Magnesium deficiency - symptoms, effects, procedure

Magnesium deficiency in the body

Magnesium is a mineral essential for the proper functioning of the human body, which performs many important functions in the body. It is a substance responsible, among others, for the activation of over 300 different enzymatic reactions, which can regulate blood pressure, participate in muscle contraction, and also participate in the conduction of nerve impulses, positively affecting memory and concentration.

Although magnesium is the common element in food, current scientific data indicate that a high percentage of people do not provide the body with adequate amounts of a valuable micronutrient, struggling with hypomagnesemia. Magnesium deficiency in the human body can be observed when the concentration of the element in the blood serum is less than 0.7 mmol/l, and low magnesium levels in the body may contribute to the occurrence of undesirable symptoms.

Proper magnesium concentration

Nutrition standards developed for the Polish population by the Institute of Food and Nutrition indicate that the demand for magnesium increases with age. The observations carried out so far suggest that the appropriate supply of the element among adult women should be 310 mg/day to 30 years of age and 320 mg/day among women after 30 years of age. In turn, among men, the need for the mineral component is 400 mg/day before 30 and 420 mg/day after the age of 30.

It is worth noting that the values given above determine the average daily demand for magnesium. Thus, the appropriate supply of the micronutrient can be an individual matter, depending not only on gender and age, but also on the type of commonly used diet, physiological state or intensity of daily physical activity.

Causes of magnesium deficiency

Insufficient magnesium content in the human body can have many different causes. Most often, magnesium deficiency in society is the result of a poorly balanced diet, poor in products considered to be sources of the valuable mineral. The low level of the element in the body can also be the result of a high supply of phytates, phosphates, calcium and dietary fibre in the daily menu - compounds that can limit the absorption of magnesium in the human body.

As if that were not enough, the causes of magnesium deficiency can also include:

chronic stress and excessive nervous tension,
hormonal disorders,
excessive alcohol consumption,
malabsorption, associated for example with intestinal inflammation, chronic diarrhea, celiac disease or old age,
chronic pancreatitis or congenital renal tubular dysfunction,
use of certain medicines, such as diuretics or hormonal contraception,
excessive supplementation with certain ingredients, such as zinc, iron, vitamin D, copper,
hypokalaemia,
hypercalcaemia,
loss of the element through the skin, for example as a result of extensive burns.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency

Magnesium deficiencies can cause non-specific symptoms that can contribute to misdiagnosis, being associated with other deficits and afflictions.

The analysis carried out so far indicates that mild hypomagnesemia may be asymptomatic, while an increase in mineral deficiency in the human body may contribute to the occurrence of symptoms such as:

general fatigue of the body,
lack of energy and weakness,
irritability and nervousness,
muscle tremors and muscle spasms,
palpitations and heart rate disorders,
apathy,
lack of appetite,
sensory disturbance.

Moreover, a lack of magnesium in the human body can cause migraine headaches and sleep disorders, also contributing to imbalances, joint pain and weakened immunity. The effects of magnesium deficiency can be as follows:

increased brittle nails and hair loss,
emotional disturbance,
hypertension,
decreased bone mineral density and increased risk of osteoporosis,
reduced fertility among men as a result of reduced sperm motility,
anxiety and depression,
impaired insulin secretion and increased likelihood of developing insulin resistance,
increased risk of calcification of blood vessels and the development of atherosclerosis,
increase in the frequency of infection,
insomnia.

A man struggles with fatigue and apathy, which is a symptom of magnesium deficiency.

How to check magnesium deficiency in the body?

Due to the fact that the symptoms of magnesium deficiency may be nonspecific, it is worth doing appropriate tests to be sure that the undesirable symptoms occurring in the body are the result of too low the element in the body.

Accurate assessment of magnesium concentration in the body can be difficult, because the mineral component is located primarily in the bones and cells of the body. It is common to assess the level of magnesium by taking a sample of material from blood serum, but it should be aware that this is a test that does not reflect 100% of the total content of the element in the body.

To assess the level of magnesium in the body, can also measure the concentration of the element in red blood cells or measure the concentration of the micronutrient in saliva and urine, which allows getting a more complete picture of the situation. Very often, for a wider diagnosis, the test of magnesium levels is also combined with the assessment of the content of other electrolytes in the body. In some cases, it is also possible to carry out a magnesium loading test, in which the compound should be delivered into the body intravenously, then checking the content of the component in the excreted urine. However, because it is an invasive method, it is not routinely used to diagnose magnesium deficiencies.

Magnesium supplementation – how to avoid deficiency?

Among people who are struggling with a deficiency of the valuable macroelement, dietary supplements containing magnesium, which are a concentrated source of the desired compound, can be a helpful solution, enabling a trouble-free and effective delivery of a significant amount of valuable substance to the body.

When considering the use of magnesium supplementation, it is worth paying attention to OstroVit Magnesium, which is distinguished by high quality and attractive price variants, as well as simple composition and trouble-free supply to the human body. A good solution may be to include magnesium preparations in daily diet, such as:

OstroVit Magnesium Citrate 400 mg + B6 90 tablets - dietary supplement containing one of the best absorbable and bioavailable forms of magnesium, which is magnesium citrate, also enriched with vitamin B6, which can increase the absorption of a valuable element;
OstroVit Magnesium MAX + Vitamin 60 tablets - source of magnesium, which also provides the body with a number of valuable vitamins that can comprehensively support the proper functioning of the human body;
OstroVit Triple Magnesium 100 g natural - dietary supplement in the form of powder, which contains three forms of magnesium, which can positively affect the absorption of the compound in the body;
OstroVit Magnesium + Potassium 20 effervescent tablets grapefruit - preparation in the form of water-soluble effervescent tablets with a refreshing grapefruit flavour, which supplements the diet with magnesium and potassium.

Bibliography:

Natalia Goździak

Master of dietetics, specialist in dietoprophylaxis and dietotherapy

Copywriter - dietitian. She completed her bachelor's degree in sports dietetics at the Academy of Physical Education in Poznań, while her master's degree in dietoprophylaxis and dietotherapy - at the UP in Poznań. She treats the principles of healthy eating primarily as valuable tips, not rigorous regulations, that must be strictly followed. Privately, she is passionate about photography, which cannot imagine life without books.

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