The Mental and Physical Symptoms
The mental signs appear first, followed by the physical symptoms. By the time they show up, it might already be too late.
Some vitamin and mineral deficiencies are all your fault: you eat like crap. Other deficiencies can sneak up on you, even if you eat healthfully.
For example, you eat your leafy greens, but modern farming methods strip them of their nutrients. Or you eat pumpkin seeds and black beans, but job stress and sweaty workouts cause your body to leach their mineral content. Often, the issue is simply reaching middle age, when your body naturally starts absorbing fewer minerals and losing more.
In those examples, we're talking about magnesium deficiency (hypomagnesemia). Is it a big deal? Well, magnesium is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, so a deficiency has widespread physical and mental effects. Having a deficiency is like driving your car with low oil: it'll move for a while but eventually break down. Reports estimate that 50-80% of Americans are overheating and about to seize up.
You can get a variety of blood and urine tests to evaluate magnesium levels, but some aren't very accurate, and others are pretty invasive. So, here are the signs to watch out for.
Magnesium Deficiency: Signs and Symptoms
Much like vitamin D deficiency and omega-3 deficiency, the overt signs of low magnesium might first present mentally.
The Mental Signs
- Anxiety and Depression: Magnesium is essential for neurotransmitter regulation, and low levels are linked to an increased risk of mood disorders. Signs include mood swings, feeling overwhelmed, irritability, or difficulty controlling emotions.
- Brain Fog: Loss of focus or mental clarity.
- Insomnia or Sleep Disturbances: Magnesium plays a big role in your ability to relax muscles and the nervous system. A lack of it causes difficulty falling or staying asleep.
- Restlessness and Hyperactivity: Signs include poor concentration, sometimes resembling ADHD-like symptoms.
The Physical Signs
- Low Testosterone: Magnesium increases the bioavailability of testosterone. The signs of low magnesium often overlap with signs of low T: poor libido, easy fat gain, difficulty putting on muscle, etc.
- Muscle Cramps and Spasms: Magnesium is crucial for muscle function, and low levels cause involuntary muscle contractions or twitching. Think cramps and spasms, especially in the legs.
- Fatigue and Weakness: A general feeling of low energy.
- Tingling or Numbness: Since magnesium plays a role in nerve function, a shortage might cause tingling in the feet and hands.
- Abnormal Heart Rhythms: A deficiency can cause heart palpitations and arrhythmias since the mineral is important for maintaining steady rhythms.
- High Blood Pressure: Magnesium helps regulate blood pressure.
- Tummy Problems: Loss of appetite, nausea, constipation.
How to Fix a Magnesium Deficiency
Most people need at least 400 mg of magnesium every day. Supplementally, only use the chelated form to ensure absorption and avoid the digestive issues often caused by non-chelated magnesium. Albion Real Chelated Minerals are the gold standard. Elitepro Vital Minerals (Buy at Amazon) contains 400 mg of Albion magnesium.
