9 Signs of Magnesium Deficiency
Did you know that magnesium is crucial for over 300 biochemical reactions in your body? So understandably, if you have a deficiency in this essential mineral, then you won’t feel so great.
If you have a good and healthy diet, then magnesium deficiency shouldn’t be a worry. However, it’s always a good idea to know the signs of it, so you can go to the doctor at the first sign of trouble.
To help you out, here are 9 signs of magnesium deficiency you should look out for.
1. Fatigue
One of the first symptoms of low magnesium you’ll experience is fatigue. You might feel extremely tired, more so than usual.
If this happens, try to rest up and get more sleep. If this doesn’t help, then this might signify an underlying issue.
However, there are a number of things that can cause fatigue, so it may not necessarily be magnesium deficiency that’s causing you to be so tired. If you have other symptoms on this list, then it’s likely the culprit.
2. Muscle Weakness
Muscle weakness is also known as “myasthenia.” This is another of the early magnesium deficiency symptoms you’ll see.
When you don’t have enough potassium intake, then your muscle cells lose the amount of potassium in them as well. As a result, you might feel both fatigue and muscle weakness.
Again, these two symptoms don’t necessarily point toward magnesium deficiency straight away. But they can certainly be early indicators.
3. Nausea and Loss of Appetite
If there are any imbalances in your body, it can make you feel ill. Your body is trying hard to restore balance, which may cause a temporary shift in other biological processes that you’re not used to.
If you suddenly feel nauseous and don’t really want to eat anything, again, this can be a symptom of many other issues. But if it’s constant, it can be a sign that something’s wrong.
4. Muscle Cramps And/Or Twitches
You might’ve heard that athletes need to take magnesium supplements. This is because their workouts deplete the body of more magnesium than the average person’s does. Without these supplements, their muscles cramp up and twitch.
Even if you live a sedentary lifestyle, it’s still possible to become deficient in magnesium. You might notice that your muscles are cramping up and twitching.
This happens because a lack of magnesium causes more calcium to get into your nerve cells. As a result, this overstimulates them, which is what causes cramps and twitches.
It’s normal to experience either thing occasionally. But if they’re persistent, then it might be a deficiency in magnesium.
5. Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition where your bones are fragile and you have a higher risk of fracturing them. This disorder usually affects older people, especially women who have gone through menopause.
You can also get osteoporosis if you’re highly sedentary and/or don’t get enough vitamins D and K in your diet. In addition, if you don’t get enough magnesium, you can also develop osteoporosis.
If you’ve been suffering from lots of bone fractures, have your doctor see if it’s a result of low magnesium levels.
6. Irregular Heartbeat
Having an irregular heartbeat (or heart arrhythmia) can be a serious sign of magnesium deficiency. This is where your heart feels like it’s skipping a beat.
Other symptoms that come with arrhythmia include shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and fainting as a result. However, do note that some people can have irregular heartbeats and experience no symptoms at all. Over time, this can lead to heart failure or strokes.
This is why if you suspect you have low magnesium levels, you need to have the doctor examine you and order the appropriate tests. By catching and correcting this problem early, you can avoid doing serious damage to your heart.
7. High Blood Pressure
There need to be more studies done on this symptom, but it does seem that low magnesium may cause high blood pressure.
As you may already know, high blood pressure is not good for your body, as it puts additional strain on your heart. This can lead to cardiovascular diseases.
While high blood pressure may be caused by other factors (such as a poor diet and/or lack of exercise), it can also be caused by a lack of magnesium.
8. Asthma
This is another of the low magnesium symptoms that need more research. However, scientists have seen a link between magnesium deficiency and severe asthma in patients.
When given aerosolized magnesium sulfate, the airways in people with severe asthma opened up. This may be evidence that low magnesium levels may play a part in this disease.
9. Anxiety and Depression
These symptoms may be harder to watch out for, considering everyone normally goes through bouts of either mental health issues. In addition, currently, there isn’t enough research that directly links these issues to magnesium deficiency.
However, if you generally have good mental health and haven’t experienced anything distressing lately, it may be strange to suddenly get anxiety and/or depression. In this case, if you have some of the other signs on this list, then you might be deficient in magnesium.
Watch out for These Signs of Magnesium Deficiency
Now that you know what the main signs of magnesium deficiency are, you’ll have a better time recognizing them. If you notice any symptoms of magnesium deficiency, then make sure you speak with your doctor straight away to figure out what the best course of action is to get you back on track for a healthier life.
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