{"id":34233,"date":"2016-07-28T10:50:35","date_gmt":"2016-07-28T14:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=34233"},"modified":"2021-08-26T14:06:46","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T18:06:46","slug":"magnesium-deficiency-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/magnesium-deficiency-symptoms\/","title":{"rendered":"Is a Magnesium Deficiency Harming Your Health?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Is
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Feeling exhausted<\/a>? Or noticing weird muscle cramps that are throwing off your workouts<\/a>? You might be suffering from a magnesium deficiency.<\/p>\n

Dubbed the \u201cinvisible deficiency\u201d by some experts because it\u2019s so hard to spot and diagnose, magnesium deficiencies are more dangerous than you might think. \u201cMagnesium is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in your body. It affects everything from your heartbeat to your muscles to your hormones<\/a>,\u201d says Dr. Danine Fruge<\/a>, Associate Medical Director at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, Florida.<\/p>\n

Between making sure to get enough fiber<\/a> in your diet and trying not skimp on iron<\/a>, monitoring your magnesium intake can easily fall through the cracks. \u201cStudies have shown that only about 25 percent of U.S. adults are at or above the recommended<\/a> daily amount of 310 to 320 milligrams for women and 400 to 420 for men,\u201d says Dr. Fruge. In fact, the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey<\/a> (NHANES) revealed that at least half\u00a0of the U.S. population had inadequate intakes of magnesium.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to figure out whether or not you\u2019re getting enough of this super nutrient \u2014 and how to fix it if you\u2019re deficient.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong>\u00a021 Meal Prep Pics from the Healthiest People on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

What You Need to Know About Magnesium Deficiency <\/b><\/h3>\n

Loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue\u2026the initial symptoms of magnesium deficiency are also common side effects of other health conditions<\/a>, making it difficult to diagnose.<\/p>\n

“Refined sugar causes the body to excrete magnesium through the kidneys, resulting in a net loss.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This sneaky disorder manifests in three different stages, depending on how lacking you are in the nutrient. While initially symptoms can be minor, a magnesium deficiency may eventually cause noticeable problems with your muscle and nerve function<\/a> such as tingling, cramping, numbness and contractions (like that annoying eye twitch you just can\u2019t shake). In its worst stages, magnesium deficiency could even cause seizures, personality changes, or abnormal heart rhythms.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/b> Why Young People Need to Worry About Cholesterol, Too<\/a><\/p>\n

To make matters scarier, this condition can be difficult to detect with medical tests. Since only one percent of magnesium is found in your blood (most is in your bones or organs), a simple needle prick often won\u2019t help determine your levels. Instead, Dr. Fruge says diagnoses are usually made through process of elimination and by examining a patient\u2019s lifestyle<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Is Your Diet Putting You at Risk? <\/b><\/h3>\n

It may be what you\u2019re eating \u2014 rather than what you\u2019re not eating \u2014 that\u2019s putting you at risk for magnesium deficiency. \u201cIt\u2019s very easy to get enough magnesium. I think the reason so many people are deficient is because a lot of food and drink can make magnesium unavailable to their bodies,\u201d says Dr. Fruge.<\/p>\n

The main culprits: soda<\/a>,\u00a0caffeinated beverages and alcohol<\/a>, according to Fruge.\u00a0If you love sipping on soft drinks, you’ll be less likely to have adequate amounts of nutrients including magnesium in your diet, according to several studies<\/a>. And drinking alcohol<\/a> doesn\u2019t help, either. Consuming too much alcohol can interfere with your body\u2019s absorption of vitamin D<\/a>, which aids magnesium absorption. As for food, refined sugar<\/a> causes the body to excrete magnesium<\/a> through the kidneys, resulting in a net loss, according to Dr. Fruge.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/b> The 12 Unhealthiest\u00a0Fast Food Drinks<\/a><\/p>\n

We hate to break it to you, but if you\u2019re regularly eating or drinking any of the above (and who isn\u2019t?), you may be dealing with at least a minor magnesium deficiency, says Fruge.<\/p>\n

\"Magnesium
Photo by Renee Blair<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whole Foods vs. Supplements: Which Is Best?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Your best bet when it comes to fending off a magnesium deficiency is to take preventative measures. So, should you turn to food or supplements<\/a> for your fix?<\/p>\n

\u201c[Supplements] will probably give you a boost, but it\u2019s best to focus on food,\u201d says Dr. Fruge. Plus, your body absorbs magnesium from food differently than it does from supplements. You should only use magnesium supplements under the direction of a doctor \u2014\u00a0and be sure not to exceed 350 non-food milligrams of magnesium per day (unless a medical professional instructs you differently).<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>The Benefits of Vitamin B Complex<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYour body has built-in mechanisms that don’t allow it to overdose from food, but that doesn’t exist for supplements. Too much magnesium via supplement can put your heart into an arrhythmia and that can even be fatal, particularly for people with issues like diabetes,” says Dr. Fruge.<\/p>\n

Food sources are your safest bet, so focus on amping up your consumption of leafy greens (one cup of cooked spinach<\/a> provides 157 milligrams of magnesium). Legumes<\/a> are a solid choice too, with a cup of cooked white beans coming in at 113 milligrams of the nutrient. And if you\u2019re a fan of squash and pumpkin seeds, one cup packs in a whopping 649 milligrams of Mg. Other great options are nuts, including almonds<\/a> and cashews, most types of fish<\/a>, and whole grains.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/b> What 200 Calories of Nuts Looks Like<\/a><\/p>\n

What About Magnesium Oil or Other Trendy Products?<\/b><\/h3>\n

From infused oils<\/a> to lotions<\/a>, spa-like magnesium treatments are gaining steam among natural health junkies. But whether magnesium-enriched skin products will actually help address a deficiency remains questionable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bottom line is that the transdermal absorption of magnesium hasn\u2019t been studied that well. From reading the literature, the percentage that gets into your bloodstream is fairly small,\u201d says Dr. Michael Shapiro<\/a> of New York City\u2019s Vanguard Dermatology. Dr. Shapiro explains that when you\u2019re applying magnesium to your skin, \u201cthe benefits are probably localized to that area,\u201d rather than having any real internal effect.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 5 Crazy-Expensive New Health Food Trends<\/a><\/p>\n

That being said, if you\u2019re experiencing issues like eczema, dandruff or mild muscle cramps<\/a>, it might not hurt to give these enhanced grooming products a try. \u201cSome sources show it may help in those areas. But any effect that occurs would be more readily produced if you ingest it orally, whether through food or under the supervision of a doctor with supplements,\u201d Dr. Shapiro says.<\/p>\n

So if you suspect you may fall in with the majority of the population that isn\u2019t managing to get enough magnesium, put down the bath salts or magnesium oils, and stock up on healthy food<\/a> \u2014\u00a0your body will thank you for it.<\/p>\n

Originally posted November 2014. Updated July 28, 2016.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Often called the \u201cinvisible deficiency,\u201d a magnesium deficiency can be easy to miss. Learn the symptoms and how to prevent this dangerous condition. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":34236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7],"tags":[51,71,191,345,346,215],"class_list":["post-34233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","tag-food-choices","tag-nutrition","tag-supplements","tag-tax1conditions","tag-tax2thyroid","tag-vitamins"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34233"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34233\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}