We frequently write about the health risks posed by vitamin D deficiencies and iodine deficiencies, and how not getting enough of these and other important nutrients like fiber, iron and calcium can have wide-reaching repercussions for body and brain health. But one vitamin that often goes overlooked, in both its health benefits and deficiency dangers, is magnesium. It may be fair to say that many don't know what exactly magnesium is or what it does for the body, and consequently don't know how being deficient in magnesium can impact our health. It's for that reason that a subpar magnesium intake is often nicknamed "the invisible deficiency."
As Zahra Barnes writes for Life by DailyBurn, the health problems associated with magnesium deficiency are so varied that it's difficult to diagnose the condition and link its symptoms to a lack of magnesium. But the truth is, feelings of exhaustion and fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, muscle cramps, numbness and tingling nerves are all telltale signs of not getting enough magnesium in your diet.
"Magnesium is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in your body," says Dr. Danine Fruge, Associate Medical Director for the Pritkin Longevity Center in Miami, Florida. "It affects everything from your heartbeat to your muscles to your hormones."
If left unaddressed, magnesium deficiencies can manifest themselves in irregular heart rhythms, seizures and even changes to your personality. Even more alarming is that, according to the 2005-06 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, less than half of the U.S. population receives an adequate intake of magnesium. Additional studies point to an even more meager 25 percent of U.S. adults consuming the recommended intake of magnesium (310-320 milligrams for women, 400-420 for men) or higher.
To supplement your magnesium intake, try our Longevity Science-Magna Calm.