Magnesium Deficiency: 14 Signs You Have It

Magnesium deficiency could be responsible for a variety of ailments and disorders people don't usually connect with a lack of magnesium.

Magnesium deficiency may be at the core of such disorders as high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, myocardial infarction, and other maladies.

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Americans need more magnesium in their diets, Dr. George D. Lundberg tells Medscape, pointing to a 2009 World Health Organization report that found 75 percent of Americans aren't getting enough magnesium.

Magnesium is found in dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, whole grains, oily fish, dark chocolate, beans, legumes and many other foods.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency could help people to include more of the mineral in their diets if they suffer from the following 14 signs.

According to the National Institutes of Health and Dr. Josh Axe, early signs of magnesium deficiency are:

1. Weakness
2. Loss of appetite
3. Fatigue
4. Nausea
5. Vomiting
6. Insomnia
7. Anxiety
8. Migraine headaches

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As the deficiency worsens, the National Institutes of Health says people may experience:

9. Muscle contractions and cramps
10. Numbness
11. Tingling sensations
12. Abnormal heart rhythms or coronary spasms
13. Mood changes
14. Seizures

Digestive diseases also could be a result of magnesium deficiency because the body has difficulty absorbing minerals, says Axe, a doctor of natural medicine and clinical nutritionist. Axe also maintains that genetically modified organisms, known as GMOs, have removed the essential mineral from foods.

Medication for chronic diseases may cause a magnesium deficiency by interfering with the digestive system. Additionally, alcohol dependence robs the body of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium.

The elderly may suffer from magnesium deficiency because age causes magnesium levels to drop, but older people may also avoid magnesium-rich foods they once ate when they were younger, Axe says.

There are plenty of foods with magnesium, but magnesium levels can be boosted through supplements as well. Axe recommends taking 300 to 400 milligrams a day, but it's important to discuss supplements and dietary needs with your doctor before making changes.

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