32 Signs You Immediately Need More Magnesium (and how to get it)
You may know what magnesium is, but do you know how important the mineral can be for your health?
Magnesium is involved with over 300 metabolic processes in our bodies, leading to the mineral being called the ‘master mineral’. So what exactly does it mean to have a magnesium deficiency, and what are some magnesium deficiency symptoms?
Dr. Carolyn Dean, a medical and naturopathic doctor, has studied and written about magnesium for more than 15 years. She points out the following medical areas that magnesium deficiency triggers or causes, all of which have all been scientifically proven:
- Anxiety
- Seizures
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Memory loss
- Migraines
- Muscle cramps
- Cystitis
- Hypertension
- Heart problems
- Tremors
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Respiratory problems
- Type 2 diabetes
- Nausea
- Hypoglycemia
- Tooth decay
- Blood clots
- Calcium deficiency
- Depression
- Difficulty with swallowing
- Liver and kidney disease
- Potassium deficiency: sign may include fluid retention, extreme thirst and irritability
- Tremors
- High blood pressure
- Osteoporosis
- Insomnia
- Personality changes like signs of depression, anxiety and mood swings
- Fertility or childbearing problems: premature labor, preeclampsia, or getting/staying pregnant
- Raynaud`s syndrome: may lead to cold toes or fingers, skin color changes and numbness
Surprising Factors That Influence Your Magnesium Levels
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. Cooking and processing further deplete magnesium.
Meanwhile, certain foods can actually influence your body’s absorption of magnesium. If you drink alcohol in excess, for instance, it may interfere with your body’s absorption of vitamin D, which in turn is helpful for magnesium absorption. If you eat a lot of sugar, this can also cause your body to excrete magnesium through your kidneys, “resulting in a net loss,” according to Dr. Danine Fruge, associate medical director at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Florida. The following factors are also associated with lower magnesium levels:
- Excessive intake of soda or caffeine
- Menopause
- Older age (older adults are more likely to be magnesium deficient because absorption decreases with age and the elderly are more likely to take medications that can interfere with absorption)
- Certain medications, including diuretics, certain antibiotics (such as gentamicin and tobramycin), corticosteroids (prednisone or Deltasone), antacids, and insulin
- An unhealthy digestive system, which impairs your body’s ability to absorb magnesium (Crohn’s disease, leaky gut, etc.)
Tips for Increasing Your Magnesium Levels
Seaweed and green leafy vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard can be excellent sources of magnesium, as are some beans, nuts, and seeds, like pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds. Avocados also contain magnesium. Juicing your vegetables is an excellent option to ensure you’re getting enough of them in your diet.
Organic foods may have more magnesium if grown in nutrient-rich soils but it is very difficult to make that determination. If you opt for a supplement, be aware that there are a wide variety of magnesium supplements on the market, because magnesium must be bound to another substance such as calcium, vitamin D3, and vitamin K2 as well, since these all work synergistically with one another. There’s simply no such thing as a 100 percent magnesium supplement.
If you take a supplement, you can use the “bowel test” to determine if you’re taking too much magnesium. Dr. Dean explains:
“The best way to tell if you are getting enough magnesium is the “bowel test”. You know when you have too much magnesium when your stools become loose. This, in fact, may be a blessing for people with constipation… [which] is one of the many ways magnesium deficiency manifests.”
Besides taking a supplement, another way to improve your magnesium status is to take regular Epsom salt baths or foot baths. Epsom salt is a magnesium sulfate that can absorb into your body through your skin.
Magnesium oil can also be used for topical application and absorption. Whatever supplement you choose, be sure to avoid any containing magnesium stearate, a common but potentially hazardous additive.
Source: thehealthycentral.com