8 Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

Magnesium is a mineral that the human body uses for a wide range of functions, so magnesium deficiency can cause a wide range of problems. Magnesium is used by the skeletal system, the cardiovascular system, and the digestive system. The difficulty is that the symptoms of low magnesium can be general enough that they do not always point to magnesium as the initial problem. If left untreated, low magnesium levels can lead to chronic illnesses such as diabetes, celiac disease, epilepsy, migraines, and more.The body tends to exacerbate a low magnesium condition by stripping magnesium and calcium from the bones to make up for the deficit in other areas. That means that the sufferer is prone to the problems that go along with weak bone mass as well as the potential chronic illnesses associated with a lack of magnesium. The best way to take in more magnesium is through a diet that includes foods rich in the mineral, such as peanut butter, salmon, whole grains, spinach, milk, bananas, and beans. While low magnesium, also known as hypomagnesemia, is common in the United States, very few of the people who suffer from the problem have been diagnosed and treated for it.

1. Muscle Twitches

One of the most active processes in which the body uses magnesium is energy production. That means that one of the first signs of a magnesium problem will show up in the muscles. Low magnesium can cause the muscles to fatigue more quickly than usual, which can lead to spasms or twitches as the muscle fibers misfire. The lack of magnesium in the nervous system is another reason twitching can occur. The muscle rapidly tightening and then relaxing over and over again causes the twitch. Twitches can occur in any muscle in the body, although magnesium related twitching seems to concentrate in the facial muscles.Twitching can be caused by many different factors, such as chronic stress or excessive caffeine intake. You can combat the twitches by cutting back on caffeinated beverages and trying some relaxation techniques. If the twitch persists, you can try magnesium and calcium supplements to replace the minerals your body lacks. Although chronic muscle twitches can be annoying, they are rarely painful and generally not a serious health risk. Twitching is simply a sign that the muscle is fatigued and either needs some rest or needs additional minerals to help it restore itself to full strength.Next