The Signs Of Magnesium Deficiency & What To Do About It

Magnesium is an essential mineral that keeps our bodies running smoothly. Normal serum (blood) magnesium levels1 are defined as 0.75 to 0.95 mmol/L, with anything below this range indicating potential deficiency known as hypomagnesemia. While only 2% of the population2 is reported as having hypomagnesemia, some health professionals say that the condition is severely under-diagnosed since magnesium levels are usually only tested when they get dangerously low.

Although inflammation is a necessary part of immune function and wound healing, chronic inflammation underlies many major diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Inflammation can feel like hot and swollen localized areas on the body, generalized aches and pains, overall feeling lousy or tired, or show up as an inflammatory diagnosis. 

Although blood sugar (glucose) levels are no doubt heavily influenced by what you eat and how much energy you expend, surprisingly they are also influenced by magnesium levels. This is because magnesium assists the body in glucose and insulin metabolism.

Although the mechanisms aren't well understood, there is anecdotal and some limited published evidence that low magnesium levels can cause restless leg syndrome8 (RLS). 

More than 40 million Americans' quality of life is affected by their daily struggles with social stress, fear, and apprehension. Maintaining normal magnesium levels could help manage stress due to magnesium's beneficial interaction with the brain.

Migraines are the sixth-most disabling illness worldwide, causing hours and days of recurring pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and even nausea and vomiting. A large body of evidence has found that magnesium, whether administered orally or via IV, can be an effective and inexpensive option13 for providing nutritional support in the management of migraines.

Magnesium is a mineral and electrolyte that the body requires to maintain normal nerve and electrical impulses of the heart.* Heart flutters, elevated or slow heart rate, and a "racing" heartbeat are all signs of a possible magnesium deficiency.

If you are concerned about your magnesium levels, there are several lab tests you can discuss with your health care provider. A serum magnesium blood test can be obtained with a quick and simple blood draw, although it can be a poor indicator of magnesium levels because 99% of magnesium resides within your cells and tissue16.

Urinary magnesium excretion, obtained via a 24-hour urine collection, might be a more accurate assessment tool, but it can be cumbersome. A magnesium retention (or "loading") test is also more reliable than blood testing but requires measurement of bone magnesium after an oral or IV magnesium dose.

Several foods contain magnesium, especially dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. To get the 320 to 420 mg of magnesium per day that the National Academies recommend, you also might want to consider talking to your doctor about taking a magnesium supplement.

Magnesium is an important mineral that protects our organs, DNA and cell integrity, helps our bodies produce energy, helps maintain the body’s normal inflammatory responses, and supports normal blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Despite several delicious and easy-to-eat foods that supply ample magnesium, like nuts, seeds, beans, dark leafy greens, and whole grains, supplementation may be ideal.