Welcome to another video!
Do you get muscle cramps, restless legs, or toss and turn in your bed at night?
Do you have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep?
If you answered Yes, this could be because your body is deficient in magnesium.
Magnesium is a mineral your body desperately needs, yet rarely gets nearly enough.
It is estimated that up to 80% of the U.S. population is deficient in magnesium.
And since magnesium is critical for the electrical stability of every cell in the body, a lack
of it disrupts bodily processes, and can cause you to struggle with issues like sleep, energy,
metabolism, stress, and pain.
If magnesium deficiency continues, your risk for heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes,
depression, arthritis, and asthma increases.
In today's video, we're going to talk about the top 15 signs your body needs more magnesium,
so you can take immediate steps to remedy it.
Which are magnesium-rich foods can you add to your diet?
What are some guidelines for magnesium supplementation?
And what causes magnesium deficiency?
We'll talk about these and more in this video.
What are the foods high in magnesium you can add to your diet?
What are some guidelines for magnesium supplementation?
And what causes magnesium deficiency?
We'll talk about these and more in this video.
Make sure you watch till the end, cause there may be a few things you did not know!
As always, this video is educational and does not constitute medical advice, we are not
doctors.
First, why is this mineral and electrolyte important?
Magnesium is a co-factor in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, including
DNA and protein synthesis, cellular energy production, nerve signal transmission, bone
metabolism, cardiac function, conduction of signals between muscles and nerves, blood
pressure, glucose and insulin metabolism, and immune response.
So, how much magnesium should be consumed?
The recommended dietary allowance is 400 milligrams for adults per day.
The medical name for magnesium deficiency is hypomagnesemia.
This is defined as having lower than 1.8 milligrams per decilitre of serum magnesium.
Next, how can you tell if your body is deficient in magnesium?
Signs of magnesium deficiency can manifest in these ways.
Number 15.
Increased Blood Pressure.
Studies indicate that magnesium deficiency may cause or contribute to high blood pressure.
Number 14.
Troubled Sleep or Insomnia.
Magnesium regulates the neurotransmitter GABA, and the hormone melatonin, to calm down nerve
activity and guide the sleep-wake cycle.
A lack in this mineral can cause interrupted sleep and insomnia.
Number 13.
Stress and Anxiety.
Low levels of this mineral in the brain can result in neuronal excitations, and thereby
cause or increase anxiety.
As stress continues, magnesium leaves the body more quickly in urine, which induces
even more stress and anxiety.
Number 12.
Increased Glucose Intolerance.
Magnesium helps in blood sugar metabolism, and a deficiency causes higher than normal
blood glucose levels.
This is important for individuals with type 2 diabetes, because low magnesium increases
insulin resistance, which in turn decreases magnesium levels, and could end up in a vicious
cycle.
Number 11.
Muscle Spasms.
Magnesium helps facilitate nerve connectivity, and a deficiency causes sudden muscle jerks,
eye twitches, persistent blinking, and numbness and tingling in limbs, because of distorted
nerve connections.
Number 10.
Irregular Heartbeat.
A lack of magnesium can cause palpitations and irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), which
increase the risks of blood clots and heart failure.
Number 9.
Weakness and Constant Tiredness.
A lack of magnesium disrupts protein synthesis, muscle and nerve functions, and blood pressure,
which are necessary to produce energy.
Number 8.
Weak or Brittle Bones.
Since 60% of the body's magnesium is stored in bone, a deficiency can negatively impact
bone strength and density, leaving them more prone to osteoporosis, especially for people
who are already high-risk, like postmenopausal women.
Magnesium is essential for healthy bone structure, along with the other co-factors vitamin D,
vitamin K2, calcium and zinc.
Number 7.
Gastrointestinal Issues.
Magnesium deficiency can disrupt the gastrointestinal tract, causing poor digestion, constipation,
acid reflux, nausea and vomiting, and a loss of appetite.
Number 6.
Dry and Dull Skin.
A lack in magnesium may make it difficult to manage eczema and poor skin conditions
because of fluctuating hormones and decreased fatty acids.
Number 5.
Migraine Headache.
People who are prone to migraines have low levels of serum and tissue magnesium, which
could lead to their frequent headaches.
Number 4.
Hearing Problems.
A deficiency in magnesium increases the susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss and ringing
in the ears (tinnitus).
Number 3.
Breathing Difficulties.
Magnesium deficiency may cause the buildup of calcium in muscles lining airways, making
it difficult to breathe.
Number 2.
Intense PMS Symptoms.
Many women find their premenstrual symptoms are more intense when they lack magnesium.
Number 1.
Irritability, Confusion, and Depression.
Long periods of magnesium deficiency often lead to irritability, confusion, poor memory,
and symptoms of depression.
Next, what happens to your body when you boost magnesium to optimal levels?
Getting enough magnesium through food and supplements has been shown to.
- help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
- ease night time leg cramps and restless legs.
- relieve joint, muscle, and nerve pain (neuropathy).
- keep your muscles and joints limber and flexible.
- lower the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.
- increase the happiness hormone serotonin, and reduce symptoms of depression.
- boost energy and exercise performance.
- improve digestion and bowel movement.
- increase insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels.
- decrease systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
- reduce symptoms of migraines.
- alleviate symptoms in women with PMS.
- increase bone mineral density.
- reduce symptoms of asthma.
- decrease symptoms of tinnitus.
Next, which are the magnesium-rich foods you can add to your diet?
Here are 15 good ones.
1.
Dark Chocolate with at least 75% cocoa.
2.
Avocados or Guacamole.
3.
Nuts like cashews, Brazil nuts, and almonds.
4.
Legumes like lentils, black beans, chickpeas, and soybeans.
5.
Tofu or bean curd.
6.
Seeds like pumpkin, flax, and chia seeds.
7.
Whole grains like oats and barley, and pseudocereals like buckwheat and quinoa.
8.
Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and halibut.
9.
Bananas.
10.
Leafy greens like spinach, kale, collards, turnips, and mustard greens.
11.
Tamarind.
12.
Okra.
13.
Oysters.
14.
Baked Potatoes with the Skin.
15.
Raisins.
Next, if you plan to supplement with magnesium, here are 7 tips.
- The standard dose is 200 to 400 milligrams.
- A magnesium deficiency can be treated by any form of magnesium, except magnesium L-threonate,
since it contains less magnesium per dose.
- Magnesium oxide or magnesium chloride have lower absorption rates, so they are more likely
to cause side effects such as diarrhea and bloating.
- In general, magnesium citrate is a good choice for supplementation, due to its high
water solubility and low cost.
- For cognitive enhancement, magnesium L-threonate can be used.
- Magnesium should be taken daily, along with food.
- If you plan to superload magnesium to attenuate a deficiency, consider magnesium diglycinate
or magnesium gluconate, as these may have higher bio-availability.
To see our recommended magnesium supplement, click the link in the description below.
Make sure to consult your doctor if you plan to supplement along with your medications.
Next, you may be wondering: what causes magnesium deficiency?
Industrialized agriculture has long depleted the soil of nutrients, and the fruits, vegetables,
and grains grown on them are deficient in minerals.
At the same time, the processed foods we do eat further deplete magnesium.
While we absorb less magnesium as we age, certain medical conditions, like diabetes
and metabolic syndrome, and medications, like diuretics and proton-pump inhibitors, contribute
to poor absorption.
Other factors that cause magnesium to leave the body include: Excessive sweating, high
alcohol consumption, diabetes, chronic diarrhea, Crohn’s disease, and kidney issues.
Lastly, how do you test for magnesium deficiency?
A blood test.
However, do know that less than 1% of magnesium travels through our bloodstream as it's stored
in bones and tissues.
To test at the cellular level, a hair mineral analysis is required.
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And now over to you!
What foods are you taking to boost your levels of magnesium to optimal levels?
Leave your comment below.
We’d love to hear from you!
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