Don't you think sometimes you start to feel a little different?
Maybe it’s not entirely normal, but you can’t really understand why?
Often, a lack of magnesium in the body can lead to this condition.
And according to some data, it is the lack of magnesium in the body that is felt by about 90% of people.
After all, magnesium is responsible for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. This includes regulation of blood pressure, metabolism, immune function and many others.
Some experts even argue that magnesium deficiency is one of the biggest health problems in our modern world.
So, there are times when you have been examined by an endocrinologist, neurologist, gastroenterologist, rheumatologist and other doctors, but you still feel that medicine simply cannot help. Everything fits like a pea into a brick wall.
You may simply suffer from an often overlooked disorder: magnesium deficiency.
Functions
Magnesium is responsible for the transport of calcium and sodium ions at the cellular level; it independently controls the condition of the cell membrane. Due to the movement of its ions, a nerve impulse occurs. As soon as a lack of magnesium occurs in the body, symptoms are not long in coming.
The macroelement helps the body cope with stressful situations, reduces the risk of the appearance and development of exciting processes in the central nervous system. Thanks to magnesium, people may not notice sudden changes in the weather. Any reactions associated with the formation, accumulation, transfer and consumption of energy occur with its direct participation. Magnesium regulates the removal of free radicals and oxidation products from the body.
Causes of magnesium deficiency
Magnesium deficiency is usually caused by an unbalanced diet. In addition, there are several factors that cause the body to consume more of the mineral than usual. Women should adjust to increased magnesium intake, especially during and after pregnancy. Even under psychological stress—especially stress—the need increases. The same applies to heavy sweating - whether due to physical exertion, sauna sessions, fever or increased temperature in summer.
It is also possible that the body excretes more magnesium through the kidneys or that malabsorption occurs in the gastrointestinal tract. It may be due to a chronic disease such as celiac disease or Crohn's disease, but it is also hereditary. Thyroid or kidney disease and excessive alcohol consumption are also considered causes.
People who are exposed to high levels of stress are also more susceptible to magnesium deficiency. Stress hormones constrict blood vessels, causing magnesium to be released into the blood to relax the vessels. The excess is then eliminated through the kidneys.
Additionally, regular medications may be responsible for removing nutrients from the body. These include, for example, dehydrating medications (diuretics) and laxatives, as well as antibiotics or antifungal tablets. Loss through the digestive system due to vomiting or severe diarrhea can result in low magnesium concentrations.
Lack of magnesium in the body: symptoms
The following unpleasant sensations can occur from time to time even in a healthy person for a number of reasons. Of course, if this happens rarely, then you should not immediately seek medical help. When symptoms recur more and more often and become chronic, it makes sense to visit a doctor who will prescribe the necessary examination.
The main signs of magnesium deficiency in the body may seem insignificant, but you should not ignore them. This:
- Feeling constantly tired. Absent-mindedness, difficulties in perceiving information.
- Spasms, tingling in the legs and arms. There is often a feeling as if the limbs are stiff.
- Dizziness and loss of balance for no particular reason.
- Baldness, weak nails and caries.
- Nervous tic of the lower eyelids.
- Frequent insomnia, nightmares.
- Feeling tired, even if you slept for 7-8 hours.
- Flashing dots before the eyes, blurring.
- Fussiness, trying to do everything at once.
- Stomach cramps ending in diarrhea.
- Depressive state.
- Sensitivity to changes in weather, which is expressed in aching joints, diseases of the gums and teeth.
How to check for magnesium deficiency
Agree that many of the listed symptoms can be attributed to a person’s character traits (fussy, disorganized, does not know how to get things done) or can be regarded as signs of various diseases. It turns out that the whole point is a lack of macronutrients. You should pay attention to the signs of magnesium deficiency in the body if you notice several symptoms at the same time.
A clinical blood test can reveal a macronutrient deficiency in only 10-12% of patients. In most cases, when there is not enough magnesium in the blood, it comes from the bones. But at the same time, the latter develop a macronutrient deficiency. There is a simple way to diagnose: try stretching or straining your muscles. If at the same time you feel pain in your ankles, it means that the symptoms of magnesium deficiency in the body did not appear by chance. You need to contact a specialist.
How to cover the deficit?
The causes of magnesium deficiency, symptoms and consequences are discussed above. The first thing to do in this case is to normalize the diet. The daily microelement requirement is:
- for an adult - 350-400 mg;
- for a child from 40 mg at birth , gradually increasing to 170 mg at 6 years and up to 300 mg by 18 years;
- during pregnancy - 450 mg.
The main suppliers of Mg to the body are:
- bran and grain bread;
- various cereals (oatmeal and buckwheat);
- nuts;
- legumes;
- cheese and eggs;
- lettuce, beets and spinach;
- cocoa and others.
What explains the poor health
The way the body works is that we begin to feel tired only after doing physical or mental work. Night sleep allows all organs and muscles to relax, metabolic processes improve. Early in the morning, around 6 o’clock, the adrenal glands begin active work producing hormones that “charge” the body and allow you to maintain wonderful well-being until evening. If there is not enough magnesium in the body, a malfunction occurs, and activity appears in the evening, and in the morning you feel exhausted.
As for problems with the nervous system (sleep disturbances, spasms, tics and twitching), they arise due to disruption of ion exchange. If there is not enough macronutrient, this process is disrupted.
Even the appearance of early wrinkles is increasingly associated by scientists with a lack of magnesium. The macroelement is directly involved in the synthesis of collagen - the main component of healthy skin, joints and tendons. Premature aging, which modern people are trying to fight with various methods, can be defeated if magnesium deficiency in the body is eliminated. Moreover, the macroelement is merciless to free radicals that appear as a result of metabolic processes in the body. The structure of connective tissue directly depends on the presence of magnesium.
Why is macronutrient deficiency dangerous for pregnant women?
Many processes taking place in the uterus are carried out with the direct participation of calcium, the exchange of which is impossible with a lack of magnesium. In the worst cases, the risk of miscarriage increases, which is especially dangerous in the second and third trimesters. Pregnant women also experience a lack of magnesium in the body. Symptoms can be expressed in the appearance of edema or in excessive nervous excitability and tearfulness. If muscle tone occurs as a result of a lack of magnesium, this can become a threat to the full bearing of the baby. Additionally, vomiting, dizziness, and caviar cramps appear.
A deficiency of a macronutrient occurs due to its inconsistent intake into the body of a pregnant woman. Doctors must prescribe additional medications to rule out magnesium deficiency. With hypertension and late toxicosis, the excretion of a macroelement can be provoked. This problem is also solved by prescribing medications.
Magnesium deficiency during pregnancy
Pregnant women lose more fluid and minerals through heavy sweating and frequent urination, so their magnesium needs increase. In addition, a growing child needs an important nutrient for its development. Consequently, magnesium deficiency usually occurs in the second half of pregnancy and lasts into lactation.
The DGE recommends a daily magnesium intake of 310 milligrams for pregnant women and 390 milligrams for breastfeeding. If diet is not enough to meet your magnesium needs, you should discuss with your doctor if specific magnesium supplements may help you. High dose or quinine sulfate medications, which can also be used to treat seizures, are not recommended at birth as they may cause early labor .
What causes magnesium deficiency?
Any person is familiar with the feeling of excitement when the body experiences strong nervous tension. We can worry about the slightest thing, not knowing that at this moment the body produces “stress hormones”, in the synthesis of which magnesium plays an important role. Nervous stress, for its part, requires a lot of energy. And here again magnesium “works”, maintaining optimal energy balance in the body. It is necessary to ensure a constant supply of macronutrients, otherwise a deficiency will occur. In this case, signs of magnesium deficiency in the body appear.
Children who go to school and participate in sports clubs often face a similar problem.
The load may be overwhelming. Children develop apathy, lose interest in studying, complain of headaches and fatigue, and decrease their ability to concentrate.
The problem of magnesium deficiency is also typical for athletes. During intense training, a certain amount of the macronutrient is released through sweat. Magnesium is also consumed during active muscle work. A lack of magnesium in the body also occurs during pregnancy and the lactation period, with the use of certain medications and contraceptives, and with mono-diets.
Today there is a lot of talk about the dangers of eating fast food. It is impossible not to mention it now. Quick satiety and the intake of large amounts of calories are the main problem of modern nutrition, when people increasingly prefer food purified from impurities, forgetting that the body is not receiving enough valuable elements. During heat treatment, 50 to 80% of magnesium is lost. Good nutrition is one of the ways to solve the problem.
Consequences of long-term magnesium deficiency
- Problems with the cardiovascular system appear, hypotension and hypertension occur, and frequent dizziness occurs.
- Since magnesium interacts closely with calcium, its deficiency leads to the fact that “free” calcium is simply deposited in small vessels.
- In childhood, a lack of macronutrients can cause retardation in growth and development.
- Neuropsychiatric diseases occur, and the risk of developing depression, nervousness, irritability, seizures and convulsions increases.
- Asthma may occur.
- There is no normal sexual desire. Cases of diagnosing infertility are not uncommon.
- Indurations may appear in the soft tissues, where cancerous tumors later appear.
- Sudden infant death syndrome.
- Diabetes of the second type.
- Frequent respiratory diseases.
However, you should not allow excess consumption of magnesium. The body seeks to get rid of excess amounts of macronutrients. Diarrhea appears, during which not only magnesium, but also many useful substances are removed. It is best to use it in combination with calcium - this way there will be no overdose, and your health will quickly improve.
Causes of magnesium deficiency at a glance:
- Unbalanced diet
- Diets
- Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia)
- Stress
- Heavy sweating (through sports, sauna, fever, high temperatures in summer)
- Gastrointestinal infection with diarrhea and vomiting
- Pregnancy
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Diabetes
- Medicines (eg, antibiotics, laxatives, birth control pills)
- Bowel diseases (eg, Crohn's disease)
- Kidney diseases
- Absorption disorder (malabsorption) of magnesium
- Hyperthyroidism
A nutritious diet is a source of macronutrients
Our well-being depends on what we eat. Magnesium is included in green vegetables, salads, and is present in dill, parsley, celery and cilantro.
Add foods rich in it to your diet and enjoy delicious and healthy food. The macroelement is present in nuts and cereals, vegetables and fruits in varying quantities. If there are signs of magnesium deficiency in the body, check out the list of healthy foods. Include them in your daily menu (the amount in mg/100 g is indicated in parentheses).
It is useful to eat nuts: sesame (530), almonds (270), cashews (268), hazelnuts (183), peanuts (176), walnuts (125). Add wheat bran (480), buckwheat (224), millet (159), wheat (155) to your diet. Dried fruits are rich not only in potassium, they also contain useful magnesium: dried coconuts (90), dried apricots (65), dates (55), prunes (35), raisins (35). The macronutrient is present in potatoes (33), beets (20), carrots (22), cauliflower and broccoli (24 each). It is found in beef and chicken, fruits and herbs.
