When you have insufficient magnesium
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Loading... - Adelino Langa
- 16 Jun 2022
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In the human body, magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral.
It plays a role in over 300 physiological processes.
Many metabolic processes require this nutrient, as well as many other bodily functions, including the production of energy and building of proteins.
Without it, your body cannot function properly.
Unfortunately, the lack of magnesium is one of the most widespread deficiencies in our society today.
This deficiency can drastically affect your health as it has been linked with hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, palpitations, and even sleep disorders.
How magnesium helps
If you have difficulty meeting your magnesium needs through food, or if you have a deficiency, then taking a magnesium supplement may be helpful.
Here are some of its benefits:
> Reduce blood pressure
Magnesium supplements may help reduce blood pressure levels.
A review of 34 studies concluded that taking around 350mg per day of magnesium for an average of three months significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (the top number for blood pressure readings) by 2mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by 1.78mmHg.
> Improve sleep
It has been shown that magnesium supplements can greatly improve sleep in people with low magnesium levels.
A review of three studies among older adults found that supplementing with 320-720mg of magnesium daily for up to eight weeks decreased the time it took them to fall asleep and increased total sleep time, compared with a placebo.
> May help improve mood
Depression has been linked to low levels of magnesium, leading researchers to study whether supplementing with this mineral could help treat this condition.
A six-week randomised controlled trial including participants with depression found that 500mg of magnesium daily alleviated anxiety and depressive symptoms in as little as two weeks.
> Help with blood sugar management
Magnesium is crucial to insulin and glucose metabolism.
Type 2 diabetics, who have high blood sugar, are also prone to magnesium deficiency.
The reason for this is because high blood sugars and insulin levels can cause you to lose more of this nutrient through your urine.
Taking magnesium supplements may help improve insulin resistance – a metabolic disorder in which your cells don’t respond to insulin properly.
In a review of 25 studies, people with or at risk for type 2 diabetes who took 250-600mg of magnesium per day for up to 24 weeks experienced significant reductions in fasting and post-meal blood sugar levels, compared with the placebo group.
> Reduce heart disease risk
There is a link between low magnesium levels and an increased risk of heart disease.
Perhaps low levels of this mineral have a negative effect on blood sugar and blood pressure, which are two risk factors for heart disease.
Recent reviews of 28 studies found that taking magnesium supplements decreased blood pressure, cholesterol levels and fasting blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
> May improve migraine
Magnesium deficiency has been linked to migraines – a painful condition characterised by intense, recurrent headaches.
A 12-week study found that taking a daily magnesium supplement containing 600mg resulted in 42% fewer migraine attacks, coupled with less intense attacks.
A lack of magnesium
If your body lacks enough magnesium, you may experience the following conditions:
> Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and constipation
Magnesium actually softens stools by drawing water into the bowels, which helps support healthy defecation.
When stools become too hard, they move through the colon more slowly and become problematic.
Moreover, magnesium regulates muscle contractions in the intestines, which is why constipation is often caused by a magnesium deficiency.
This is why magnesium can be very helpful in relieving discomfort and cramping related to IBS or other similar conditions.
> Mood disorders
Magnesium regulates the balance of neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitters govern many processes in our bodies, including motivation, sleep and focus.
In particular, magnesium is important for the production of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in the brain, which is a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation.
Not having adequate amounts of GABA may result in ADD/ADHD (attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), anxiety, irritability and general mood imbalances.
> Poor cognitive processing
It is possible that you have a magnesium deficiency if you frequently suffer from brain fog, poor concentration or memory problems.
In every cell of the body, there are structures called mitochondria, which produce the energy that the body needs to function.
Mitochondria rely heavily on magnesium for energy production.
Therefore, a deficiency can hamper your brain performance.
> Heart arrhythmia
The heart is a muscle that constantly contracts inside our bodies without needing to be consciously controlled.
A large amount of magnesium is required for the heart to contract properly, just as it is for other muscles.
It is believed that this is due to the fact that magnesium regulates calcium and potassium concentrations in the muscle tissues.
If you notice that your heart beats irregularly, you may want to look into magnesium supplements. Read More...
