Not all health problems are related to a lack of dietary nutrients, but a shocking number of common and chronic conditions are rooted in an imbalance of the vital minerals and other building blocks of life. Magnesium deficiency is one of the most common nutritional imbalances in today’s times because of busy convenience diets that are lacking in the natural sources of this essential vitamin. It’s estimated that around half of Americans fail to get enough dietary magnesium, with few of them remembering to take supplements either. The problem is further compounded if your body has a hard time with the natural reabsorption process that keeps most of your magnesium cycling through the body. Discover the early warning signs of a deficiency, learn why thorough testing is necessary, and find out how to combine dietary improvements and supplements from our vitamin store to restore your natural health.
Signs of a Lack of Magnesium
There are many warning signs associated with a lack of magnesium, but it’s perfectly possible to develop a serious deficiency without showing any of these signs. That’s why it’s a good practice to schedule a regular panel of tests to check your blood levels of all the essential vitamins and nutrients necessary for good health. If you notice any of the following symptoms, schedule an appointment with us here at Prime Wellness.
Twitches and spasms in muscle tissue practically anywhere in the body because magnesium plays an important role in regulating nerve transmissions
Nerve pain and unusual sensations, anxiety, and irritability
Incidences of migraines that can’t be tied to other allergies, triggers, or underlying conditions
Headaches triggered by stress or weather changes
Rising blood pressure levels and chronic hypertension despite efforts to eat well and exercise
Irregular or fast heartbeat
Constipation or regular bouts of diarrhea with no other cause
Insomnia and trouble staying awake during the day due to fatigue
Insulin fluctuations and the onset of Type 2 diabetes
Loss of bone density.
There are many other potential causes for each of the problems listed above, so it’s important to get prompt testing to find the true cause and treat it directly. Taking magnesium on your own won’t necessarily help an irregular heartbeat or weekly pattern of migraines if there’s something else going on.
Side Effects of Dietary Imbalance
There are some long-term ramifications of allowing your magnesium levels to stay low for years or even decades at a time. There has been limited study into the exact effects of magnesium on the human body, but research has demonstrated a link between a high intake of dietary magnesium and lowered incidences of Type 2 diabetes. The tie between the processing of magnesium and calcium in your system also means that getting too little of this nutrient increases your chances for facing osteoporosis.
Testing for Deficiency
A full blood panel that measures all of the electrolyte levels in the blood should be used to assess what’s going on with a patient showing signs of a magnesium deficiency. Any warning signs regardless the balance of magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium should result in further testing of the kidneys. The kidneys play the most important role in controlling and using magnesium because they are responsible for re-absorbing the majority of the mineral already circulating in your blood stream. A deficiency caused by a poor diet should show up as only a moderately low blood serum level during testing. Very low magnesium levels are a sign of more serious complications with the kidneys failing to absorb the nutrient properly.
Natural Sources of Magnesium
Even nature’s best sources of dietary magnesium are relatively low in the nutrient, but adding more of these foods to your diet will definitely help.
Spinach, Swiss chard, and other dark leafy greens like kale
Pumpkin seeds, cashews, and almonds, all of which make great snacks
Sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, along with cold pressed oils from these seeds
Soybeans, including edamame
Black and navy beans.
Adding in Supplements
When you’re on a strict paleo or keto diet, even seeds and greens can sometimes be difficult to fit within your eating plan. Supplements are a great choice for chronic and diet related deficiencies. Restoring the right levels of magnesium and other essential minerals and vitamins can boost your energy levels, relieve the pain of ongoing migraines, and help you pinpoint that it is indeed a magnesium problem. We’re ready to help you here at Prime Wellness with everything from supplements to nutritional advice. Our vitamin store has every form of easily absorbed magnesium to fulfill your specific needs, and we’ll also handle the testing to determine the best treatment plan for your particular natural health goals.