Of all the minerals in the human body, magnesium is one of the most important. This mineral plays a role in more than 300 actions in the body. However, it’s also one of the minerals that we usually lack. According to experts, magnesium deficiency is a serious problem that may be the main source of numerous chronic health problems. Today we’re going to present the most common symptoms of magnesium deficiency and tell you how to add more of the mineral in your diet.
According to Dr. Norman Shealy, almost every known disease is related to magnesium deficiency. Although this may sound like too much, Shealy may be right considering the role magnesium plays in our body. When we don’t get the proper levels of magnesium in our body, we’ll start experiencing a host of symptoms which can have a mild or severe impact on our health.
Here are the 10 common signs of magnesium deficiency:
Poor Cognitive Performance
If you’re often having problems with your memory or experience brain fog too often, you may be lacking magnesium. The mitochondria, tiny structures in every cell of the body which are important for energy production, use magnesium to work. Most of the mitochondria are found in the brain, so lacking magnesium can seriously harm your cognitive function and cause brain fog and memory loss.
Headaches and migraines
According to studies, people suffering from headaches and migraines have been found to lack magnesium. This is not so strange if you know that magnesium plays a vital role in the production of neurotransmitters which can affect migraines. Taking magnesium supplements has been known to help headache and migraine sufferers.
These supplements can reduce the pain and intensity of migraines and most of it is related to the ability of the mineral to restore calcium balance in neuronal cells. Too much calcium in the cells can overstimulate the brain cells, resulting in the development of headaches and migraines.
IBS and Constipation
Did you know that your constipation can be a result of low magnesium levels in the body? Proper magnesium levels draw water into the gut, softening the stool and helping it pass easier. When our stools are too hard, they can move slow through the colon, which can become a big problem. This is why you should keep your magnesium levels intact and the best way to do it is to get it through dietary sources. If you can’t, magnesium supplements are the nest best thing.
Fatigue
As we mentioned previously, magnesium is highly important for the production of energy in our body. The mitochondria rely on it to produce energy, which influences your overall energy levels. Knowing this, it’s no wonder how lack of magnesium causes fatigue. So, if you’re feeling too weak to do anything all of a sudden, you may want to check your magnesium levels.
Insomnia
Insomnia is one of the major conditions related to lack of magnesium. Wondering how? Magnesium is hugely involved in the production of the GABA inhibitory neurotransmitter. This chemical promotes relaxation and helps us sleep better, which means the less magnesium we have in our blood, the less GABA the brain will produce. This will lead to restless nights and insomnia which can ruin your life.
Muscle Spasms and Cramps
As most of you know, magnesium is one of the most important minerals for our muscles. It helps them contract and relax, so lack of the mineral may cause muscle spasms and cramps as well as muscle fatigue. If you’re an athlete or you have a habit of going to the gym every day, take magnesium supplements to help your muscles relax and allow them to grow.
Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia
Chronic pain and fibromyalgia are associated with tension in our body, which can be physical or emotional. Anxiety, anger and other negative emotions can cause physical tension and lead to the development of chronic pain and fibromyalgia. When our magnesium levels are low, the central nervous system can get easily overstimulated, resulting in higher muscle tension and pain. So, if you’re feeling stressed and your muscles hurt, you should consider adding magnesium to your diet.
Arrhythmia
Our heart is a muscle that relies on magnesium for proper contractility. Magnesium, potassium and calcium all play a vital role in the proper contraction of the heart muscle, so you should make sure to keep all 3 minerals in balance in your body. If you notice that your heart’s been beating irregularly, you should visit your doctor and get tests for magnesium. If that’s the problem, talk to them about getting magnesium supplements which work the fastest and will soothe your arrhythmia.
Numbness and Tingling In the Limbs
One of the main signs of magnesium deficiency is numbness or tingling in the hands and feet. This occurs due to magnesium’s role in proper and healthy nerve signal transmission. According to several recent studies, adding some magnesium in our diet can improve your nerve activity and soothe the tingling sensation in your limbs. The same method works well against peripheral neuropathy, a side-effect of diabetes which has the same symptoms.
Mood Disorders
As we already said, magnesium has a vital role in the balance of neurotransmitters in our body. These brain chemicals can regulate our pattern and behavior including our sleep and focus. As magnesium is important the production of GABA in the brain (a neurotransmitter with relaxing properties), lack of it may cause mood disorders such as anxiety, irritability or even depression.
As you can see, magnesium is far more vital for our health than most of us previously thought. The best way to raise its levels is through dietary sources, but magnesium supplements work faster. However, if you decide on them you need to consult your doctor as there are various types with their own pros and cons.
Source:healthy-holistic-living.com
