Signs and Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

February 08, 2023

Magnesium is an essential nutrient needed by the body. However, it is also a mineral many people do not get enough of in their diet. Magnesium deficiency is common today, and it can cause symptoms like muscle spasms, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, and more. In this article, we will discuss the common symptoms of magnesium deficiency and how you can get enough magnesium in your diet.

What Is Magnesium?

magnesium

Magnesium is a nutrient that plays a vital role in the body. It is important for muscle, nerve, and cell function and is involved in hundreds of different enzymatic processes, where it is crucial for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) metabolism. (1)

Magnesium is involved in so many processes in the body, from blood pressure and nervous system function to DNA synthesis and protein synthesis, that you always want to make sure you have enough in your diet.

How Much Magnesium Do You Need?

According to Harvard University, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults 19-51+ years is 400-420 mg daily for men and 310-320 mg for women. (2) The RDA for children ages 4-8 is 110mg/day and 350mg/day for children ages 9 and up. (3)

Why Is Magnesium Deficiency So Common Today?

soil depletion

For example, a 1999 study showed that green beans that once contained 35mg of magnesium per 100g sample in 1963 contained only 25mg of magnesium in 1999. (4) Soil health has only declined in the last 20+ years, and the mineral content of foods has declined along with it.

An analysis of nutrition data from 1975 to 1997 by the Kushi Institute found that average calcium levels in 12 fresh vegetables dropped 27 percent; iron levels by 37 percent; vitamin A levels by 21 percent, and vitamin C levels by 30 percent. (5) This nutrient loss in foods over the last several generations is so significant that it is estimated you would need to eat eight bowls of spinach to get the nutrient content you would have gotten from one bowl in the 1950s.

Not only has much of the nutrient content in foods declined, but there are significantly more processed foods available today, and we consume far more toxins than our grandparents did. This has many adverse effects on our health, but one of the negative effects is that it causes magnesium depletion.

Whenever we experience stress, psychological or physical, the body uses magnesium to help regulate the release of stress hormones like cortisol, helping to soothe the nervous system. Therefore, the more stressed you are, the more magnesium you need. (6)

Today, our foods contain less magnesium than ever, we consume more toxins than ever, and our stress levels as a society are tremendously high. All of this contributes significantly to magnesium deficiency.

Why It Is Important to Supplement with Magnesium

magnesium

The fact is the food we eat today is lacking in essential nutrients. Unless we are growing our own food in nutrient-rich soil or getting it from someone who does, likely, we are not meeting our nutritional needs from food alone. Therefore, supplements have become much more necessary today. Unfortunately, there are a lot of poor-quality supplements out there as well, and so many available that it can be overwhelming.

Magnesium is one supplement that many health practitioners agree is essential today. Supplementing with a high-quality magnesium supplement can help you ensure you get the recommended amount of magnesium that your body needs daily. Of course, it is still great to eat magnesium-rich foods, but it is unlikely for the average person today to meet their magnesium requirements from food alone.

Many magnesium supplements are available today, and magnesium is often mixed with other minerals or nutrients to provide specific desired effects. To find out what magnesium supplement is best for you, read our article "What Are the Different Types of Magnesium and What Do They Do?"

If you are just looking for a magnesium supplement to avoid magnesium deficiency, then an ionic magnesium chloride is a great choice, as this is what is used by health professionals to boost magnesium levels in people that are deficient. (7)

What Are Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency?

fatigue

A lack of magnesium in the diet can result in symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Some of the common magnesium deficiency symptoms in adults include:

Muscle spasms
Shaking
Numbness or tingling
Nausea
Vomiting
Fatigue
Weakness
Sleepiness
Loss of appetite
Hyperexcitability
Abnormal heartbeat (8)

These are the primary signs and symptoms of magnesium deficiency. However, since magnesium is involved in hundreds of enzymatic reactions in the body, a deficiency can lead to various other health issues. For example, some people report magnesium deficiency skin symptoms like dry skin and itchy skin, though these can have many other causes as well.

Foods for Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms

magnesium foods

One easy way to increase your magnesium levels is by eating more magnesium-rich foods. Some of the best foods for magnesium deficiency symptoms include:

Leafy green vegetables (lettuce, kale, spinach, collard greens, etc.)
Legumes (soybeans, black beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, peanuts, etc.)
Nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc.)
Avocado
Cacao (dark chocolate)
Raw milk
Yogurt

Eating these magnesium-rich foods can help you boost your magnesium levels. However, due to the depletion of magnesium from most commercially grown vegetables, it is still recommended to supplement with magnesium to meet your daily recommended requirements.

Zuma Nutrition's Ionic Magnesium Tonic

zuma nutrition ionic magnesium supplement

Our Ionic Magnesium Tonic contains 0.7ml of ionic magnesium chloride per serving, providing the body with a healthy serving of this essential nutrient and helping you prevent magnesium deficiency.†

Ionic minerals are elements that have a positive or negative charge. On the molecular level, this allows the mineral to bond easily with water, making it more easily absorbed by the body. This Ionic Magnesium Tonic is also formulated with biodynamic organic hydrosols of rosemary and lavender that help further enhance magnesium's absorption into cell membranes.

Furthermore, we've added 70+ Ancient Inland Trace Ocean Minerals to this formula to support the body's health and meet essential mineral requirements. Our formula also contains no synthetic ingredients, pesticides, or toxic ingredients. It provides a simple and effective way to supply your body with more magnesium and essential minerals daily.

Summary

Magnesium is a nutrient that plays a vital role in the body. It is crucial for muscle, nerve, and cell function and is involved in hundreds of different enzymatic processes, where it is crucial for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) metabolism.

However, it is also a mineral many people do not get enough of in their diet. Magnesium deficiency is common today, and it can cause symptoms like muscle spasms, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, and more.

Over the last 100 years, soil health has decreased dramatically due to the increase in industrial agriculture. As a result, the nutrient content of most commercially grown foods has also declined significantly. In addition, stress has also become a widespread issue today, and the body utilizes magnesium in the stress response, increasing the need for magnesium in the diet. Because of these modern factors, it is essential to supply your body with magnesium daily.

An ionic magnesium supplement is a great way to provide your body with more magnesium, along with eating more magnesium-rich foods like leafy green vegetables, legumes, and nuts.

If you are suffering from any magnesium deficiency symptoms or are concerned about your magnesium levels, consult your doctor for professional medical advice.