Feeling stressed? You may need more magnesium

Magnesium deficiency is a growing concern in all Western nations.  The magnesium content of our food is declining, while certain dietary and lifestyle habits can cause you to lose excessive amounts of magnesium from your body.

Being magnesium deficient places you at higher risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.  People with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and diabetes usually have significantly lower body levels of magnesium.  Magnesium helps to relax the muscular walls of your arteries, thus helping to normalize blood pressure.  Magnesium also helps to keep your heart beating in a regular rhythm.  Ironically most medication used to control high blood pressure depletes the body of magnesium, thereby worsening the condition.

Magnesium deficiency makes you feel more stressed.  When you are stressed, your adrenal glands release the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol into your bloodstream.  These hormones cause the loss of magnesium through urine.  This means that anyone who has experienced long term stress will probably end up magnesium deficient unless they take a supplement.  Chronic anxiety also depletes magnesium.

People who are magnesium deficient tend to feel more stressed.  Minor annoyances can feel overwhelming.  This leads to a negative spiral because the more stressed you feel, the more magnesium deficient you become.

Who is at risk of magnesium deficiency?

The following people are most likely to be magnesium deficient:

• Stressed people and anyone who suffers with anxiety
• People who consume alcohol regularly or in large quantities
• People with digestive problems that impair mineral absorption
• High levels of salt, caffeine and soft drinks in the diet increase magnesium excretion
• Profuse sweating, such as through intense exercise or extreme heat increases magnesium loss
• The oral contraceptive pill increases magnesium loss
• Diets low in vegetables, nuts and seeds promote magnesium deficiency

What are the symptoms of magnesium deficiency?

Most of the magnesium in your body is stored in your skeleton.  This means blood tests are not a reliable way to check for magnesium deficiency.  Therefore you can determine if you are magnesium deficient based on certain symptoms.  The following symptoms are the most common manifestations of magnesium deficiency:

• Muscle spasms, twitches, cramps and weak muscles
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Nausea
• Lethargy
• Irritability and agitation
• Dizziness
• Fibromyalgia
• Poor attention span

Magnesium supplements

Magnesium is found in green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds.  Most people don’t eat enough of these foods to obtain sufficient magnesium, and due to modern farming practices, the magnesium content of all foods has declined.  A magnesium supplement is the most reliable way to correct a magnesium deficiency quickly.  You should notice the benefits within a couple of weeks.  I have found that magnesium is best absorbed when taken in a variety of forms; that is why I designed Magnesium Complete tablets and Magnesium Ultra Potent powder.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not designed to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.