Magnesium is a crucial mineral for our body to support the health of bones, nerves, muscles, and helps with the prevention of heart attacks. Lack of magnesium can be caused by a number of different reasons, like insufficient diets, stress, or environmental factors. We have collected the major signs and symptoms that signal that you need more magnesium.

32. Anxiety and irritability

Your body needs the calming and relaxing effect of magnesium every single day, as it helps you handle better anxiety, fear, irritability, and nervousness, by regulating your nervous system. A significant symptom of low magnesium level in your body can be continuous anxiety that – if not handled correctly – can lead to panic attacks.

31.Behavioral disturbances

Most Americans have a low Magnesium intake that may increase emotional, neurological, and mental health problems. Try to build in more beans, nuts, green leafy vegetables, fish, and whole grains in your diet, and you’ve already done a lot. Also, try to avoid too much alcohol as it weakens the absorption of magnesium, as well, as certain medications.

30. Apathy and lethargy

If you sleep well at nights, but still, you constantly feel lethargic, and you suffer from tiredness, you might have a magnesium deficiency. And how long a working day can be if you feel like you’ll get to sleep every second. Don’t let tiredness and apathy overcome you. Start with a blood test, and take the needed minerals and vitamins. Low energy levels can be also linked to overworked adrenal glands, but magnesium supports adrenal health, too.

29. Impaired cognitive function and memory

According to researches, lack of magnesium has a direct effect on stroke, cognitive impairment, and post-stroke complications. The level of magnesium in our body is associated with the well-functioning of cerebral arteries. Normal magnesium levels produce relaxation of the arteries, and a lack of magnesium may cause spasms in them.

28. Addictions

It is reported that magnesium’s calming effect has a benefit even to our addictions and cravings. Magnesium has a compound called glutamine, an amino acid that promotes this function. Researchers found it a while ago, and since then they use this benefit for recovering alcoholics from their addiction. They take magnesium during the tough times, and glutamine does its job. But the same methodology works even for binge eaters or bulimics.

27. Vomiting and nausea

Did you know that magnesium deficiency can cause vomiting and nausea? If you constantly feel this unpleasant feeling, it can negatively impact your everyday routine and your whole life. If you just couldn’t find any reason for these symptoms up to now, it would be worth to have your magnesium levels checked. Sometimes such little things can change a lot.

26.Epilepsy

Another surprising fact that the lack of magnesium can cause as serious health issues as getting epilepsy. Researchers found that in a significant number of people who suffer from epilepsy has a magnesium deficiency. The reason is quite clear; the healthy connections between neurons are supported by magnesium. If magnesium levels in our body fall significantly, our body becomes exposed to epileptic seizures, and these seizures themselves will push the magnesium level further down, “consuming” a lot of magnesium while attending. It is crucial for people suffering from epilepsy to take regularly magnesium supplements.

25.Weakness

Besides mental weakness, physical weakness is also a sign your body is running out of magnesium. Do you know the feeling when you keep planning to do some exercises for weeks, and you just can’t get yourself to put on your training shoes? This feeling of fatigue might come from a low potassium level in your muscles, intensified by low magnesium levels. Magnesium plays an important role also in the transport of energy, so make sure your body gets enough of the mineral to forget the feeling of physical weakness.

24. Muscle spasms

Magnesium is in direct connection with our muscle functions. Lack of this mineral impairs normal functioning that might end up causing muscle spasms and other muscular infirmities. In the worst case, this may even cause convulsions or seizures. Scientists say that these symptoms are due to a higher flow of calcium into nerve cells, which overexcites our muscle nerves. Supplements may help, but their absorption is far weaker than getting the mineral from natural sources, e.g., from nuts, beans, or porridge.

23. Muscle cramps

Recent studies showed that 78% of the leg cramps are caused by a low magnesium level. Generally, most muscle cramping and twitches are connected to magnesium deficiencies. To minimize muscle tension, muscle pain, or swelling, make sure your body gets enough of this mineral, try to build in more natural sources into your diet. Only 60 g wheat bran contains 100% of the recommended daily allowance of magnesium.

22. Hyperactive reflexes

On more syndrome that is in connection with muscle- and nerve functions: Hyperactive reflexes, impaired cardiac function, and tetany are all directly linked to low serum magnesium levels, or hypomagnesemia, as they call it. Recovery of hyperreflexia can occur between several hours to several months, depending on a number of factors, e.g., the grade of the condition, the age, the gender, etc.

21. Impaired muscle coordination

Ataxia is a neurological sign, the condition where there is little to no control on coordinating the muscles and their movements. It can impact not only on the movement of your legs and arms but also affects the ability to speak and move the eyes. Even though ataxia is a syndrome of the dysfunction of the nervous system, magnesium plays a vital role to maintain one’s health condition, without worsening the health condition of the nerves.

20. Tremors

Our body is so clever. It shows obvious signs if it runs out of magnesium in many different ways. Another symptom can be hand tremors. Listen to your body and the signs, and make sure your magnesium level is optimized. Don’t forget that stress, intense physical activity, or certain foods and drinks, for example, coffee, can enhance excretion of minerals, i.e., magnesium.

19. Involuntary eye movements and vertigo

There are not only physical symptoms of a lack of magnesium in your body. In severe cases, you might experience vertigo, or, if the deficiency turns chronic, it can also cause hallucinations, delirium, abnormal eye movements. If you experience any of these with no real explanation, contact your doctor for a blood test immediately.

18. Difficulty swallowing

Another symptom one never would think of as the result of magnesium deficiency is difficulty in swallowing. It is actually linked to the dysfunction of the muscles and can generate a feeling like you would have a lump in your throat. However, heavy swallowing can be the result of many other maladies related to the lymph nodes or the tonsils.

17. Hyperglycemia

Did you know that low magnesium levels in your body might be responsible for increased insulin and blood glucose levels? The scientific explanation behind it is that it affects the intracellular and extracellular functions and a variety of nutrients and chemicals can enter the cells that should not.

16. Calcium deficiency

In our body, everything is connected to everything. Once one element is missing, the whole system starts to waver. If the magnesium we take will only be enough to supply our vital organs, such as your, heart, kidneys, and muscles, there will be no stock for other tasks, e.g., to support the calcium level regulation or the production of energy in your body.

15. Potassium deficiency

As mentioned above, a low level of magnesium may affect the usability and absorption of other nutrients. Potassium is responsible for the healthy functioning of the muscle- and nerve system, including the muscles in our heart. Potassium can’t be produced by our body, so first, we have to make sure we eat food that contains this mineral, like white beans and sweet potato.

14. Coronary spasms

As a result of severe deficiency of magnesium, a tense pain can develop in your chest. We have to take it seriously as it might be a symptom of coronary spasm which is a disorder or disease in the artery. It is If you experience anything like a cramp in your chest, please contact your doctor immediately, as further investigations and tests will be needed.

13. Growth retardation

If besides the lack of magnesium there is also severe zinc deficiency developed in the body of a child, these two together can cause growth retardation in children. Magnesium is needed for the normal functioning of the umbilical and placental vasculature, while Zinc is vital for the normal development and growth of the brain and the reproductive organs. It also supports the immune system, amongst other benefits.

12. Severe Depression

Magnesium can be responsible for our mood, as well. If prolonged deficiency of magnesium develops in our body, that can lead to a deep depression. Depression can be described as a mood disorder with feelings of pessimism, inadequacy, suicidal tendencies, and despondency. Before anyone starts taking medications for these symptoms, be sure to check your magnesium level, and try to upload your body with all the vital vitamins and minerals.

11. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue became so widespread in our the developed world that it got a separate name in the medical bibliography. Mainly two minerals can be responsible for its development: magnesium and potassium. One of the syndrome’s characteristics is to have a low red blood cell count, and magnesium plays a crucial role in the maintenance of a healthy blood cell balance.

10. ADHD

According to studies investigating ADHD syndrome in children, an incredibly high rate, 95% of them had a magnesium deficiency. After they received magnesium therapy, their health conditions got stabilized, magnesium helped them alleviate their hyperactivity.

9.Hormones

Through the calming effect on the nervous system, magnesium levels are able to regulate the production of cortisol hormone, which is also known as the stress hormone. Cortisol then has an impact on a number of other hormones, like estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, LH (Luteinizing Hormone), or FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone).

8.Parkinson’s disease

Balanced magnesium intake is crucial in elderly ages, as well. Researches found that a constant moderate level of magnesium levels helps in the prevention and alleviation of symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. It is known by causing movement, speech, coordination, and tremors difficulties and the calming effect on the muscles and nerves of magnesium help them get in a relaxed condition.

7. Insomnia

Insomnia is getting an endemic situation of our modern world. In the last few decades, the daily routine of many people have changed, we go to bed later, watching television, or our mobile phones, working long hours in front of our computers, and our brain just cannot stop working even at night. In this situation, besides cutting out caffeine intake, and trying to do some sports regularly, we can rely on the supportive effects of magnesium, as well.

6. Migraines

Another “popular” disease of our days in migraine. In severe cases, even medication can’t help. Researches found that regular magnesium intake may help with the reduction of the frequency of migraines by almost 42%, and the study found a similar result in the case of menstrual-related migraines. Try to get the magnesium from natural sources in order to reach a higher level of absorption.

5. Osteoporosis

Magnesium may be responsible also for our bones’ health. The usual problem is to take too low levels of magnesium, however, if the dose is constantly way too high, that can be harmful to our body and our bones. Low levels of magnesium can cause osteoporosis, and too much of it can cause diarrhea or vertigo.

4. Cardiac arrhythmia

Magnesium aids delivery of oxygen to the heart relaxes the coronary artery and improves energy production in the heart. The lack of magnesium can be responsible for the development of arrhythmia, which is an irregular heartbeat. Magnesium naturally helps you maintain normal heart rhythm, without the need for any medicine. Still, check with your doctor, what other problems might stand in the background.

3. Coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis

Inflammation and disturbances in the coronary artery can be caused by low magnesium levels. In a severe case, this can increase your risk of developing coronary heart disease. Again, magnesium is only one of the many possible causes leads to this syndrome, so if you feel the symptoms, visit your doctor immediately.