Magnesium deficiency affects many people around the world, and the fact that most of them aren’t even aware of it is very concerning. A lack of magnesium can cause a variety of symptoms and health problems that are overlooked or confused with other common disorders.
In fact, even healthcare providers can miss the fact that certain diseases and health problems they see in their patients could be due to having insufficient levels of magnesium.
What is magnesium?Magnesium is one of the essential minerals for life, and after potassium it is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. In addition to being a mineral, magnesium is also an electrolyte that helps prevent and fight certain health problems, such as muscle cramps.
Electrolytes are what allow you to have good muscle function so that your heart can beat and your brain can receive different signals and stimuli. Magnesium is an essential mineral when it comes to keeping you alive and in good health.
That’s why when your magnesium levels start to decrease you might experience a range of symptoms that will lower your quality of life and cause different disorders.
Magnesium is in fact involved in more than three hundred different reactions in your body, being vital for the transmission of nerve impulses, the regulation of body temperature, detox of your liver, and the formation of bones and teeth.
Magnesium also plays an important role in your cardiovascular system because it keeps clots from forming, relaxes the blood vessels, things your blood, and in general reduces your risk of heart problems.
There are “sports drinks” that are currently on the market and claim to contain lots of electrolytes, including magnesium, potassium, and sodium, three things you lose when you exercise or sweat.
Their deficiency can later cause muscle cramps and other problems. But these drinks are also usually loaded with sugar and don’t give your body the kind of nutrition that their packaging sometimes promises.
Signs of a magnesium deficiency
Most people have some signs of a magnesium deficiency, and everyone is lacking at least somewhat in this mineral. The signs include:
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Behavioral disorders
- Memory impairment
- Sleep disorders
- Muscle cramps
- Chronic back pain
- Muscle pain
- Aggressive behavior
- Loss of consciousness
- Anxiety disorders, like OCD
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Heart disease
- Atrial fibrillation
- Heart palpitations
- Sudden death in patients with congestive heart failure
- Kidney stones
Why are you deficient in magnesium?There are plenty of reasons why your body might not be getting the necessary amounts of magnesium. The first is related to a poor diet, something many of us have today thanks to what’s available on the market. Another reason is the stress that you’re subjected to in your day to day life, environmental pollutant, noise exposure, or technology.
Hormones that are produced by stress require high levels of magnesium, significantly reducing your stores of this mineral. Magnesium can also be reduced when you consume a lot of sugar because your body requires 54 molecules of magnesium to process just one molecule of sugar.
Modern agricultural production techniques and taking medications like oral contraceptives, antibiotics, cortisone, and prednisone can further reduce your magnesium levels.
Where can you get magnesium?
There are several natural ways to increase the level of magnesium in your body. Pay attention to the following tips:
- Eat more foods that are rich in magnesium.
- Take magnesium ion drops.
- Use magnesium oil on your skin (this is one of the best ways).
- Take baths using Epsom salts. This soothing and healthy bath will provide high levels of magnesium and sulfur, ideal for your liver.