Magnesium Deficiency: What You Can Do About It
A magnesium deficiency can manifest itself in different ways. We will give you an overview of causes and symptoms – and what you can do about the deficiency.
How much magnesium is healthy?
Magnesium is essential for the survival of the human body, as it cannot produce the mineral itself. According to the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), a healthy adult woman should consume about 300 milligrams of magnesium daily through food, a man up to 400 milligrams. In certain life situations, however, the magnesium intake may be significantly increased, such as during sports, stress or mentally and physically strenuous work. And women should also increase their magnesium intake during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
As a rule, people can cover their needs through their daily diet, provided they eat a healthy and balanced diet. However, if you are not careful, you can still suffer from a magnesium deficiency, which is called hypomagnesemia in medical terminology. The concentration of total magnesium in the blood is then below 0.65 mmol per litre. An excess of magnesium is referred to as an excess of two millimoles per litre.
Causes for a magnesium deficiency
A magnesium deficiency can have a whole range of different causes – for most of them we ourselves are responsible. About one percent of the German population has a genetic predisposition. Others excrete too much magnesium due to illness, as is the case with diabetes mellitus, for example.
The main reason for a deficiency is the low magnesium intake through food. One of the reasons for this is that people eat too much (diets) or too little (especially in old age). In addition, medication and diseases such as chronic intestinal and kidney diseases, diabetes or alcoholism can also have a negative effect on the magnesium balance.
But what does a magnesium deficiency actually cause in the body?
Effects of the deficiency symptom
The most common symptom of magnesium deficiency is probably calf cramps. However, the eyelids (eyelid twitching) and any other muscle group can also be affected by cramps. In addition to the physical symptoms (muscle cramps), there are psychological abnormalities: Irritability, inner restlessness, confusion, drowsiness and lack of concentration are signs of a magnesium deficiency in the body.
The following symptoms should make your alarm bells ring:
- Feelings of fear
- Migraine and headaches
- Tension in the neck and shoulder area
- Numbness in legs and arms
- Tachycardia and cardiac arrhythmia
- High blood pressure
- Stomach cramps, nausea and loss of appetite
- Heavy menstrual bleeding
- Amplification of allergic symptoms
- Insomnia
All in all: a magnesium deficiency can have negative consequences in the neuromuscular area, the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system.
These foods contain magnesium
In order to prevent deficiency symptoms and to cover your magnesium requirements, it is best to eat foods that are high in magnesium. Alternatively, there are dragées, effervescent tablets, granules or chewable tablets to counteract the deficiency and replenish your magnesium levels. But be careful: Get your body slowly used to the food supplements – only gradually should the magnesium supply be increased.
These foods have a particularly high magnesium content and plenty of vital substances:
- Nuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Beans
- Pulses
- Vegetables, especially green vegetables (spinach, broccoli, fennel)
- Whole grain cereals (millet, brown rice, oat flakes)
- Certain types of mineral water
Anyone who takes in enough magnesium through food or supplements but still continues to suffer from the symptoms of a deficiency should definitely consult a doctor. This is because the symptoms cannot always be attributed to a clear illness.