You may know what magnesium is, but do you know how important the mineral can be for your health? Magnesium is involved with over 300 metabolic processes in our bodies, leading to the mineral being called the ‘master mineral’. So what exactly does it mean to have a magnesium deficiency, and what are some magnesium deficiency symptoms?
Why Supplementing with Magnesium is a Good Idea
Firstly, magnesium is necessary for the proper transportation of calcium across cell membranes. Why? Calcium needs other nutrients that help get calcium into bone matter. Those other nutrients are silica, vitamin D, vitamin K, and, you guessed it – magnesium. Excessive calcium intake has been linked to heart health issues by staying in the blood long enough to calcify into arterial plaque.
Minerals are more important than vitamins, which struggle actually struggle without minerals. Thanks to modern monoculture farming methods that rely heavily on using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides that are absorbed into the soil, out has been heavily depleted of its mineral content.
The master mineral magnesium is missing from most of our topsoil, leaving the vast majority, perhaps 80%, with a failure to meet even the USDA’s recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of 240 to 420 millgrams (based on age). It’s important to note that government RDAs are known to be well below optimum levels. Many experts think our magnesium levels should be twice the amount.
While observing bodily signs can help, you may want to have some tests administered in the end to test whether or not you’re deficient in magnesium. Serum or blood level measurements are usually inadequate because magnesium operates on a cellular level and accumulates in organ and nerve tissue. So even good results with blood testing are very often deceptive, leaving one with a magnesium deficiency. One effective test developed for use by health professionals is the Exa Test™.
If testing is unavailable, put your symptom watch hat on. There are many symptoms of magnesium deficiency that relate to cardiovascular, heart, neurological, and muscular dysfunction and disease.
These various magnesium deficiency symptoms are numerous because of the mineral’s diverse role in so many different cellular metabolic functions.
16 Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms
As mentioned, magnesium is a mineral responsible for numerous bodily processes. An anti-inflammatory mineral offering protection against illnesses like and Alzheimer’s disease, magnesium has been used to remedy problems like high blood pressure, , respiratory issues, and much more. But as you may suspect, just as upping magnesium intake can solve problems, a magnesium deficiency could lead to many of those same issues and much more.
Here are 16 signs of a magnesium deficiency.
- Calcium deficiency
- Poor heart health
- Weakness
- Muscle cramps
- Tremors
- Nausea
- Anxiety
- Type II diabetes
- Respiratory issues
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Potassium deficiency
- Difficulty swallowing
- Poor memory
- Confusion
It’s important to note that while these are symptoms of a magnesium deficiency, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are definitely deficient in magnesium if you experience the above issues.
How to Safely Supplement Magnesium
It’s almost impossible to overdose magnesium by supplementing, but consuming too much magnesium is still not a great idea. Too much of the mineral could lead to some side effects like or slowed breathing. Similar to oral ascorbic acid C, there is a bowel tolerance threshold that brings on diarrhea if exceeded. Not all magnesium supplements are easily absorbed, either.
You can find inexpensive products that feature magnesium citrate, which is among the most readily absorbed forms of magnesium supplements.
You can also apply transdermal magnesium chloride topically to be absorbed internally through the skin. Magnesium chloride is also known as magnesium oil, though not really an oil. It’s a briny solution from ancient sea beds. It is available through various online sources. Google magnesium oil products.
If you don’t want to supplement and simply want to acquire magnesium through food sources, here are a few foods that can relieve you of any magnesium deficiency symptoms:
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Black beans
- Cashews
- Spinach
- Squash
- Sesame seeds
- Almonds
- Okra
Additional Sources:
Magnesium is just one mineral offering numerous health benefits. But the average person likely couldn’t name two, let alone tell you which foods are good sources of the important nutrient.
