Why does a magnesium deficiency happen?

Why does a magnesium deficiency happen?

Why does a Magnesium deficiency happen

Cooking reduces the magnesium content even in those food that contain a high percentage of this mineral. In addition, a diet that is high in protein and consuming alcohol, coffee or sugar, contribute to reducing the magnesium levels in the body.

Food sources that contain magnesium include algae, green-leaf vegetables, walnuts, seeds, and dark chocolate. Unfortunately, in many cases, people consider that chocolate is the only way to obtain magnesium, but the problem is that high amounts of sugar and milk are used to mask the bitter taste of chocolate, which considerably reduces the magnesium content.

Magnesium content in common foods (milligrams) per 100 grams:

  • Algae- 760
  • Pumpkin seeds- 532
  • Wheat bran 490
  • Wheat germ-336
  • Almonds-270
  • Cashews-267
  • Molasses- 258
  • Brewer’s Yeast- 231
  • Buckwheat- 229
  • Brazil nuts- 225
  • Dulse (Palmaria Palmata alga) – 220
  • Hazelnuts- 184
  • Peanuts – 175
  • Millet- 162
  • Wheat grain- 160
  • Seeds- 142
  • Walnuts- 131
  • Rye- 115

If you want to learn more about Foods Rich in Magnesium click here

Magnesium deficiency in agriculture

Before beginning to destroy the supply of magnesium during the cooking process, its content has already been reduced in agriculture, since magnesium is not included in modern fertilizers in agricultural cultivation.

Because of this, once the plants have consumed all of the magnesium that was in the soil, the next harvest will not have magnesium available. Taking into account that the magnesium values of the food products referred to on this page correspond to plants which are usually cultivated under proper conditions, the percentages could be mistakenly high.

Most people suffer a magnesium deficiency

A lack of magnesium is more common than we could think. In a report by the National Academy of Sciences, it was revealed that an 80 per cent of American men and a 70 per cent of American women do not consume the recommended daily amounts (RDA) of magnesium, neither through their diet, nor through dietary supplements.

If the recommended daily amount is already too low on its own, we can conclude that most of the population suffers from a lack of magnesium.

Symptoms of a Magnesium Deficiency

What are the causes of a Magnesium deficiency? Nowadays, it is quite common to see how a great part of the population suffer from this. Some of the possible causes can be:

  • A bad diet, lack of sources rich in magnesium, or the consumption of a lot of processed foods
  • Medicines that block its absorption
  • Alcoholism
  • Hypercalcemia (high levels of calcium in the blood)
  • Excessive sweating or doing exercise on an unfavorable climate
  • Having some kind of pathology related to the absorption of this mineral, such as the inflammation of the intestine or the celiac disease; as well as chronic diarrhea
  • Intense stress
  • Cultivation methods (surfaces that are poor in minerals), transport, and maintenance of the foods, lead to drastically low levels magnesium

What are the symptoms of a Magnesium deficiency? The main symptoms of a lack of this essential mineral for the human body are the following ones:

  • Muscle spams
  • Restlessness and nervousness
  • Hypertension
  • Lack of concentration
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Tachycardia, cardiac muscle spams, arrhythmia
  • Stomach and intestinal problems, nausea, vomits, diarrhea, and convulsions
  • Dizziness, tremors, or cramps
  • Sleep disorders
  • Premature labor
  • Fragile nails, caries in the teeth
  • Weakness
  • Lack of energy
  • Premature exhaustion during physical activities
  • Facial tics
  • Anxiety
  • Abnormal levels of calcium and/or potassium

Lack of Magnesium

What is Hypomagnesemia?

Hypomagnesemia is a clinical condition in which the magnesium levels of a person are lower than normal. The causes include an inadequate intake and absorption of magnesium, an increase of the excretion due to hypercalcemia (increase of the levels of calcium in the blood plasma), or to hypopotassemia (low levels of potassium), or due to the side effects of medicines.

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About Carlos Sánchez
Carlos Sánchez
Carlos Sánchez has a degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and therefore all his actions are rigorously backed by science.
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