Magnesium Deficiency – What You Need to Know

November 18th, 2024 by Loretta Lanphier, NP, BCTN, CN, CH, HHP

Magnesium Deficiency – What You Need to Know

Magnesium is one of the most abundant and essential minerals in the human body, with over 50% stored in the bones. This vital mineral serves as a cofactor in more than 600 biochemical reactions that keep your body functioning optimally. From breaking down food into energy to supporting nerve impulses, synthesizing fatty acids and proteins, enabling muscle movement, maintaining a healthy immune system, and regulating your heartbeat, magnesium plays a role in nearly every critical bodily process. It’s no wonder maintaining adequate magnesium levels is so essential for overall health.

Interestingly, researchers have uncovered 3,751 magnesium-binding sites on human proteins, suggesting that magnesium’s impact on health and disease is likely far greater than we’ve previously understood. When magnesium levels are low, they can disrupt these essential processes, leading to various symptoms. Let’s explore some of the signs that may indicate a magnesium deficiency and how you can support your body with this powerful mineral.

Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

The current RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for magnesium is 310-320 milligrams (mg) for adult women and 400-420 mg for adult men. However, the average American intake of magnesium is about 100 mg below these recommended levels, making most Americans deficient in adequate magnesium levels.

Did You Know? In order for your body to use calcium effectively, you must have adequate magnesium as a cofactor. Unfortunately there are millions of people downing calcium supplements without added magnesium and thus experiencing, at best, minimal results. A good formula to remember is that the body must have absorbable calcium to make muscles contract and it must have absorbable magnesium to make muscles relax. Calcium and magnesium act together as a pigeon-pair.

Dr. Carolyn Dean, a medical and naturopathic doctor, says that consuming even the RDA amount is only “just enough to ward off outright deficiency.” If you have a magnesium deficiency, you are likely at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes than normal. It’s also important to remember that for your body to use calcium effectively, you must have adequate magnesium as a cofactor. Unfortunately, there are literally millions of people downing calcium supplements without added magnesium and thus experiencing, at best, minimal improvement. A good formula to remember is that the body must have absorbable calcium to make muscles contract and it must have absorbable magnesium to make muscles relax. Calcium and magnesium act together as a pigeon pair.

RELATED: Orotates and Mineral Transporters – Fact or Fiction

While we are talking about adequate magnesium levels, it’s important to know that the blood test for magnesium commonly offered in doctors’ offices measures serum magnesium levels. This particular test does not efficiently measure the magnesium level within the cell where 99% of the magnesium in the body is found. Many labs currently offer an “erythrocyte magnesium level” or “red blood cell magnesium level” test. These tests provide much more information about your magnesium levels and are available from labs across the country. Be sure to ask specifically for these tests if you want to know your intra-cellular magnesium levels.

Low blood magnesium levels are most likely to affect senior adults and those who take diuretic medications, which can increase magnesium excretion.

Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

  • Irritability
  • Anxiety
  • LethargyCalcium and Magnesium
  • Fatigue
  • Memory issues
  • Anorexia
  • Loss of Appetite
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Seizures
  • Muscle weakness
  • Muscle cramps
  • Tremors
  • Vertigo
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Irregular or rapid heartbeat
  • Depression
  • Dementia
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • ADHD
  • Asthma
  • Colon Cancer
  • Epilepsy
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Sleep disorders
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Migraine headaches
  • Osteoporosis
  • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
  • Chest pain (angina)
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Metabolic Syndrome
  • Hypertension
  • Type II diabetes

Magnesium Facts Most People Don’t Know

  • Magnesium is involved in 700-800 different enzyme systems within our bodies.
  • Magnesium has a “push-pull relationship” with calcium.  Calcium causes muscles to contract, while magnesium relaxes muscles. Calcium should never be taken without magnesium.
  • 80% of the population is not getting the recommended daily allowance of magnesium.
  •  Low levels of magnesium can lead to recurrent bacterial and fungal infections.
  • There are two reasons for this common micro-nutrient deficiency: (1) The soil doesn’t have magnesium. (2) There is more stress/higher demands of magnesium going on in the body.
  • Medications, diet choices, and water sources can “bump” away, deplete magnesium storages, and bind to magnesium.
  • It takes 28 molecules of magnesium to metabolize one molecule of sucrose (table sugar) and 56 molecules of magnesium to metabolize one molecule of fructose.
  • Nutritionally speaking, high fructose corn syrup requires more magnesium and more energy to metabolize. It leads to high triglycerides and fatty liver. As it turns out, we were only meant to eat fructose in the form of fruit with all its fiber intact.
  • One of the medical signs of diabetes is low blood levels of magnesium.
  • Adequate magnesium can significantly reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in those with pre-hypertension. People with normal blood pressure do not experience a decrease in levels when taking magnesium. At least one in five Americans most likely has high blood pressure. 
  • Common electrolyte products do not replenish magnesium.
  • Neither farmers nor organic farmers replenish the soil with minerals. Farmers would need to use rock dust on the soil to do this.
  • The soil is much lower in magnesium today than in ancient times due to (1) overuse of the topsoil and (2) the recycled water we use today not having undergone micro-nutrient accumulation.
  • When fluoride (a molecule found throughout our environment) and magnesium bind, a compound of magnesium fluoride called sellaite is created. Sellaite can replace the magnesium found in bone and cartilage, making bones more prone to fracturing overall.
  • 20% of prescription drugs have added fluoride molecules to assist in drug delivery to the cell.
  • The highest amount of magnesium is found in the heart.
  • Doctors and specialists often see and treat the various symptoms individually and may be unable to put it all together as a magnesium deficiency.
  •  Magnesium deficiencies have contributed to the ending of the careers of professional athletes due to severe muscle cramps.
  • The Magnesium Miracle 2014 by Dr. Carolyn Dean. “Magnesium enhances insulin secretion, facilitating sugar metabolism. Without magnesium, insulin is not able to transfer glucose into cells. Glucose and insulin build up in the blood, causing various types of tissue damage.”Experimental and clinical data suggest an association between magnesium deficiency and depression. As early as 1996, a study by Dr. Richard Cox and Dr. Norman Shealy, a neuroscientist, noted a correlation between low magnesium and rates of depression, finding that 100% of 475 chronically depressed exhibited deficient magnesium in magnesium tolerance testing.
  • A more recent and much larger study published in 2009 in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry confirms these findings. Examining data from 5700 adults in the Hordaland Health Study in Norway, researchers noted a statistically significant relationship between magnesium intake and depression. Participants who reported dietary habits low in magnesium were more likely to test positive for symptoms of depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results remained significant when adjusted for age, gender, blood pressure, and socioeconomic status.

Studies Indicate Adequate Magnesium Levels Could Reduce Risk of Diabetes

Higher magnesium intake reduces the risk of impaired glucose and insulin metabolism and slows the progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes in middle-aged Americans. The researchers commented, “Magnesium intake may be particularly beneficial in offsetting your risk of developing diabetes if you are high risk.”

In addition, a meta-analysis of seven studies showed that for every 100 milligrams (mg) of magnesium consumed in a day, the risk of diabetes decreased by 15 percent. Those researchers concluded that Magnesium intake was inversely associated with incidence of type 2 diabetes.”

A 2011 meta-analysis of 13 studies similarly found “further evidence supporting that magnesium intake is significantly inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes in a dose-response manner.”

In a review of three studies of over 85,000 women and 42,000 men, individuals who consumed adequate magnesium levels lowered their risk of developing diabetes by more than 30 percent during the next 12 to 18 years compared to those who consumed the least amount. The studies suggest that adequate magnesium levels influence the action of insulin in the body. A lack of magnesium may worsen insulin resistance, triggering the onset of diabetes.

One 2013 study involving pre-diabetics found that most had inadequate magnesium intake. Those with the highest magnesium intake reduced their risk for blood sugar and metabolic problems by 71 percent!

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that daily magnesium supplements activate glucose transport, improve the behavior of hormone regulators, and improve overall oxidative glucose metabolism.

In a large Japanese study (the Hisayama Study) published in Diabetic Medicine in 2013, researchers found magnesium intake was a significant protective factor against type 2 diabetes in the general Japanese population, especially among those “with insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation, and a drinking habit.

In the Framingham Offspring Cohort (2006), higher magnesium intake improved insulin sensitivity and reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes.

In January 2004, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health reported a significant correlation between magnesium intake and the risk of Type II diabetes. Their report was the result of two large-scale, long-term studies following over 170,000 health professionals and evaluating diet and its impact on disease: the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study.

Magnesium and Inflammation

A new meta-analysis released in May 2017 pooled data from 11 studies, with results indicating that dietary supplementation with magnesium may reduce levels of inflammatory markers. Researchers from Iran, Australia, and Mexico focused on CRP (C-reactive protein), an inflammatory marker. The results of this meta-analysis indicated that magnesium supplementation reduces CRP levels among individuals with inflammation. This finding suggests that magnesium supplements may have a beneficial role as an adjuvant for the management of low-grade chronic systemic inflammation.

Magnesium supplementation was not found to significantly affect plasma CRP concentrations. However, a significant reduction in CRP values was observed when the analysis focused on those with already elevated CRP levels. The difference between subgroups was statistically significant.

Foods Highest in Magnesium

Some of the best food sources of magnesium that can provide adequate magnesium levels are green leafy vegetables, bananas, avocados, figs, nuts and seeds, dark chocolate, organic yogurt, goat cheese, salmon, and dried beans.

Magnesium Top Ten Foods

Final Thoughts 

As you can see, knowing if you have a magnesium deficiency and taking measures to correct it is important for your overall health and wellness. Even if you don’t experience any of the usual symptoms of magnesium deficiency included in this article, just about everyone can benefit from added magnesium to their diet.

I use magnesium every day because it helps keep my mind at ease and my energy levels balanced. Even though magnesium is a mineral, it also works like an adaptogen by enhancing your body’s capability to adapt to the stressors of everyday living. For that reason alone, I believe it’s important to ensure that you do not have a magnesium deficiency.

References

Magnesium’s Importance Far Greater than Previously Imagined. Greenmedinfo.com December 5, 2012.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17645588 J Intern Med. 2007 Aug;262(2):208-14.

Wang JL, Shaw NS, Yeh HY, Kao MD. Magnesium status and association with diabetes in the Taiwanese elderly. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2005;14(3):263-9.

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2013/09/23/dc13-1397.short ADA Diabetes Care October 2, 2013.

Longstreet DA, Heath DL, Vink R. A potential link between magnesium intake and diabetes in Indigenous Australians. Med J Aust. 2005 Aug 15;183(4):219-220.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21868780 Diabetes Care. 2011 Sep;34(9):2116-22.

Simsek E, Karabay M, Kocabay K. Assessment of magnesium status in newly diagnosed diabetic children: measurement of erythrocyte magnesium level and magnesium tolerance testing. Turk J Pediatr. 2005 Apr-Jun;47(2):132-7.

http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/5/10/3910 Nutrients September 27, 2013.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dme.12250/abstract Diabetic Medicine December 2013.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17229895 J Am Coll Nutr December 2006.

Current Pharmaceutical Design. Effect of magnesium supplementation on plasma C-reactive protein concentrations: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. 2017 May 25. doi: 10.2174/1381612823666170525153605.

Lopez-Ridaura R, Willett WC, Rimm EB, Liu S, Stampfer MJ, Manson JE, Hu FB. Magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in men and women. Diabetes Care. 2004;27:134-40.

Cox RH, Shealy CN, Cady RK, et al. Significant magnesium deficiency in depression, J Neurol Orthop Med Surg 1996; 17:7-9.

Jacka F, Overland S, Stewart R, Tell G, Bjelland I, Mykletun A. Association between magnesium intake and depression and anxiety in community-dwelling adults: the Hordaland Health Study. The Australian And New Zealand Journal Of Psychiatry. January 2009;43(1):45-52.

Paolisso G, Sgambato S, Gambardella A, Pizza G, Tesauro P, Varricchio M, D’Onofrio F: Daily magnesium supplements improve glucose handling in elderly subjects. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1992;55:1161–1167.

Loretta Lanphier is a Naturopath Practitioner, Board Certified Traditional Naturopath, Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Holistic Health Practitioner and Certified Clinical Herbalist as well as the CEO / Founder of Oasis Advanced Wellness in The Woodlands TX. She has studied and performed extensive research in health science, natural hormone balancing, anti-aging techniques, nutrition, natural medicine, weight loss, herbal remedies, and non-toxic cancer support and is actively involved in researching new natural health protocols and products.  A 20-year stage 3 colon cancer survivor, Loretta is able to relate to both-sides-of-the-health-coin as patient and practitioner when it comes to health and wellness. “My passion is counseling others about what it takes to keep the whole body healthy using natural and non-toxic methods.” Read Loretta’s health testimony, Cancer: The Path to Healing. Loretta is a Contributor and Editor of the worldwide E-newsletter Advanced Health & Wellness. Check out Oasis Advanced Wellness and our natural skin care products, Oasis Serene Botanicals.
†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Oasis Advanced Wellness/OAWHealth does not dispense medical advice, prescribe, or diagnose illness. The views and nutritional advice expressed by Oasis Advanced Wellness/OAWHealth are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician of choice.

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