Magnesium Deficiency: More Common Than You Thought!

Do you ever suffer from unexplained fatigue, or weakness, heart arrhythmias, muscle spasms or even eye twitches.  If so, low magnesium levels could be the culprit.  Magnesium is a mineral used by every mineral in your body, especially your heart, muscles and kidneys. 

Magnesium is stored in your bones and organs, so it is often difficult to detect a deficiency through a blood test.  In fact, only 1 percent of magnesium in your body is distributed in your blood.  It has recently been referred to as the “invisible deficiency”. 

It is estimated that up to 80 percent of Americans are not getting enough magnesium and may be deficient.  Other research shows only 25 percent of US adults are getting the recommended daily amount of 310 to 320 milligrams for women and 400 to 420 for men.  New research is showing that magnesium also plays a major impact on not only heart and bone health, but also human health and disease.  It is found in more that 300 different enzymes in your body and is critical for your body’s detoxification process.  Some other roles magnesium plays includes:

• ·       Activating muscles and nerves
• ·       Creating energy in your body by activating ATP
• ·       Helping digest proteins, carbohydrates and fats
• ·       Serves as building block for RNA and DNA synthesis
• ·       Acting as a precursor for neurotransmitters like serotonin

That being said, magnesium deficiency has been proven to cause or trigger 22 medical conditions, according to Dr. Dean and her latest book, The Magnesium Miracle.  Some of these include; anxiety, panic attacks, asthma, bowel disease, depression, diabetes, detoxification, heart disease, nerve problems and migraines.  (Mercola)

Early signs of magnesium deficiency include loos of appetite, headache, nausea, fatigue and weakness.  If left untreated, this can lead to more serious symptoms such as numbness and tingling, muscle contractions, seizures, personality changes, abnormal heart rhythms or coronary spasms.

Some foods to include in your diet to help increase magnesium levels include seaweed, spinach, swiss chard and green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower and sesame seeds, and avocados.   However, most foods grown today are deficient in magnesium and other minerals, so getting enough isn’t simply a matter of eating magnesium-rich foods (although this is important too). According to Dr. Dean:

"Magnesium is farmed out of the soil much more than calcium… A hundred years ago, we would get maybe 500 milligrams of magnesium in an ordinary diet. Now we're lucky to get 200 milligrams.”

Herbicides, like glyphosate also act as chelators, effectively blocking the uptake and utilization of minerals in so many foods grown today. As a result, it can be quite difficult to find truly magnesium-rich foods, so supplementing with a good quality magnesium supplement is sometimes recommended if you are magnesium deficient. (Mercola)

Works Cited

Mercola, Dr. Mercola.com. 19 January 2015. 26 August 2015 <http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/01/19/magnesium-deficiency.aspx>.