Magnesium Deficiency: 5 Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

This mineral is of great importance for our body, besides the fact that most of the people do not know of its importance.  More than 80% of Americans have a deficiency of this mineral which leads to numerous health issues. We are talking about Magnesium.

Dr. Carol Dean is a naturopathic and medical doctor and she explains everything about the importance of this mineral. She has written a book, “ Death by Modern Medicine”.

She has been examining this mineral for 15 years, and really she can be considered as an expert when it comes to magnesium.

She tells about the benefits that this mineral can do:

• Activates the muscles and nerves
• Activates the adenosine triphosphate (ATP), thus generating body energy
• Improves digestion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates
• Acts as a precursor for serotonin

The percentage of people who get sufficient amounts of it is small despite its importance.

On the other hand, people are taking calcium in high amounts. But in order to have a proper health, it is of great importance to maintain a balance of the minerals.

Muscle spasms will occur if your body is deficient in magnesium, but has an excess amount of calcium.

Dr. Dean considers that this can lead to reduced function of the nerves and muscles.

Also, magnesium is essential for the cardiovascular health.  An imbalance between magnesium and calcium can lead to heart attack.

She explains that the organ with the highest quantity of magnesium in the body is our heart, especially its left ventricle.  The function of the heart can be damaged by a deficiency of magnesium.

Doctors advise women to take calcium supplements to prevent osteoporosis. Dr. Dean concluded that osteoporosis has increased especially in women who take higher amounts of calcium.

There has been a myth which says that you should consume 2 times more calcium than magnesium. And as a result of it, people today consume 1,200-1,500 mg of calcium and only a few hundred milligrams of magnesium.

A more suitable ration is 1:1, but this misinterpretation of the meaning led to the belief that a 2:1 ratio was appropriate instead.

Also, vitamin K2 and vitamin D influence on the balance of the 2 minerals. Overworking of magnesium can be caused by a high dose of vitamin D, which leads to magnesium deficiency.

These 4 nutrients are very important for the health of your body and preventing a lot of health problems. Also, heart attacks and stroke are related to the imbalance of these nutrients.

Vitamin K2 has a role to make sure that the calcium is in the right place. You need to take vitamin D orally with food, supplemental vitamin K2, and additional magnesium.

You shouldn’t take high doses of vitamin D supplements together with low doses of magnesium and vitamin K2 because it can lead to toxicity of vitamin D and deficiency symptoms of magnesium.

Vitamin K2 and magnesium support each other in the balance. Magnesium can help in the regulation of the high blood pressure.

When taking all 4 nutrients, it is of great importance to balance magnesium, vitamin K2, calcium, and vitamin D3 so they can work properly.

Sources of calcium are seeds, dairy products, deep green leafy veggies, and nuts.

Dr. Dean explains that a century ago we used to get 500mg of magnesium from our regular diet, and today that is even 200mg.

Most of the soils have been drained off the essential minerals like magnesium, thanks to the industrial agriculture. You could get high amounts of magnesium if you are consuming organic foods which are biologically-grown and are from soils that have received mineral fertilizer treatment.

Other sources of magnesium are:

• Avocados
• Green leafy veggies (as spinach and Swiss chard)
• Seaweed
• Seeds (sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds)
• Nuts

Today the food that is grown has a deficiency of magnesium and other essential minerals, but has herbicides as glyphosate, which work as chelators, causing obstruction in the uptake and usage of all minerals. This is another reason why it is so important to take magnesium.

Still there aren’t accurate laboratory test which can determine the status of magnesium in the tissues. But, you can visit some labs which can make RBS test of magnesium.

You need to learn how to notice the symptoms of deficiency of magnesium which include:

• fatigue
• nausea
• headaches
• loss of appetite
• weakness

Also, there are other symptoms as personality changes, numbness, seizures, tingling, abnormal heart rhythms, coronary spasms, muscle contractions, and cramps.

There are many types of magnesium forms as magnesium oxide supplements, but they are difficult for absorption, only 4% of it is absorbed, and the other 94% pass through the intestines.

You can use Epsom salt baths or foot baths to improve the status of magnesium which can be easily absorbed.

There are different types of magnesium supplements because of the ability of magnesium to get bound to other substances, meaning that the substance with the magnesium will affect the absorption of mineral and its bioavailability and will provide numerous health benefits.

The varying benefits of these different compounds:

• Magnesium Sulfate / Magnesium Hydroxide- They are used as a laxative. You always need directions before taking them because you can easily overdose them.

• Magnesium Glycinate- If you want to have a supplement with highest levels of bioavailability and absorption you should take magnesium glycinate. It will improve the magnesium level in the body.

• Magnesium oxide- It has 60% magnesium in it. It can soften your stool.

• Magnesium chloride and Magnesium Lactate — It has 12% magnesium. In comparison with the other types, it has a higher absorption.

• Magnesium Threonate — This type can enter the mitochondrial membrane.

• Magnesium citrate- It has magnesium and citric acid and has laxative properties.

• Magnesium taurate —  is another option which has taurine, amino acid, and magnesium. It will calm your body and mind. Magnesium carbonate contains 45% of magnesium and has antacid properties.

[Read: The Best and Worst Forms of Magnesium To Take As Supplements]

The 2 main factors which cause exhaustion of magnesium in the body are stress and prescription drugs.

Dr. Dean explains that when you are under a high level of stress, the body loses magnesium.

Magnesium helps to prevent anxiety and depression and relaxes the muscles. When you are under stress, you are losing magnesium, which makes the muscles in the blood vessels tight which lead to increased blood pressure.

And, when you visit your doctor, he will give you a diuretic which will decrease the levels of fluid in the body, thus reducing the pressure in the blood vessels, resulting in a reduction in the blood pressure.

The draining of magnesium is caused by diuretics. And, when you go back to your doctor, you will still have a blood pressure because you have lost a lot of magnesium. And, you will be given a calcium channel blocker which can be seen as a good thing because if the magnesium levels fall, calcium level will rise, leaving the blood vessels tighter. This is the reason why they want to block calcium.

But, they don’t know that magnesium has the ability to act as a natural calcium channel blocker. And, your doctor may give you angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor which is another drug for blood pressure.

When you go back to your doctor after 2-3 months, he will make a test of your blood to make sure that there is no damage to your liver and he will find out that you have higher cholesterol levels and higher blood sugar. But, actually, the drugs are the ones that caused them.

Dr. Dean considers that uncontrolled cholesterol can be caused when there is a reduced level of magnesium in the body. Magnesium has a responsibility to balance the enzyme which creates cholesterol.

She explains that the magnesium-balanced enzymes can be killed by statin drugs. Diabetics in most cases suffer from a deficiency of magnesium and they are given drugs to reduce the levels of magnesium.

This is one of the cases when drugs have fluoride. Cipro is one of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics which is high in fluoride and cause side-effects. Many drugs including anti-anxiety drugs, painkillers for arthritis, and certain medications for cholesterol have fluoride.

Dr. Dean considers that inflammatory effects are caused by calcium, while magnesium is known for its anti-inflammatory benefits.

So we recommend you to make a balance between calcium and magnesium because the excess consumption of calcium without magnesium can result in heart disease.
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Source: articles.mercola.com
Reference: wisemindhealthybody.com
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