Symptoms, causes and treatments for magnesium deficiency

Magnesium is an important mineral and nutrient. Doctors usually diagnose magnesium deficiency, or hypomagnesemia, if you have low levels of magnesium in the blood.

Doctors define hypomagnesemia as a serum magnesium level below 0.75 millimoles per liter (mmol / L). They can measure this level using a blood test. Hypomagnesemia does not always cause symptoms, but the former can include muscle twitching, numbness, and tingling. Left untreated, hypomagnesemia can lead to health problems and reduce the body’s calcium and potassium levels.

In this article, we take a close look at the factors that can cause low levels of magnesium. We also explore the effects of magnesium deficiency on the body and methods of treatment.

What is hypomagnesemia?

Hypomagnesemia is the medical name for magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is involved in more than 300 of the body’s enzymatic reactions. It contributes significantly to:

• healthy muscles and nerves
• regulating blood pressure
• energy production in the body’s cells
• DNA and RNA synthesis

However, the body cannot produce magnesium, so a person must get it in their diet. If intake is insufficient or if an underlying health problem affects the absorption or use of this nutrient, the person may develop hypomagnesemia. When a person has low levels, but not enough to constitute a deficiency, it is called “insufficient magnesium”.

Symptoms of hypomagnesemia

People with mild hypomagnesemia may not have any symptoms. If symptoms do appear, they may include Trusted Source:

• muscle twitching, especially in the muscles of the face
• weakness and exhaustion
• nausea and vomiting
• personality changes
• tremors
• very pronounced reflexes
• constipation
• More severe magnesium deficiency can lead to:
• muscle contractions
• epileptic seizures
• changes in heart rate

In a 2019 review, researchers noted that low levels of magnesium in the blood could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and atrial fibrillation, a disorder that results in poor coordination of the beats of the upper heart chambers.

Causes of hypomagnesemia

True magnesium deficiency usually does not develop in people who are otherwise healthy. This is because the kidneys can control the amount of this mineral that they excrete through urine. If the body does not have enough magnesium, the kidneys can stop eliminating the magnesium the body has, which helps to balance the levels.

A person can develop hypomagnesemia if:

• She consistently receives too little magnesium in her diet.
• His kidneys excrete too much magnesium.
• She suffers from another medical problem that affects the absorption of nutrients.
• Some groups are at risk for magnesium deficiency, which is a milder condition. These include people affected by:

Malnutrition

Starvation, anorexia, bulimia, or frequent vomiting for any reason can lead to magnesium deficiency.

Digestive diseases

People with conditions such as Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, or regional enteritis may have difficulty absorbing magnesium from the intestine. If a person has surgery to bypass the small intestine, it can also lead to loss of magnesium.

Diarrhea

Chronic diarrhea can lead to an imbalance of electrolytes. People with gastrointestinal conditions that cause diarrhea have a higher risk of hypomagnesemia.

Alcohol abuse

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to an imbalance of electrolytes or nutrients, and it can cause the body to release more magnesium than usual.

Breastfeeding or pregnancy

Both increase the need for magnesium. During pregnancy, an adult’s magnesium requirement increases from 310-320 milligrams (mg) to 350-360 mg per day.

Age

Magnesium absorption becomes more difficult over time, putting older adults at a higher risk of magnesium deficiency.

Diabetes

If a person has type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance, high levels of glucose in the kidneys can cause the body to excrete more magnesium. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a life-threatening complication of diabetes, and it can reduce magnesium levels as well.

Organic insufficiency

Failure of an organ, especially the kidneys, can cause the body to excrete too much magnesium.

People who take certain medications can also lose large amounts of magnesium. These drugs include:

• some antifungals
• diuretics
• proton pump inhibitors
• cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug
• Taking certain thyroid hormones can have a similar effect.

How Do Doctors Diagnose Hypomagnesemia?

The body contains about 25 grams of magnesium, more than half of which is found in the bones. Magnesium is also abundant in soft tissue. Less than 1% of the body’s magnesium is found in serum, the liquid component of blood. In the blood, normal serum magnesium levels are between 0.75 and 0.95 mmol / L. Doctors diagnose hypomagnesemia when an individual has a serum magnesium level below 0.75 mmol / L. A blood test can confirm the diagnosis. If there is no apparent cause, the doctor can determine if the person is losing magnesium through their kidneys or digestive system. It can measure the amount of magnesium in a person’s urine over 24 hours.

Treatment of hypomagnesemia

Doctors treat low levels of magnesium in different ways, depending on the situation.

Mild cases

For mild magnesium deficiency in people without other health problems, a doctor may suggest consuming more magnesium as part of the diet. The following foods contain high amounts of magnesium:

Food Magnesium per serving% of Recommended Daily Allowance (RDI) for men% of RDI for women

• almonds 76.5 mg: 19.13% 23.9%.
• 1 avocado 39.4 mg: 9.85% 12.31
• 1 cup cooked brown rice 78.8 mg: 19.7% 24.63%.
• 1 cup lentils 90.2 mg: 22.55% 28.19%.

If consuming foods rich in magnesium is not an option or of no benefit, a doctor may suggest supplementing with magnesium. However, people with kidney problems should use them with caution. If the kidneys are not working well, they may not excrete excess magnesium at a normal rate, resulting in the opposite problem – hypermagnesemia. This is the case when the body has too much magnesium.

Links to hypocalcemia and hypokalaemia

A person with very low levels of magnesium may also be deficient in calcium or potassium. Low calcium levels are called hypocalcemia, while potassium deficiency is called hypokalaemia. Magnesium helps transport calcium and potassium ions in and out of cells. It can also aid in the absorption of these important minerals. This is why a lack of magnesium can lead to a drop in calcium and potassium levels. Treating only a magnesium deficiency can make calcium deficiency worse because magnesium binds to calcium. Doctors who suspect hypomagnesemia often look for other deficiencies. This allows them to treat hypomagnesemia, hypocalcemia and hypokalemia at the same time, if necessary.

Outlook for hypomagnesemia

The outlook for a person with magnesium deficiency depends on the cause. If a mild case of magnesium deficiency results from factors such as a lack of magnesium in the diet, pregnancy, or advanced age, eating more foods high in magnesium or taking a supplement can often solve the problem. For people with more severe or persistent hypomagnesemia, the doctor must identify the cause before they can predict the outcome. If he can find and treat the root cause, a full recovery is likely Trusted Source. Getting treatment is crucial, as dangerously low levels of this mineral can cause fatal heart problems. It is also important not to diagnose and treat magnesium deficiency yourself.