Magnesium is an essential mineral that participates in more than 300 chemical reactions in our body. Unfortunately, magnesium deficiency is a widespread issue today, affecting a significant portion of the population. It often goes unnoticed because the symptoms can be nonspecific and resemble other health problems.
Next, you will learn how to recognize the symptoms of magnesium deficiency to prevent serious health problems in the future.
Why do we need magnesium?
Magnesium is not just an ordinary mineral, but a vital element that is the foundation of every cell’s function. This unique mineral participates in over 600 different metabolic processes and supports over 300 essential enzyme reactions. Therefore, magnesium deficiency can lead to widespread health problems.
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body, with 60% of it found in bones, 20% in muscles, 19% in other tissues, and 1% in blood. While the average adult body contains 25 grams of magnesium, this mineral plays a huge role in nearly all organs and systems.
Magnesium is indispensable for:
- Muscle function: Magnesium is required for muscle contraction and relaxation, ensuring smooth movement and strength. A deficiency can cause muscle cramps, weakness, and fatigue.
- Neurological function: Magnesium is the foundation of nerve impulse transmission and signal processing in nerve cells. A deficiency can lead to nervousness, irritability, insomnia, and even seizures.
- Cardiovascular function: Magnesium regulates blood pressure, prevents heart arrhythmias, and helps prevent atherosclerosis. A deficiency increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Stress regulation: Magnesium helps regulate the production of stress hormones and their effects on the body. A deficiency increases the risk of anxiety, depression, and chronic fatigue.
- Strong bones and teeth: Magnesium is an important component of bone tissue and helps with calcium absorption. A deficiency increases the risk of osteoporosis and dental decay.
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can be multifaceted and nonspecific, including:
- Fatigue and weakness
- Muscle cramps and pain
- Nervousness and irritability
- Headaches
- Sleep disturbances
- Constipation
- High blood pressure
- Depression and anxiety
Why does magnesium deficiency occur?
Magnesium is an essential mineral that participates in over 300 chemical reactions in the body. Unfortunately, magnesium deficiency is a widespread problem today that creeps up unnoticed. It is estimated that about 80% of people suffer from magnesium deficiency!
What leads to magnesium deficiency?
- Poor dietary habits: Today’s fast-paced lifestyle is often associated with unhealthy food choices. Ready meals, high-temperature processed foods, and sugar-rich sodas, including alcohol, reduce magnesium stores in the body.
- Stress: Continuous stress depletes the body and promotes the excretion of magnesium through urine. This creates a vicious cycle where stress causes magnesium deficiency, which in turn exacerbates stress.
- Excessive physical strain: Intense exercise and physical effort require a lot of energy, which the body gets from magnesium. Without sufficient recovery and replenishment of magnesium stores, deficiency can easily occur.
- Some medications: Diuretics, antibiotics, and proton pump inhibitors (PPI) interfere with magnesium absorption in the intestines and promote its deficiency.
- Digestive issues: Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease hinder magnesium absorption and cause magnesium deficiency.
Increased daily magnesium requirements are:
- For athletes
- For pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers
- For children in the growth phase
- For the elderly
Increased magnesium requirements are also found in individuals who:
- Excessive sweating
- Chronic diarrhea
- Suffering from stomach, intestine, and kidney diseases
- Suffering from diabetes and atherosclerosis
- Taking certain medications, such as diuretics, heart medications, and antibiotics
- Excessive coffee consumption (more than 3 cups a day)
- Being overweight
What are the symptoms of magnesium deficiency?
Magnesium deficiency creates a favorable ground for more diseases than any other nutrient deficiency. However, it is difficult to diagnose magnesium deficiency in the body, as only 1% is found in the blood. Therefore, magnesium deficiency is often not suspected.
Initial symptoms indicating magnesium deficiency are:
- Leg and muscle cramps
- Eye twitching
- Muscle weakness
- Headaches and migraines
- Anxiety and stress
- Irritability and nervousness
- Fatigue and exhaustion
- Heart arrhythmias
- High blood pressure
- Sleep disorders
Magnesium deficiency and leg cramps
Magnesium plays a key role in regulating muscle contractions. When there is insufficient magnesium in the body, muscles lose the ability to relax properly and on time. This tension leads to cramps, which can occur both during the day and at night, especially during sleep.
Characteristics of leg cramps are:
- Sudden and severe pain in the calf
- Pain that lasts for several minutes or even hours
- Recurrent cramps, especially at night
If you suffer from leg cramps after physical exertion or experience night cramps, magnesium with good bioavailability, such as magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate, will help you.
Magnesium deficiency and headaches
Magnesium plays several important roles that help prevent and alleviate headaches:
- Regulating the nervous system: Magnesium is important for the production and function of neurotransmitters, such as GABA. These help calm the nervous system and block pain signals. A deficiency leads to nervousness and irritability, which promote the onset of headaches.
- Muscle relaxation: Magnesium helps relax muscles and reduce tension, which can trigger headaches, especially in the neck and shoulder areas. A deficiency can cause muscle cramps and tension that exacerbate headaches.
- Vasodilation: Magnesium helps widen blood vessels, improving blood flow to the head. A deficiency causes blood vessels to constrict, reducing the availability of oxygen and nutrients to the brain, worsening the headache.
If you suffer from frequent headaches and migraines, regular magnesium intake will help effectively reduce debilitating headache attacks. For headache relief, only magnesium glycinate and magnesium threonate are suitable.
Magnesium deficiency and the heart
Magnesium relaxes blood vessels and is essential for heart muscle function. When magnesium levels in the body are low, the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels cannot relax after contraction. This results in increased heart rate, skipped heartbeats, irregular heart rhythms, and elevated blood pressure.
In the case of cardiovascular disease, it is recommended to regularly take magnesium to prevent the progression of the disease. Suitable forms of magnesium are magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate.
Magnesium deficiency and stress
Magnesium deficiency is a widespread problem today, often going unnoticed. According to studies, it is the second most common nutrient deficiency after vitamin D.
Did you know that stress actually worsens magnesium deficiency? During stress, the body releases the stress hormone cortisol, which promotes the excretion of magnesium through the kidneys in urine. This creates a vicious cycle: stress causes magnesium deficiency, which in turn exacerbates stress.
Why is magnesium so important in fighting stress?
- Reduces fatigue and exhaustion: Magnesium is essential for energy production in cells. Magnesium deficiency can lead to fatigue, weakness, and sluggishness.
- Relaxes muscles: During stress, muscle tension occurs, causing discomfort and pain. Magnesium effectively relieves tense muscles and reduces muscle tension.
- Calms the nervous system: Magnesium is important for regulating the nervous system. It helps reduce anxiety, calms the nerves, and improves sleep quality.
- Supports mental health: Magnesium deficiency has been linked to depression, anxiety disorders, and mood disorders. Adequate magnesium levels in the body support mental health and improve mood.
Magnesium is the key to coping with stress. At the first signs of fatigue and stress, start a magnesium course and enjoy feeling better! The best bioavailable forms of magnesium are magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate.
How long should magnesium be taken?
When symptoms of magnesium deficiency appear, it is important to start regular magnesium intake in sufficient doses. It usually takes 3-6 months to fully restore magnesium stores in the body. If you have at least one of the risk factors mentioned above, which increases magnesium needs, it is recommended to take magnesium-containing supplements regularly.
What is the best magnesium?
There are many different forms of magnesium available in pharmacies, each with its own pros and cons. Some are cheaper but can cause uncomfortable side effects like diarrhea. Others may be more expensive but offer better bioavailability, meaning the body can absorb magnesium more efficiently.
If you’re looking for high-quality magnesium, the best choices are magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, and magnesium threonate.
Prevent magnesium deficiency and stay healthy!
