Magnesium Deficiency: Could you possibly have a problem?

Vitamin heroes like vitamin C don’t get as much attention, but getting enough of the mineral magnesium is essential to your health. A magnesium deficiency can seriously affect your health. It’s best known as the supplement that can help ease muscle cramps. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg regarding magnesium’s long list of ‘jobs’. Sure, it plays a role in nerve and muscle function, but it’s also essential for bone health, blood sugar, hormonal balance, metabolism, etc. Magnesium plays a role in over 300 of your body’s metabolic functions!

Magnesium Deficiency and Getting Enough

Ideally, we should consume at least 300mg of magnesium daily. You can find it in foods like dark leafy greens such as spinach and kale, seeds and nuts, beans, fruits like avocados and bananas and vegetables like peas and green beans. (You can even find magnesium in raw cocoa, so that 99% dark chocolate slab should count as medicine, right?) Unfortunately, not everyone gets as much magnesium as they need, and this isn’t always linked to a poor diet. Type 2 diabetes or the use of diuretics causes an increase in urination, which can result in an increased loss of magnesium. Then there’s your gut. As we age, our gastrointestinal tracts are less able to absorb the nutrients they once did, particularly magnesium. Also, if you’re suffering from a condition like dysbiosis (an overgrowth of unhealthy bacteria in the gut), leaky gut (when the gut becomes permeable and food, including nutrients, escapes into the bloodstream) or Celiac disease. The result of these could be a chronic magnesium deficiency.

Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

You can have a magnesium deficiency for a while and experience no symptoms, but they will eventually creep up on you. Here are a few to look out for.

• Tingly fingers and toes: Magnesium and nerve health are closely linked. You may feel a tingle in your extremities or as if your limb has fallen asleep.
• Cramps: Ever been woken up by a calf that’s gone into a spasm? It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re low in magnesium, but there’s a good chance you’re if it happens frequently. Additionally, while the cramp often occurs in the legs, it can affect any muscle group. Doctors suspect it’s caused by an increased flow of calcium into the nerve cells, which overexcites them.
• A faux flu: Loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and muscle weakness are often associated with the flu or food poisoning. However, if they don’t go away, they could be related to a low magnesium level.
• You’re feeling moody: Low magnesium levels can also affect your mood and increase your risk of depression. If you’ve been feeling ‘weepy’ or ‘numb’, more anxious than usual or simply out of sorts, don’t discount the power of nutrition, or a lack of it, as a cause.
• Listen to your heart: A lack of magnesium may cause your potassium levels to plummet, which can affect the cells of your heart muscle. If you feel that your heart is beating faster or slower than usual, or even skipping a beat, be sure to consult your doctor.

Beat It

Getting enough magnesium from your diet is ideal. But if you’re struggling to get enough balanced meals on the table, consider a magnesium supplement. However, if your deficiency is related to poor gut health, a supplement will not help. Great news, though, you can bypass your gastrointestinal tract entirely. Invest in an intravenous (IV) infusion therapy. It’s the easiest way to get exactly what you need. IV infusion therapy delivers optimal nutrition directly to your bloodstream, bypassing all the organs. Several different IV infusion cocktails are available at Health Renewal. These cocktails use magnesium, among other vital nutrients. After an initial consultation, a doctor will be able to prescribe the ideal cocktail best suited to your needs. Chances are you’ll need several of them, not just one. However, you can make the appointment something to look forward to by including an add-on pampering treatment, such as a mini manicure or pedicure. Taking good care of your health never sounded quite so indulgent!

In Conclusion

Getting enough magnesium is essential. Knowing the signs of a deficiency is important because it allows you to take the best measures to ensure you’re consuming the right amount, whether through your diet, supplementation, or IV infusion therapy, which completely bypasses the gut to ensure optimal nutrition through supplementation.