How To Correct A Magnesium Deficiency
Around 50% of the United States population has a magnesium deficiency and most people affected don’t know it. Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays numerous roles in our body. It helps regulate nerve and muscle function, maintain healthy bones and teeth, support the immune system, and regulate blood pressure. It also offers cognitive and psychological benefits.1
How Do You Know If You Have A Magnesium Deficiency?
One of the most common signs of magnesium deficiency is muscle cramping and twitching at night. This occurs because magnesium helps regulate muscle contractions and relaxation. When there is a lack of magnesium in the body, it can lead to an imbalance in the electrolytes, causing muscles to contract involuntarily. This can result in uncomfortable cramping and twitching, especially at night when our bodies are more relaxed.
Another noticeable sign of magnesium deficiency is eyelid twitching. Similar to muscle cramping and twitching, this happens due to muscle spasms caused by a lack of magnesium. The involuntary contractions of the tiny muscles around our eyes can cause the eyelids to flutter or twitch.
Magnesium plays a crucial role in regulating the production of melatonin, which is a hormone responsible for sleep regulation. When our bodies have insufficient magnesium, it can lead to difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. This can result in insomnia, restless sleep, and even sleep disorders such as sleep apnea.
Our digestive system also relies on magnesium for proper functioning. It helps regulate muscle contractions in the intestines, allowing food to move through the digestive tract smoothly. A deficiency in magnesium can cause constipation, bloating, and other gut problems.
Magnesium is essential for maintaining a healthy heart rhythm and regulating blood pressure. Without enough magnesium, our heart muscles may not function correctly, leading to irregular heartbeats or palpitations. Additionally, low levels of magnesium can contribute to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease.
Lastly, magnesium also plays a crucial role in regulating our nervous system. It helps calm down nerve cells, reducing feelings of anxiety and promoting relaxation. When we are deficient in magnesium, it can contribute to an overactive mind, leading to symptoms such as restlessness, irritability, and trouble focusing.2
Foods That Are High In Magnesium
It’s always best to get nutrients like magnesium from whole foods. Consuming organic food ensures that the soil contains adequate levels of magnesium. However, modern day farming practices don’t add magnesium back to the soil so conventional produce contains very little of this mineral.
Dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are excellent sources of magnesium. Just one cup of cooked spinach contains about 157 milligrams of magnesium, which is approximately 40% of the recommended daily intake.
Nuts and seeds are not only a great source of healthy fats, but they also contain high levels of magnesium. For example, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and cashews are all excellent sources of this mineral.
In addition to being a deliciously creamy fruit, avocado is also a good source of magnesium. One medium-sized avocado contains approximately 58 milligrams of magnesium.
Legumes, such as beans, lentils, and peas, are not only a good source of protein but also contain high levels of magnesium. For example, one cup of cooked black beans contains about 120 milligrams of magnesium.3
Read more about eating a healthy diet that contains sufficient magnesium.
Correcting A Magnesium Deficiency With Supplements
There are several supplements available on the market that can help correct a magnesium deficiency. Before selecting one, look at which magnesium compound it contains and avoid cheap magnesium supplements that have magnesium oxide.
Brain Health – Magnesium Threonate
Magnesium threonate is a highly absorbable form of magnesium that has been specifically studied for its cognitive benefits. This supplement has been shown to improve memory, learning abilities, and overall brain function. It also has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, making it more effective at reaching and supporting brain cells.4
Muscle Health – Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium glycinate is another highly absorbable form of magnesium that is particularly beneficial for muscle health. This supplement can help reduce muscle cramps, spasms, and soreness by promoting relaxation and proper contraction of muscles. It can also aid in post-workout recovery and support overall muscle function.5
Magnesium Supplements To Avoid – Magnesium Oxide And Magnesium Hydroxide
Not all magnesium supplements are created equal, and some forms may be less effective or even have adverse effects. Two common types of magnesium supplements to avoid are magnesium oxide and magnesium hydroxide.
Magnesium oxide is a popular form of supplement due to its low cost, but it has a low absorption rate in the body. This means that a large portion of the supplement can pass through the digestive system without being absorbed, making it less effective at correcting a deficiency.6
Magnesium hydroxide is another magnesium compound to avoid unless it is used as a laxative for those struggling with constipation.7
Do You Have A Magnesium Deficiency?
Correcting a magnesium deficiency and other common vitamin and mineral deficiencies should be the first approach to dealing with strange health symptoms. However, in most cases, the core cause of health problems generally doesn’t stem from what we need to put into our body, but rather what we need to remove.
Specifically, toxins that have built up in our cells over the course of decades have damaged cellular function, leading to a wide range of health symptoms. The only solution is to stop taking in these toxins, remove them from the body, and repair cellular function so cells can operate normally again.
Toxins Cause Inflammation
The human body is a complex system that requires balance to remain healthy. However, our modern environment and lifestyle have introduced many toxins into our daily lives. These toxins can come from pollution, chemicals in our food and water, beauty products, and even stress.
When these toxins enter our bodies, they can trigger an inflammatory response. Inflammation is the body’s natural defense mechanism against harmful substances or pathogens. It is supposed to be a short-term response to protect us from harm.
However, with the constant exposure to toxins in our environment, our bodies can become overloaded and unable to properly process and eliminate them. This leads to chronic inflammation, which can have serious consequences for our health.8
Inflammation Is Linked With Degenerative Diseases
Research has shown that chronic inflammation plays a significant role in the development of degenerative diseases. Inflammation causes an increase in the production of free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage cells and tissues. This leads to oxidative stress, a condition where the body’s antioxidant defenses cannot keep up with the free radicals’ production.9
R1 – Eliminate Harmful Toxins From Your Environment
The first step in the 5Rs approach is to identify and remove sources of toxins that surround us. These can include avoiding products that contain toxins and choosing organic foods over conventionally grown ones.
R2 – Restore Healthy Cellular Membranes
Our cellular membranes are crucial for proper bodily processes such as nutrient absorption and waste removal. However, exposure to toxins can cause inflammation in these membranes, hindering their function. By using nutraceuticals, we can regenerate our cellular membranes and restore their health.
R3 – Increase ATP Production
ATP is a vital energy molecule that supports optimal cellular functioning and aids in the removal of toxins from our cells. Through proper ATP production, we can also create glutathione, an important component for detoxification.10
R4 – Reduce Inflammation In Cellular Membranes
Even after eliminating toxins, inflammation in cellular membranes may persist due to the NO/ONOO cycle. Nutraceuticals can be used to effectively decrease these levels back to normal and support overall health.11
R5 – Restore Ideal Methylation Patterns
Methylation is a biochemical process responsible for producing essential compounds like proteins, DNA, and neurotransmitters. Exposure to harmful chemicals can disrupt this process, but through the use of methyl donors, we can restore proper methylation patterns and support epigenetic regulation. This can have a significant impact on reducing the risk of degenerative diseases.12
How To Correct A Magnesium Deficiency
In addition to correcting a magnesium deficiency, it is important to get to the cause of health issues by removing the toxins that cause cellular dysfunction, inflammation, and disease. Following the 5Rs allows us to restore the health of cellular membranes, boost ATP production, reduce cellular membrane inflammation, and reestablish proper methylation patterns.
By following these steps, we are able to support our body’s natural detoxification processes and deal with strange health symptoms that are caused by exposure to toxins. To learn even more about toxins and my 5Rs, join me in my free webinar or read more about other common deficiencies.
References
1 DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe JH, Wilson W. Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis. Open Heart. 2018 Jan 13;5(1):e000668. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2017-000668. Erratum in: Open Heart. 2018 Apr 5;5(1):e000668corr1. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2017-000668corr1. PMID: 29387426; PMCID: PMC5786912.
2 Ahmed F, Mohammed A. Magnesium: The Forgotten Electrolyte-A Review on Hypomagnesemia. Med Sci (Basel). 2019 Apr 4;7(4):56. doi: 10.3390/medsci7040056. PMID: 30987399; PMCID: PMC6524065.
3 Clinic, C. (2024, June 27). 25 Magnesium-Rich foods you should be eating. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/foods-that-are-high-in-magnesium
4 Kim YS, Won YJ, Lim BG, Min TJ, Kim YH, Lee IO. Neuroprotective effects of magnesium L-threonate in a hypoxic zebrafish model. BMC Neurosci. 2020 Jun 26;21(1):29. doi: 10.1186/s12868-020-00580-6. PMID: 32590943; PMCID: PMC7318545.
5 Schwalfenberg GK, Genuis SJ. The Importance of Magnesium in Clinical Healthcare. Scientifica (Cairo). 2017;2017:4179326. doi: 10.1155/2017/4179326. Epub 2017 Sep 28. PMID: 29093983; PMCID: PMC5637834.
6 Blancquaert L, Vervaet C, Derave W. Predicting and Testing Bioavailability of Magnesium Supplements. Nutrients. 2019 Jul 20;11(7):1663. doi: 10.3390/nu11071663. PMID: 31330811; PMCID: PMC6683096.
7 National Research Council (US) Subcommittee on Flame-Retardant Chemicals. Toxicological Risks of Selected Flame-Retardant Chemicals. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2000. 7, Magnesium Hydroxide. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK225636/
8 Kharrazian D. Exposure to Environmental Toxins and Autoimmune Conditions. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2021 Apr;20(2):20-24. PMID: 34377090; PMCID: PMC8325494.
9 Furman, D., Campisi, J., Verdin, E. et al. Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span. Nat Med 25, 1822–1832 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-019-0675-0
10 Zolkipli-Cunningham Z, Falk MJ. Clinical effects of chemical exposures on mitochondrial function. Toxicology. 2017 Nov 1;391:90-99. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2017.07.009. Epub 2017 Jul 27. PMID: 28757096; PMCID: PMC6078194.
11 Pall M. L. (2013). The NO/ONOO-cycle as the central cause of heart failure. International journal of molecular sciences, 14(11), 22274–22330. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms141122274
12 Dhar GA, Saha S, Mitra P, Nag Chaudhuri R. DNA methylation and regulation of gene expression: Guardian of our health. Nucleus (Calcutta). 2021;64(3):259-270. doi: 10.1007/s13237-021-00367-y. Epub 2021 Aug 16. PMID: 34421129; PMCID: PMC8366481.
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