ecoPharmacist

Symptoms of a magnesium deficiency

Symptoms of a magnesium deficiency are not readily known by most. A more worrisome fact is that most don’t know that magnesium is a mineral that gets used by every single organ in your body. Magnesium is involved with over 300 metabolic processes in the body. This makes this mineral an extremely important mineral! Unfortunately todays farming practices have eliminated many of the essential minerals our body needs, from the soil. Harsh chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers and insecticides are used heavily, making magnesium a missing mineral in topsoil. If you suffer from muscle spasms, fatigue, or abnormal heart rhythms, a magnesium deficiency could be to blame.

Getting your daily allowance of magnesium is important to prevent deficiency symptoms. The Linus Pauling Institute, at Oregon State University, reports the latest RDA for magnesium intake as 400-420 mg/day for men and 310-320 mg/day for women. Getting your daily RDA allows for the magnesium to be stored in your bones and organs. However, recent studies show that thousands of magnesium binding sites exist within the body. That fact makes magnesium intake extremely important.  According to Dr Carolyn Dean, MD, ND and author of The Magnesium Miracle,  magnesium is necessary for

• Activating muscles and nerves
• Creating energy in your body by activating adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
• Helping digest proteins, carbohydrates, and fats
• Serving as a building block for RNA and DNA synthesis
• Acting as a precursor for neurotransmitters like serotonin
• Detoxification of the body

A magnesium deficiency can trigger many health ailments including, but not limited to the following:

• Anxiety and Panic Attacks
• Bowel diseases
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Fatigue
• Tooth decay
• Heart Disease
• Blood Clots
• Muscle Spasms
• Liver Disease
• Migraines
• Fibromyalgia
• Numbness and Tingling
• Weakness
• High Blood Pressure
• Poor Memory and confusion

To fend off a magnesium deficiency, you have a couple choices. You can supplement with magnesium citrate, and magnesium food sources. Like ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, there is an absorption threshold that the body tolerates. Once that threshold is reached, magnesium supplementing can bring on diarrhea. But for those that suffer from constipation, magnesium supplementing can bring much needed relief. A doctors supervision is recommended. However, the body absorbs magnesium differently through food sources.

A few foods that contain magnesium are:

• Spinach, swiss chard and kale
• Cashews, almonds, sesame seeds
• Squash
• Okra
• Pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts
• Soybeans
• Legumes
• Most fish
• Whole grains
• Avocados
• Dark chocolate

Another way to supplement magnesium is to indulge yourself in epsom salt baths and foot baths. Epsom salt contains magnesium sulfate which will be absorbed through your skin. I cannot think of a more relaxing way to rid yourself of a magnesium mineral deficiency than taking a warm epsom salt bath, while enjoying some nuts and dark chocolate! Relax and improve your health!