Magnesium: Health Benefits, Sources, and Signs of Deficiency
Magnesium is one of the major essential minerals your body needs for healthy functioning. It is
critical for various vital bodily functions, including your brain, mental, bone, muscle, and cardiovascular health. Yet, magnesium
deficiencies are common and may result in anxiety, depression, brain health symptoms, sleep issues, blood sugar imbalances,
cardiovascular issues, muscle cramping, bone health problems, and other health issues. Optimizing your magnesium levels through diet
and supplementation is critical for your health and well-being. In this article, you will learn about the health benefits of magnesium, as
well as the signs, symptoms and major causes of this mineral deficiency. On a personal note, magnesium was a game changer for my
family and me when we ran across Canada and the United States in 2011, covering 15,000 kilometers on foot over a seven month period.
It allowed us to recover much more quickly from our daily runs and prevent injuries from occurring. I find that it also helps people who
have any kind of muscular or joint pain recover more quickly and prevent the reoccurrence of problems in the future. As a result of my
personal experience and from what I’ve observed over the years with thousands of patients I highly recommend the use of this wonderful
mineral. As you will see from reading this article it is essential for good health and wellness and it’s very difficult to get enough of it from
food alone.
Health Benefits
(1) Anxiety
Magnesium is important for your mental health. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems in our society today. A
2017 systematic review published in Nutrients has found that low magnesium levels may increase the risk of anxiety by affecting parts of
the brain that regulate the adrenal glands (1). A 2020 review published in Nutrients has also found that magnesium deficiency may
contribute to stress, creating a vicious cycle of stress and anxiety (2).
(2) Brain Health
Magnesium may also benefit other aspects of your brain health, not just mental health. Magnesium plays a role in synaptic transmission,
neuronal plasticity, and neural activity. Thus, this key mineral may affect your learning and memory. A 2010 study published
in Neuron has found that Magnesium may help to improve learning and memory, including short-term memory, long-term memory,
working memory, and learning functions (3). According to a 2018 review published in Nutrients, magnesium may play a protective role
in neurological issues, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, migraines, stroke, and chronic pain (4).
(3) Blood Sugar
Magnesium is also very useful as it plays a part in glucose control and insulin metabolism thus helping to reduce the risk of type
2 diabetes. A 2015 review published in the World Journal of Diabetes has found that magnesium deficiency is common in people with
diabetes (5). According to the researcher, supplementation may play a role in the management of diabetes. A 2017 systematic review
published in Nutrition has found that magnesium may help to reduce insulin resistance and improve insulin sensitivity in those with a
known deficiency (6).
(4) Bone Health
Though most people talk about the importance of calcium for bone health, there are many other nutrients that play a role in healthy
bones including Magnesium which is necessary for healthy bone formation. A 2013 study published in Nutrients has found that getting
enough magnesium may be linked to improving bone crystal formation, higher bone density, and a decreased risk of osteoporosis (7).
According to a 2022 systematic review published in Bone, magnesium may be beneficial for the bone health of older individuals (8).
(5) Cardiovascular Health
One of the major roles of magnesium is maintaining the health of your muscles which includes the heart muscle. According to a 2018
review published in BMJ, magnesium deficiency may increase the risk of cardiovascular issues (9). According to a 2019 systematic review
and meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Neurology, magnesium may reduce the risk of stroke (10).
(6) Depression
According to a 2018 review published in Nutrients, magnesium may play a protective role for depression and anxiety (4). A 2006 case
study published in Medical Hypotheses found that magnesium may support the treatment and recovery from major depression because it
may help to correct intraneuronal magnesium deficiency and improve neuronal activity (11). A 2017 randomized clinical trial published
in PLoS One has also found that supplementation may help to improve mild-to-moderate depression within 6 weeks (12).
(7) Headaches
You may want to consider improving your magnesium levels if you have migraines or headaches. As we’ve discussed earlier, a deficiency
may affect your neurotransmitters. It may also restrict normal blood vessel circulation. Both of these factors can play a role
in migraines and headaches. According to a 2018 review published in Nutrients, magnesium may play a protective role in headaches and
migraines (4). A 2017 review published in Headache has found that taking 600 mg of magnesium may help to reduce migraines (14).
The American Migraine Foundation recommends about 400 to 500 mg of magnesium per day for people with migraines (15).
(8) Muscle Tension (and recovering from exercise)
Magnesium helps reduces muscle tension and allows the muscle tissues to recover more quickly and thoroughly from exercise of all kinds.
Moreover, according to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, magnesium may help to relax
your muscles and reduce muscle soreness (13). This may help with muscle pain and head pain associated with tension headaches.
(9) Sleep
Magnesium may help your body to relax (13). It can also calm your mind, reduce stress, and lower anxiety (1, 2) allowing you to fall
asleep easier and faster and to improving your overall sleep. A 2016 study published in the Journal of Research in Medicine Science has
found that supplementation may help to reduce primary insomnia in older people (16). A 2021 study published in Current
Developments in Nutrition has found an association between magnesium intake and better sleep quality and increased sleep
duration (17). Participants with a higher magnesium intake slept better and longer.
(10) Best Food Sources
The best food sources of magnesium include leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Despite there being some great food sources
of magnesium, meeting your needs and correcting deficiencies through diet alone can still be challenging. Since our soils are depleted,
these foods don’t always contain as much magnesium as they should. You may still benefit from supplementation along with consuming
these foods.
Signs & Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency
Signs and symptoms of magnesium deficiency may include:
Fatigue and sleepiness
Weakness Insomnia
Nausea and vomiting
Chronic pain
Diabetes
Pins and needles feeling fibromyalgia
Chronic Constipation
Numbness, Tingling
Muscle spasm
Low potassium and/or calcium levels
Cramps including PMS
neuropathies
Coronary spasms
Abnormal heart rhythm
High blood pressure
Mood changes
Hyper-excitability
Migraines
Restless Leg Syndrome
Seizures
Reasons for Magnesium Deficiency
You may develop magnesium deficiency for a number of reasons. Of course, poor dietary intake may be one of the reasons as well as soil
depletion due to industrial agriculture.
*Other Non-Dietary Factors May Increase Your Risk or Contribute
to Magnesium Deficiency*
Diet High in Sugar and Processed Foods
A diet high in sugar and overly processed foods is generally not good for your health and may directly lead to magnesium deficiency. It
may also cause chronic inflammation and related health issues. According to a 2018 review published in Open Heart, a Western diet high
in refined sugar, refined flours, processed foods, and refined fats its low in magnesium and is associated with magnesium deficiency (19).
Furthermore, high blood sugar levels from increased sugar consumption may lead to impaired absorption and increased excretion leading
to a vicious cycle.
Insulin Resistance
Magnesium plays an important role in sugar control and insulin metabolism. Insulin resistance, elevated insulin levels, and high blood
sugar are all linked to reduced magnesium absorption. It may also make your kidneys excrete magnesium at a faster speed. A 2015 review
published in the World Journal of Diabetes has found that low magnesium intake, increased magnesium loss through urine, and
magnesium deficiency are common issues in people with type 2 diabetes (20). A 2019 study published in the International Journal of
Molecular Sciences has also found that magnesium deficiency may play a role in insulin resistance which leads to type 2 diabetes (21).
According to a 2004 study published in Diabetes & Metabolism, oral supplementation for 3 months may increase insulin
sensitivity (22) and thus prevent the onset of diabetes. A 2015 review published in the World Journal of Diabetes has also found that
supplementation may play a role in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes (20).
High Stress
Chronic stress and high stress can also lead to magnesium depletion and deficiency. A 2011 book, Magnesium in the Central Nervous
System, published by the University of Adelaide Press, discussed how magnesium interacts with your stress pathways and how magnesium
deficiency may be connected to stress-related health issues (23). According to a 2020 review published in Nutrients, magnesium plays a
key role in stress response and stress regulation (24).
Heavy Alcohol Intake
Heavy alcohol intake may also lead to magnesium deficiencies. It may lower the bioavailability of magnesium and lead to the increased
excretion by your kidneys. According to a 2008 study published in Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, magnesium
deficiency is common among people with alcoholism, and improving magnesium levels may reduce the risk of death from alcohol
abuse (30). A 2021 meta-analysis and systematic review published in Nutrients has found that poor magnesium metabolism, depletion,
and deficiency are serious problems in chronic alcohol-use disorders (31).
Certain Medications
Last but not least, certain medications may also contribute to magnesium deficiency. According to a 2021 research published
in Pharmacology Research and Perspectives, certain antibiotics, diuretics, proton pump inhibitors, anti-depressants, ADHD medications,
antineoplastic drugs, and calcineurin inhibitors may cause magnesium deficiency (32). If you are taking any of these medications,
watching out for signs of magnesium deficiency and eating a healthy diet and key supplementation may be particularly important.
Exercise
Exercise puts an additional strain on your muscles which requires extra Magnesium to help with recovery and growth.
Magnesium Supplements
You may benefit from magnesium supplementation if you are deficient, want to prevent deficiency, or want to improve your health. The
problem is that there are so many different types of magnesium supplements out there. Unfortunately, some forms are not absorbable by
your digestive tract, and some of them don’t have many health benefits.
Glycinate
Magnesium glycinate or chelated magnesium is made up of magnesium and amino acid glycine. According to a 2017 review published
in Nutrients, magnesium glycinate is one of the most bioavailable forms of magnesium (34). Even better, it is also gut-friendly, making it
a perfect choice if you have diarrhea when taking magnesium. It is the most commonly recommended option for hypomagnesemia or
clinically diagnosed magnesium deficiency.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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