Magnesium is a mineral used by every organ in your body, especially heart, muscles, and kidneys. It is responsible for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body and has a huge impact on immune function, metabolism and bone health since bones store about 60% of all magnesium reserves. More and more people are diagnosed with magnesium deficiency, which causes symptoms such as muscle cramps, tremors, fatigue, poor memory and even reduced ability to learn. Knowing symptoms of magnesium deficiency will help you to effectively deal with the condition.
1. Hearing Problems
According to new research, eating foods that are demonstrably rich in antioxidants and magnesium can help protect your hearing. Remember that hearing loss isn’t always dramatic, especially in the early stages. For example, you may simply find that you need to sit a little closer to someone in order to hear what they are saying, or that background noise seems to interfere with your hearing more significantly than it used to. Lack of magnesium in your diet can significantly decrease your hearing abilities. If you are worried about hearing loss, add some leafy greens and seeds to your diet.
2. Weak bones
Most of the magnesium in the body is stored in bones and organs; therefore, lack of magnesium will have an impact on your bone strength. Without adequate amounts of this vital mineral in your system, bones become weakened, you are more prone to breakages, and could be at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis.
If you’re already in a high-risk category (women after menopause) for osteoporosis, you need to be especially careful about magnesium intake so that you can protect yourself as effectively as possible. But if you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis and yet doctors seem to be confused about why you developed it (i.e. because you don’t have obvious risk factors), consider asking to have your magnesium levels checked. It could be that an underlying deficiency is the reason why your bones have become so brittle.
3. Migraines
If you were never prone to migraines but have started experiencing serve headaches, you might not be getting enough magnesium. It’s been found that those who get migraine headaches have lower levels of serum and tissue magnesium than people who don’t.
Some people reported that dairy products or wine trigger their migraines, others are sensitive to the hormonal shifts of the menstrual cycle, and yet more find they have a stress threshold linked to migraines. And since stress is linked to lowered magnesium levels, it might be an indirect trigger of migraines.
4. Constant fatigue
Magnesium deficiency can bring feelings of extreme exhaustion and constant tiredness because it’s one of the nutrients that plays a critical role in regulating energy levels. If you have tired for several weeks and there is no apparent reason for your fatigue – you don’t engage in strenuous exercise and do not experience any additional stress, then it is advisable to see a doctor. Since fatigue is an extremely frustrating symptom that can leave you feeling depressed and helpless, do your best to persevere to find a solution.
5. Eye twitches and muscle cramps
We’ve all had times when one of our eyelids or another random area of our body twitches, sometimes in short bursts of spasms that take us by surprise. The most common cause of these little twitches and spasms is magnesium deficiency in your diet. Magnesium facilitates nerve connectivity and its lack will lead to distorted nerve connectivity resulting in random twitches.
The numbness, tingling and cramping are most frequently experienced in the limbs, but can in principle be felt in any area of the body. Some people with magnesium deficiencies begin by noticing these symptoms after exercise or exertion, but if the deficiency gets worse over time then tingling or cramping may be felt when you’re just sitting still or even trying to relax in bed. It is quite common that people will be woken up in the middle of the night by cramps in their legs. Muscle twitches occur mostly during times of high stress since it increases magnesium excretion.
6. Development of tumors
People who have high levels of magnesium in their diet were found to have a reduced risk of developing . This fascinating new data may relate to the fact that magnesium has a huge influence on the regulation of so many different biological functions in the body. In addition, you need to have a reliably high intake of magnesium if you’re going to be able to pass bowel movements regularly, and this is linked to colorectal cancer risk reduction as well.
It also seems realistic that low levels of magnesium lead to poorer results for cancer patients who require intensive care. Some scientists think this link suggests that a lack of magnesium causes more severe cancer progression, but it’s also possible that the opposite is true (i.e. that having more severe cancer leads to a depletion of magnesium).
7. Restless legs syndrome (RLS)
Restless legs syndrome (which is sometimes abbreviated as RLS, and sometimes called Willis-Ekbom disease) is a nervous system condition experienced by many people to some degree. It involves an overpowering need to repeatedly and deliberately move the legs (and sometimes the arms) so as to either reduce or even stop abnormal and distracting sensations that occur in the limbs. A small study has recently determined that restless leg syndrome may be linked to a magnesium deficiency. In the study, the mineral was also found to improve insomnia brought on by RLS.
8. Intense PMS symptoms
Although most menstruating women will experience a wide range of PMS symptoms such as breast tenderness, bloating around the abdomen, mood swings, and headaches, it has been found that symptoms are more intense when you don’t have enough magnesium in your system. There is a clear link between magnesium and PMS relief. Consequently, taking magnesium supplements might be a very helpful strategy if you don’t currently take any form of hormonal contraception and experience severe PMS symptoms.
9. High blood pressure
High blood pressure is diagnosed when your blood pressure reading is above 140/90. A healthy reading is typically 120/80 or lower; as the numbers increase, your heart and blood vessels are under increased amounts of stress. High blood pressure can damage the blood vessels in your eyes, reducing your sight. Additionally, there are the more widely known side effects of high blood pressure, such as heart attacks, strokes, and chronic heart disease. It has been found that magnesium deficiency may sometimes cause high blood pressure. This is suggested by findings that magnesium-rich foods like many fruits and vegetables have played a role in reducing high blood pressure—particularly in women.
10. Irregular heartbeat
Finally, magnesium is also critical in keeping your heart rhythm normal. When it comes to congestive heart failure, one study also found that magnesium helped to improve symptoms and boost survival rates. These results clearly suggest that lack of magnesium in your diet might make you more likely to suffer from heart palpitations and irregular heartbeat. While many of these issues cause no long-lasting health problems, some heart rhythm changes are linked to an increased risk of blood clots–another reason why you should always aim to keep your magnesium levels within healthy limits.
