Magnesium deficiency: Symptoms, signs, and treatment

September 5, 2022

Share the article

Overview

A frequently disregarded medical condition is magnesium shortage, also referred to as hypomagnesemia.

Early signs of magnesium deficiency can include weakness, fatigue, lack of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. Although many people do not get enough magnesium, insufficiency is uncommon, and symptoms typically point to a more severe health issue.

Magnesium is a necessary mineral and electrolyte that is involved in a variety of body functions, such as:

Energy generation
Tooth and bone structure
Muscular activity
Nerve function
RNA, protein, and DNA replication

As a result, people must consume adequate magnesium daily to be healthy.

What does a lack of magnesium mean?

However, some things can make someone more likely to have signs of magnesium shortage. These consist of:

Eating a low-magnesium diet consistently
Having digestive illnesses like Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, or regional enteritis
Magnesium loss through urine and sweat that is high due to hereditary abnormalities or alcohol consumption
Being both pregnant and nursing
A hospital stay
Having hyperaldosteronism and parathyroid abnormalities
A person with type 2 diabetes

Long-term magnesium deficiency could be harmful to:

Bone thickness
Brain activity
Muscle and nerve activity
Digestion process

Particularly concerning can be a loss of bone density. Magnesium shortage may stop bone development in younger persons. When the bones are still growing in childhood, it’s critical to acquire enough magnesium.

Signs of magnesium deficiency

Here are 11 indicators that someone may be iodine deficient.

1. Unusual weight gain

Unexpected weight gain is one of the most observable symptoms of an iodine shortage.

An individual with a healthy metabolism burns calories to provide energy. However, a person’s metabolism slows down if they have hypothyroidism or a lack of thyroid hormones.

Calories are more likely to be stored as fat when a person’s metabolism slows down, resulting in weight gain.

It’s crucial to remember that weight gain isn’t necessarily an indication of iodine insufficiency. If another factor cannot account for weight gain, it may just be a symptom. For example, overeating calories or not exercising enough are two typical causes of weight gain.

2. Hair loss

Another indication that someone may be iodine deficient is hair loss.

Thyroid hormones aid in the regeneration of hair follicles. The follicles stop growing when a person has hypothyroidism due to a lack of thyroid hormones.

New follicles grow in to replace the hair that loses out normally. A person’s hair starts to thin out when this stops happening over time.

3. Dry skin

Since iodine deficiency can cause dry, flaky skin, this symptom may indicate hypothyroidism.

Cells regenerate with the aid of thyroid hormones. A lack of these hormones may lead to an accumulation of dead skin cells, which can occasionally cause dry, flaky skin.

4. Periods that are heavy or irregular

Low thyroid hormone levels can impact the hormone levels that control a woman’s period. Iodine deficiencies may manifest as any of the following symptoms:

periods heavier than regular periods that occur more frequently or less frequently than typical

5. Swollen neck

Iodine deficiency can cause a person’s neck to swell. This is because their neck-based thyroid gland has become larger.

The thyroid will attempt to absorb more iodine from the blood when it is deficient in iodine. The thyroid enlarges, as a result, making the neck appear swollen.

Foods to eat

By consuming foods high in magnesium, such as green vegetables, fruit, whole grains, cereals, and legumes, one can meet the RDA for this mineral. In order of highest to lowest magnesium concentration, some foods include Trusted Source:

Pumpkin seeds
Chia seed
Particularly almonds, cashews, and peanuts
Spinach
Almond butter
Whole-grain bread
Avocado
Potato
Rice
Yoghurt
Cereals

Other magnesium-rich foods include:

Cereal beans kidneys
Apples and bananas
Salmon and halibut
Raisins
Chicken breast
Carrots and broccoli

Low magnesium levels cause the body to absorb more magnesium from the small intestine and excrete less magnesium through the kidneys.

How can a magnesium deficiency be identified?

Blood and sometimes a urine test is used to identify magnesium deficiencies. If you exhibit symptoms like weakness, irritability, an irregular heart rhythm, nausea and/or diarrhoea, or if your calcium or potassium levels are unusual, your doctor may prescribe a blood test.

Treatment for a magnesium deficiency

Your doctor will recommend a magnesium supplement if you don’t get enough magnesium in your diet. Your doctor may need to experiment with the dosage because they can occasionally cause diarrhoea. Magnesium intravenously may be required in extreme circumstances.

If you’re considering taking a magnesium supplement, talk to your doctor first because too much magnesium can be harmful. Overdosing can result in nausea, diarrhoea, stomach cramps, and, in severe circumstances, an erratic heartbeat and cardiac arrest.

The National Institutes of Health lists the following as excellent iodine sources:

1 dried sheet of seaweed contains 11 to 1,989% of the RDI (recommended daily intake)
85 grammes (g) of cod, or 3 ounces, provides 66 per cent of the RDI.
One cup of plain yoghurt contains 50% of the RDI.
1/4 teaspoon or 1.5 g of iodised salt: 47% of the RDI
23 percent of the RDI in 3 ounces (85 g) of shrimp
1 large egg provides 16 percent of the RDI.
3 ounces (85 g) of canned tuna, or 11 percent of the RDI
5 slices of dried prunes: 9% of the RDI
Iodine needs to be consumed in amounts of 150 micrograms (mcg) daily to keep the body at a healthy level.