Low Magnesium Levels
Low Magnesium Levels can cause a lot of unpleasant symptoms and make you feel unwell. Here are what causes them and the health benefits of magnesium.
Do You Have Low Magnesium Levels?
Low magnesium levels in the body can also be referred to as hypomagnesemia. Magnesium is a valuable mineral to the body as it contributes to major functions. It’s the most abundant mineral and helps in over 300 metabolic reactions in the body.
What Causes Low Magnesium Levels
Low magnesium levels are caused either by a poor diet. The food you take has low magnesium levels or diseases in that you excrete magnesium from urine. So what kind of conditions lead to low magnesium levels?
Type 11 Diabetes
High levels of blood glucose may force the kidneys to excrete more urine. Excessive urine loss could lead to low magnesium levels.
Old Age
Older adults tend to eat meals with less magnesium-rich nutrients. The gut absorption of some nutrients also decreases and, this includes magnesium salts. Excretion of magnesium from the urinary tract also increases with age. All these factors combined can lead to low magnesium levels.
Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol dependence can lead to various factors that contribute to low levels of magnesium. They include:
- A poor diet can mean low levels of magnesium intake.
- Excessive urine excretion
- Kidney diseases
- Liver diseases
All the factors above, when combined lead to low magnesium levels.
Gastrointestinal Diseases(GI)
Diarrhea and chronic disease may result in less magnesium intake from diet or excessive excretion of magnesium.
What Happens when you have Low Magnesium Levels?
Low magnesium levels are not easy to detect as they do not have crucial symptoms. But if the condition extends, it can result in different symptoms that include:
Mental Problems
Low levels of magnesium may lead to a person lacking any emotion or apathy. A research study conducted in 2015 indicated that low magnesium levels are a contributing factor to depression. Another research study pointed out that hypomagnesemia resulted in increased anxiety but, more research is required to confirm this.
Low levels of magnesium may lead to mental disorders or impair your judgment.
Exhaustion and muscle weakness
Exhaustion is common in many people. A solution for when you are feeling tired and exhausted is to take a rest. It will replenish your energy levels. But what happens when you get tired most of the time?
You might want to check on your magnesium levels. Low levels of magnesium have been connected to fatigue and tiredness. A research study conducted in 2001 indicated that low levels of magnesium lead to muscle weakness in infants.
The weakness and the exhaustion you might feel may be due to loss of potassium from the muscle cells, a common condition with low magnesium levels.
Muscle Spasms and Cramps
Do you have frequent muscle cramps and twitches? One of the causes for these involuntary twitches might be inadequate levels of magnesium mineral. You can try taking magnesium supplements and see whether the condition will improve. If it does not, seek your doctor’s advice.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition that affects bones and makes them weak and brittle. The bones become weak that a small bump may fracture your bones. Normal bones structure resemble the tiny holes in a honeycomb but, osteoporosis enlarges these holes. It makes them large and, they lose the density.
Having low levels of magnesium, a contributing factor that leads to osteoporosis. The deficiency weakens the bones and lowers the levels of calcium and, this leads to the condition.
High Blood Pressure
Research studies have linked low levels of magnesium from a poor diet to increased high blood pressure. When you have low magnesium levels, you might raise your chances of getting high blood pressure. It, in turn, leads to heart conditions.
Low levels of magnesium can lead to various conditions hence it’s wise to have a diet that is inclusive of the mineral. A diet rich in nuts, beans, leafy greens, soy products, and whole grains will increase your magnesium levels. However, if it still is not enough, you can try out magnesium supplements. It will complement your diet for a healthy body.
Related Reading to Low Magnesium Levels
6 Huge Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms
References
Cheungpasitporn, W., Thongprayoon, C., Mao, M. A., Srivali, N., Ungprasert, P., Varothai, N., Sanguankeo, A., Kittanamongkolchai, W., & Erickson, S. B. (2015). Hypomagnesaemia linked to depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Internal medicine journal, 45(4), 436–440. https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.12682
Sartori, S. B., Whittle, N., Hetzenauer, A., & Singewald, N. (2012). Magnesium deficiency induces anxiety and HPA axis dysregulation: modulation by therapeutic drug treatment. Neuropharmacology, 62(1), 304–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.07.027
Caddell J. L. (2001). Magnesium deficiency promotes muscle weakness, contributing to the risk of sudden infant death (SIDS) in infants sleeping prone. Magnesium research, 14(1-2), 39–50.
Song, Y., Sesso, H. D., Manson, J. E., Cook, N. R., Buring, J. E., & Liu, S. (2006). Dietary magnesium intake and risk of incident hypertension among middle-aged and older US women in a 10-year follow-up study. The American journal of cardiology, 98(12), 1616–1621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2006.07.040
