Are you starting to feel a little different than normal, with no real explanation why?
You might consider yourself a very healthy person, with no history of serious illness. Yet lately, you just feel off.
No matter what you do, you still feel a mixture of exhausted, agitated, sore, and in some cases, seriously ill.
So what could this be?
Well, you just might be suffering from a frequently overlooked disorder called a magnesium deficiency.
- What Is A Magnesium Deficiency
- What Are the Causes of Magnesium Deficiency?
- The Symptoms
- How to Address A Magnesium Deficiency
Table of Contents
+What Is A Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium is an essential mineral your body cannot make on its own, relying instead on the foods you eat to obtain it. It can be found in every cell type in every organism.
It is used in a huge number of bodily processes, responsible for over 300 biochemical enzyme reactions. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which provides energy to the cells, must be bound to magnesium in order to function properly.
There are a whole barrage of complications that can arise from such a deficiency.
It does seem that a large portion of the population does not get enough magnesium.
What Are the Causes of Magnesium Deficiency?
Diet plays a considerable role in magnesium deficiency. People often under eat magnesium rich foods, and most don’t supplement.
Magnesium acts, in many ways, as a counterbalance to other nutrients the body requires – calcium, vitamin K2, and vitamin D3, all work synergistic ally with magnesium.
Today, most of us don’t receive a proper balance of these nutrients. We should have around a 1:1 ratio of magnesium to calcium, but it more often looks like 1:3.5.
The Symptoms
If you have a magnesium deficiency, odds are you’re feeling the tell-tale signs of it.
Because of how integral it is to metabolism, hormonal function, energy production, cellular membrane stability, and the neuromuscular, cardiovascular, and immune systems, if you’re running low on magnesium, you may suffer from some of the following ten symptoms.
1. Fatigue
There’s a reason why sufferers of chronic fatigue syndrome take magnesium supplements.
Your muscle cells won’t have the highest oxidative capacity (the ability to produce ATP) without the proper levels of magnesium in your system.
Without adequate magnesium levels, it’s hard to feel your best.
2. Insulin Resistance
Without adequate magnesium levels, the body sometimes has trouble processing glucose. When the body senses it isn’t getting what it needs, it starts telling you to eat more through cravings and excessive hunger.
By activating all the proper stomach enzymes, magnesium helps you get the most from your food.
3. Insomnia
Magnesium is now known to play a key role in sleep. Research has demonstrated that even a slight deficiency can lead to a lack of sleep.
4. Muscle and Bone Problems
Magnesium stimulates enzymes that help normalize your body’s levels of calcium, potassium, and other essential vitamins and minerals. It also serves to stop excess calcium deposits in places they shouldn’t be.
How to Address A Magnesium Deficiency
If you have any of these unexplained symptoms, have your magnesium levels checked by asking your doctor specifically for the correct test.
Mayo Clinic suggests that women should have around 315 milligrams of magnesium a day, while men should have close to 410 milligrams.
Increasing the amount of vegetables in your diet will soon see your magnesium levels increase.
Natural sources of magnesium include whole grains, green leafy vegetables, nuts and legumes.
Some of these include:
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Soybeans
- Almonds
- Chard
- Black beans
- Avocado
- Cashew
- Spinach
- Brown rice
- Oat bran
- Squash
- Sesame seeds
- Almonds
- Okra
You may also consider a magnesium supplement.
While it’s difficult to overdose or experience adverse health complications as a result of too high an intake of magnesium, you could still experience some side effects. Diarrhea is common, but usually only at high doses.
Magnesium is obviously extremely important to all our inner workings, and without it, we’re in a heap of trouble. So make sure to eat a healthy, well balanced diet.
