease, digestive disorders, type 2 diabetes, low stomach acid, and other medical issues can have a significant impact on how our bodies absorb and retain magnesium.
- If you’re looking to maintain your electrolyte balance, it’s best to restrict your alcohol consumption to the occasional glass. Regular drinking can deplete your body’s mineral stores, particularly magnesium. You may notice that after a night of drinking, you wake up feeling thirsty, bloated, and puffy—all signs that your electrolyte balance has been thrown off.
- Stress can have a serious impact on the levels of magnesium in our bodies. When we experience stress, magnesium is released from inside our cells and enters the space outside our cells, leading to increased excretion through the kidneys. If we experience stress occasionally, our bodies can usually recover relatively quickly. However, if we experience chronic stress, our magnesium levels can drop significantly. It’s important to manage our stress levels in order to maintain good everyday health.
The Impact of Magnesium Deficiency on Physiological Functioning
Mood and Memory
Your brain is an amazing organ, capable of sending and receiving electrical impulses across an intricate network of neurons all day. These electrical signals form the basis of your thoughts and movements, with billions of neurons working together to make it happen.
If you’re feeling a bit off, either due to fluctuating moods, lack of mental clarity, attention issues, or anxiety, you could be experiencing something much deeper. All of these issues could be an indication that the mitochondria (the structures that power your cells) in your brain are having difficulty functioning properly.
Researchers have discovered that the levels of magnesium in the body can have a direct effect on energy produced by the mitochondria. This available energy in the brain can have a significant influence on the following:
- Your thinking processes
- Ability to focus on tasks
- Piece of Mind, Calmness, or Anxiousness
- Well Being and Mood
- Capacity to Successfully Handle Stress
Ensuring that your body has the recommended amount of magnesium can help keep your brain functioning optimally on a daily basis.
Digestion:
Magnesium plays a critical role in regulating bowel movements, detoxifying the liver, and producing hormones. An inadequate magnesium intake may lead to several adverse symptoms.
During digestion, food particles mix with saliva and stomach acid to create a semi-solid lump, or bolus, which then moves through the digestive system and is broken down by various enzymes.
Inadequate magnesium intake can cause the bolus to become dry and stiff, slowing the digestion process and resulting in constipation.
PMS
Research suggests that Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) may be caused by excess estrogen. It is believed that this occurs when the digestive system is not functioning optimally, resulting in insufficient secretion and excretion of estrogen.
Low magnesium intake can further impede the process, resulting in estrogen lingering in the intestinal tract for too long. This can lead to an accumulation of estrogen in the bloodstream, which can increase the severity of PMS symptoms.
To address this, individuals may opt to supplement their diet with magnesium, as this can help with digestion and the timely excretion of estrogen, thus providing relief from PMS.
Hormone Balance
Magnesium plays an important role in detoxifying the liver, as it helps neutralize any excess levels of estrogen. This process requires the conversion of estrogen metabolites into water-soluble molecules to enable efficient removal from the body.
A lack of adequate magnesium levels can significantly reduce the speed at which this occurs.
Furthermore, magnesium is essential for the production of sex hormones, such as progesterone and testosterone, which are responsible for balancing estrogen levels.
Cardiovascular and Muscle Function
Have you ever experienced muscle tightness, eyelid twitching, or difficulty catching your breath during exercise? These are all signs of overexcited nerve cells firing too frequently.
The rate at which these cells fire is influenced by the balance of electrolytes – such as sodium and potassium – on either side of the cell’s membrane. Magnesium plays a role in regulating this balance.
If there is an insufficient amount of magnesium, nerve cells may become overexcited, and it may be difficult to access those that are not firing regularly. Conversely, too much firing can be slowed down with magnesium.
Additionally, magnesium can jumpstart the exchange process of nerve impulses in the case of an inadequate amount.
It is essential for optimal muscle function that the body is adequately supplied with magnesium. Should any of the following symptoms arise, it may be indicative of a magnesium deficiency which would disrupt the nervous and muscular systems:
- Cardiac arrhythmias, characterized by heart rhythm disturbances, palpitation, or fluttering sensations, are commonly referred to as arrhythmias in the medical field.
- Muscle spasms
- Muscle cramping
- Restless leg syndrome
- Twitching eyelids, lips, or skeletal muscle
- Nightly leg cramps
It is important to note that conditions causing symptoms such as these may be rooted in something other than magnesium deficiency, and some may require medical attention.
How To Get More Magnesium in Your Diet
Consuming more magnesium-rich foods, applying topical options, or taking a dietary supplement are all viable options for increasing magnesium intake. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of magnesium for women is 320 mg per day, while it is 420 mg per day for men.
It is unlikely to suffer from magnesium toxicity from food, yet a maximum of 350 mg from dietary supplements should not be exceeded as it is the established upper tolerable intake. Men may require up to 350 mg of magnesium in supplement form to reach their RDA.
Magnesium-rich Foods
Magnesium is found in a variety of animal and plant-based food sources, making it easy to incorporate into any dietary plan. Notable dietary sources of magnesium include:
- Salmon
- Nuts like cashews and almonds
- Whole grains
- Green vegetables, especially leafy ones like spinach
- Tap, mineral, and bottled water (depending on the brand and source)
- Potatoes
- Bananas
- Chicken breast
- Seeds such as pumpkin and chia
- Legumes, including black beans, kidney beans, and edamame
Magnesium and tryptophan-containing foods offer a two-pronged approach to improving mood and cognitive clarity.
Tryptophan serves as the precursor to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that contributes to feelings of well-being, focus, and serenity. Consuming dietary sources of tryptophan in conjunction with magnesium can provide support to one’s mood and may offer a mental boost.
Such sources include dark chocolate, salmon, spinach, and avocados. As a general guideline, it is beneficial to obtain as much supplementation as possible through dietary sources; however, utilizing a magnesium supplement can help to fill any remaining gaps.
Topical Options
Some forms of magnesium are absorbed through the skin, which makes topical magnesium effective for muscle relief.
For muscle cramps or spasms, spray on magnesium oil, which isn’t oil at all. It’s magnesium chloride, which feels slippery because it’s slightly more basic than water.
Another topical solution: Take a bath with Epsom salts, which are magnesium sulfate crystals.
Pour 1-2 cups of Epsom salts into your bath a couple of times a week to get a boost, and drink plenty of water when you’re done soaking.
Powders and Capsules
This magnesium binds to an amino acid and relies on a protein pathway for availability and absorption. Magnesium glycinate is readily available on the market and is typically very well tolerated by most individuals.
It tends to be a little more expensive, but that is because, after consumption, its availability in the body is higher than other magnesium supplements.
The highly absorbable magnesium bis-glycinate is said to be the only form of magnesium that is able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Thus making it especially useful for athletes who deal with anxiety, headaches, and mood-related disorders on a routine basis. The only magnesium supplement that is shown to rival this is magnesium chloride.
Magnesium chloride is found naturally in seawater and is soluble in water, thus making it extremely easy for our bodies to absorb.
Magnesium Citrate
It can be more expensive, but that is because Magnesium citrate is another popular recommendation. Dietitians often recommend this form to athletes who have trouble moving their bowels.
Think “c” for constipation. This form of magnesium is an osmotic laxative. An osmotic laxative pulls water into your intestines while relaxing your bowels.
This flood of water helps to simultaneously soften and bulk up your stool, thus making it easier to pass.
Magnesium Oxide
Try your best to avoid magnesium oxide, as it has the lowest rate of bioavailability. That means your body cannot use much of this form. Be careful, as most over-the-counter supplements contain some form of magnesium oxide.
Transdermal Magnesium
Transdermal magnesium (applied to the skin) can be a valuable option for those individuals suffering from severe GI distress, making them unable to tolerate oral magnesium supplementation.
