Magnesium is an essential mineral that has tonnes of functions in the body, such that experts have dubbed it a 'hidden hero'. It helps your body to regulate energy levels and blood sugar, maintain a healthy blood pressure, and keep your nerves and muscles in good condition.
However, as with so many vitamins and minerals, it’s easy to slip into a deficiency.
“Magnesium is one of those under-the-radar minerals that quietly powers hundreds of essential processes in the body,” Samantha Peterson, CEO of Simply Wellness, told Prevention.
Deficiencies are relatively rare, but studies show that around 48% of Americans are ingesting less than the ideal.
It’s generally sourced from vegetables, and it isn’t just kids that struggle to eat their greens. Plenty of adults do, too.
Some adults who do eat plenty of vegetables may still be susceptible to a deficiency, however, particularly those with chronic illnesses like type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, and substance abuse issues who may struggle to absorb magnesium from their diets.
If you’re curious about whether you’re getting enough yourself, here are 11 signs of magnesium deficiency.
1. Fatigue
If this were the only symptom of a magnesium deficiency, we’d probably all be rushing to buy some supplements. Fatigue can of course be caused by everything and its nan, but if nothing else is pepping you up then you might be short on magnesium.
Magnesium is used to produce ATP, which is essentially the energy molecule in our cells. When we’re short on it we can’t produce or use cellular energy properly, and this can make us feel lethargic and weak.
2. Muscle cramps and spasms
Your eye twitching might have something to do with your nightmare colleague or that neighbour that doesn’t bring their bins back in, but it could also be down to a magnesium shortage. Magnesium regulates our calcium and potassium levels, both of which are essential to the nervous system’s proper function. If our magnesium levels are low, and it can make our nerves a bit more erratic, leading to twitches and cramps.
3. Anxiousness and irritability
We’ve all got a million and one reasons to feel jittery and on edge, but if you’re feeling more anxious or grumpy than usual it might have more to do with magnesium than social media and the economy.
Magnesium’s effect on the nervous system extends to your neurotransmitters, and it’s essential to good regulation of serotonin, dopamine, and adrenaline. When these are out of whack, you start feeling whack. You might feel unusually down, amped up, on edge, or frustrated, and it could all be down to not getting enough magnesium.
4. An irregular heartbeat
If your heart feels like it’s running faster than usual or has an unusual rhythm, it’s important to check in with a doctor. Your heart can be acting up for all kinds of reasons, but a magnesium deficiency could explain it. The mineral is essential to keeping the heart’s electrical activity in good order, with a shortage meaning things can fall out of sync.
5. Regular headaches
The neighbour’s toddler won’t stop screaming, you’re due to get an eye test, and your boss has just told you they won’t be filling those vacancies after all, but that pain in your head might still be down to a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium regulates blood vessel function in the brain, and so a deficiency can lead to persistent headaches or even migraines.
6. Insomnia
If you’re struggling to get to sleep or stay asleep through the night, it might be down to magnesium – or a lack of it. A restless body or mind might be down to a shortage of the mineral.
7. High blood pressure
Magnesium has an impact upon blood vessel function, and a deficiency can lead to blood vessels being less pliable than they ought to be. Research suggests that increased intake can help to regulate blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
8. Poor emotional regulation
If your mood is leaping from left to right like eyeballs at a tennis match, it might be a sign of low magnesium. As also covered, it’s essential for regulating neurotransmitters, so a shortage could explain why your emotions are all over the place.
9. Digestive problems
Constipation, unusual poos, and cramps might all be down to a magnesium deficiency. If you’re getting these symptoms along with any of the others on this list, it might be worth increasing your magnesium intake.
10. You’re craving sugar
Most of us are craving sugar practically all the time, but if your sweet tooth is getting the better of you more often than usual then it might be a sign you’re short on magnesium. As it helps to regulate blood sugar, you may enter hypoglycaemia and start craving a sugar boost.
11. Weak bones
Magnesium, along with calcium and vitamin D, is essential to healthy bones. Low magnesium can reduce bone density and potentially lead to osteoporosis. If you’ve had a recent bone break, it might be rooted in a magnesium deficiency.
Featured Image Credit: Kinga Krzeminska/Getty Images
Rachael Davis