Do you practice good health habits, yet feel sick all the time? It's possible you may be suffering from a magnesium deficiency.
As a mineral, magnesium is responsible for over 300 biochemical reactions in your body. This includes the normal functioning of your muscles, the strengthening of your bones and the stabilization of your blood glucose levels. If you don't consume enough magnesium, you can suffer from symptoms such as:
1. Anxiety
Substance P is a small peptide (a chain of amino acids) that transmits pain signals from the sensory nerves to the central nervous system. Substance P is usually "overheated" in conditions of extreme stress, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. New research shows that if you are deficient in magnesium, your body can also become overloaded with Substance P. This makes you more susceptible to symptoms of anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia and PTSD. Luckily, studies have shown that PTSD, phobias and other trauma-induced ailments can be treated with magnesium supplements.
2. Insomnia
When your brain stem is overloaded with Substance P, you're essentially locked into hypervigilant mode, making you anxious all throughout the day. Because of that, you may have trouble getting shut-eye, which results in the vicious cycle where you can't sleep enough to stay healthy, but you're also not healthy enough to get quality sleep.
3. Body Aches
To help you fall asleep, your brain stem will try to send the excess Substance P towards your primary nerve structures. However, this has the side effect of inflaming your nerves, which in turn causes pain in your feet and chest. You may also experience itchiness, sore muscles and even a sensation that something is crawling under your skin.
4. Irregular Heartbeats and High Blood Pressure
Since magnesium transports electrolytes, which regulate your heartbeat, the lack of it can lead to atrial fibrillation (afib), a type of arrhythmia. Several studies support this, including a recent one published in the journal Hypertension, which concluded that those who took magnesium supplements experienced lower blood pressure after three months than those who didn't.
5. Migraine Headaches
People who suffer from migraines often have lower levels of magnesium than those who don't. In fact, those who take magnesium supplements can reduce the frequency of migraines by as much as 41.6 percent, as opposed to 15.8 percent for those who simply relied on placebo-based treatments.
Other Problems
Aside from the symptoms mentioned above, other signs you have magnesium deficiency include:
Cravings for carbs
Difficulties concentrating
Excess body odor
Fatigue
Infertility
Loss of appetite
Personality changes
Thyroid disorders
How Much Magnesium Do You Need Every Day?
Your recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for magnesium depends on several factors, such as your age, sex and — in the case of women — whether you're pregnant or lactating. For example, a man between 19-30 years old will need about 400 mg per day, while a woman within the same age range will only need 310 mg. To see a full chart of the RDAs for magnesium, see this chart by the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements.
As with other supplements, be careful to take just the right amount of magnesium. In case you're not sure how much you need, please consult your healthcare professional.
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