Magnesium is a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems in the body. Which is a lot of work
and responsibility that magnesium has for being just a mineral. And when you hear that more than
50% of the population in the US don’t get the recommended daily amount of magnesium.
You begin to wonder why the food supply in the US is so deficient in magnesium, why is our food
lacking so many nutrients. To the point that you wonder what the drawbacks of a magnesium
deficiency can be and what signs and symptoms play out when the levels of magnesium in our body
are too low. This video is going to address all that, but in a different way. You find a
lot of people on youtube throwing out a bunch of different symptoms of magnesium deficiency
without really giving you a perspective, or lets say a timeline of what happens first. Whats early
or whats too late. This video will be different. Youll know exactly what are the early signs
that tend to happen first, then ill get into the intermediate progression of the deficiency,
then lastly the more severe symptoms that play out with magnesium deficiency,
to really help bring clarity and make sense of it all. So stay tuned till the end.
Hi guys, yaseen arsalan, media pharmacist here on youtube, as you guys already know, this
channel is really all about helping you make more informed decisions about your health and wellness,
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Lets start with the big picture, what does magnesium do. We mentioned that magnesium is
involved in over 300 enzyme systems, well some of the major roles it plays out is protein synthesis,
muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation to name a few.
And an adult body contains approximately 25 g magnesium, with 50% to 60% of that being
in the bones and most of the rest in the soft tissues. Only Less than 1% of total
magnesium is actually in the blood serum, and these levels are kept under tight control
by the kidneys. In fact: About 2400 mg of magnesium passes through the kidneys daily,
of which 5% of that is passed along hrough urine. Which ill come back to that in a bit.
SO you can tell that it becomes really difficult when it comes to testing magnesium in your body,
because your only measuring the magnesium in the blood, and not the total magnesium
in the body. Which is why the next thing to look for are the signs and symptoms of what
is known as hypomagnesemia, or low magnesium. Lets start out with the earlier signs first.
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency tend to be nonspecific, so medical professionals may suspect
other conditions or deficiencies as some of these symptoms can cross over as other deficiences as
well so keep that in mind. The first one that usually starts off is: loss of appetite, so If
you're not hungry, consider whether your diet is missing any important nutrients like magnesium.
Secondly you get nausea which may trigger vomiting more than usual. Because this is usually an
early symptom,it may not be present in everyone. The third is: fatigue and weakness. Which makes
sense right, because Magnesium is required by the (ATP)-synthesizing protein in mitochondria. ATP,
the molecule that provides energy for almost all metabolic processes, exists primarily as a complex
with magnesium. so it’s not surprising that low magnesium levels can result in fatigue
or feeling tired. So those are pretty much going to be the early signs. Loss of appetite,
nausea and vomiting, and fatigue and weakness. And remember those are non specific to magnesium
as other conditions and deficiencies usually have the same early symptoms and its possible that you
could also not have any of the mild starting symptoms either. So thats why Lets look at the
intermediate symptoms, what would come next. The next signs would be numbness and tingling. This is
because magnesium plays such an important role in nervous system health and overall nerve function.
Thats why those who have low magnesium experience tingling in your toes, fingertips, or face.
Another sign is: muscle contractions and cramps. Now This is because low magnesium lowers the
electrical threshold at which nerve cells become depolarized, which makes them hyper-excitable,
leading to muscle cramping. The same is true for calcium, and low calcium levels can also
cause the same muscle spasms as well. The next on the list can be abnormal heart rhythms,
like a rapid or irregular heartbeat which can be the result of getting into that territory
of chronically low magnesium levels. Because: Magnesium is actually one of several electrolytes,
including potassium, sodium, and calcium, that play a big part in regulating the electrical
signals within your body and help your heart to function properly. When these electrolytes are
imbalanced, they appear to have an effect on the rhythm of your heart which can be detected
on ecgs. The next on the list and remember we are still in the intermediate zone for symptoms.
Is one that I found really interesting and that not a lot of people cover and that is: Personality
Changes. You see: Magnesium ions regulate calcium ion flow in neuronal calcium channels, helping to
regulate neuronal nitric oxide production. Thats the normal process, but In magnesium deficiency,
the neuronal requirements for magnesium may not be met, causing neuronal damage which could manifest
as depression. So to put that all simple: magnesium acts as the brake of our nervous system,
keeping us from being stuck in overdrive. Because the more you are in overdrive, the more others
will see your personality to be changed. You see: Serotonin and melatonin have an affect on mood.
Magnesium works as an important co-factor required for conversion of tryptophan
(from proteins we get from food) to serotonin and melatonin. BUt Poor gut health or lack of
proper nutrition can cause an imbalance of production of these neurotransmitters,
which may in turn make you anxious, depressed, and affect your personality.Which goes back to
how important our diets are to our mental health. And a lot of that seems to be forgotten these
days. So those are all the intermediate signs. The major signs if you will or the chronic
magnesium deficiency symptoms are: hypocalcemia, which means a calcium deficiency, or hypokalemia
which means a potassium deficiency. Now both of these if left unchecked, can lead to conditions
like osteoporosis and even heart disease. Now how much magnesium do we need:
Adults need about 400 mg of magnesium per day. So choose foods such as spinach or other greens,
nuts and seeds that are rich in magnesium and other important nutrients. Here is a list that
goes over some of the foods that are rich in magnesium. With some of my favorites being
artichokes, parsley, and squash. And yes, that very will could be an unpopular opinion. But hey,
you got to start from somewhere. Click the red subscribe button down
below and the bell next to it,also if this video gets enough likes, itll let me know you enjoyed
the video, so I can do a part 2 on magnesium. Until then guys, Ill see you on the next one.