8 Most Frequent Ailments Caused by Magnesium Deficiency

 

Brande Plotnick 

 

(May 3, 2016) Magnesium deficiency can affect nearly every organ in the body and cause serious health complications. 

Magnesium deficiency is very common, affecting as many as 80 percent of Americans by some estimates, says Dr. Joseph Mercola, a well-known osteopathic physician and wellness expert. Because the majority of this important mineral is stored in the bones and organs, blood tests can’t accurately measure magnesium levels. This is why magnesium deficiency has been called the “invisible deficiency,” and most affected people are unaware.



Mother Nature Network summarizes these common ailments associated with magnesium deficiency:



1. High blood pressure. Although magnesium supplements have not been shown to consistently reverse high blood pressure, it has been shown that people with magnesium deficiency tend to have high blood pressure.



2. Gastrointestinal disturbances. Early signs of magnesium deficiency include nausea and vomiting.



3. Trouble sleeping. Magnesium deficiency has been linked to chronic insomnia.



4. Heart problems. Irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) has been linked to magnesium deficiency. Also, people with existing heart disease are more likely to be magnesium deficient.



5. Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). Some smaller clinical studies have shown improvement in RLS for some patients when supplementing with magnesium.



6. Low energy. Some studies show that low magnesium makes the body have to work harder to accomplish daily tasks. A study from the University of California Los Angeles showed that magnesium deficient study subjects used more oxygen during physical activity, whether they were athletic or not. 



7. Anxiety and low mood. Supplementing with magnesium has shown promise for treating symptoms of anxiety and depression.



8. Muscle spasms and weakness. Magnesium plays a role in stabilizing a key part of the nerve fiber, and when levels are too low, tremors and weakness can result.



A paper published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition recommends testing for magnesium deficiency whenever its symptoms are present. It also advocates raising the threshold for what constitutes “normal” magnesium levels. 



Once a magnesium deficiency is identified, supplementation should begin right away for best results.

 

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