Very low magnesium levels may cause:
Headaches. Nighttime leg cramps. Numbness or tingling in the legs or hands. General body weakness.
You can test your magnesium levels by purchasing a simple at-home finger prick test kit which is then analysed at an accredited lab. Forth offers a number of blood tests which include magnesium such as our Nutri-check test and Menopause Health blood test.
The benefits of magnesium supplementation in healthy individuals aren't clear, but Dr. Nassar says that taking a magnesium supplement every day likely isn't unsafe for most people. Just be sure you're not taking too much magnesium. The maximum dietary allowance for most adults is around 400 mg or less.
Magnesium deficiency in healthy people is rare but it can be caused by: a poor diet (especially in elderly people or those who don't have enough to eat) type 2 diabetes. digestive problems such as Crohn's disease.
A blood test will be ordered to check your magnesium level. Normal range is 1.3 to 2.1 mEq/L (0.65 to 1.05 mmol/L). Other blood and urine tests that may be done include: Calcium blood test.
Every organ in the body, especially the heart, muscles, and kidneys, needs the mineral magnesium. It also contributes to the makeup of teeth and bones.
Chronic magnesium deficiency is often associated with normal serum magnesium despite deficiency in cells and in bone; the response to oral supplementation is slow and may take up to 40 weeks to reach a steady state.
From regulating mood, maintaining healthy heartbeat to supporting sleep, muscle and nerve function along with energy production to name just a few. It's clear the mineral is vital for both men and women.
Your body needs sufficient magnesium for it to function properly. If you're magnesium deficient it could be contributing to your weight gain or preventing you from losing weight.
Severe magnesium deficiency can cause problems with the function of your nervous system and heart. It can lead to things like muscle spasms, seizures, or heart arrhythmias. Oral or intravenous magnesium can supplement a low magnesium level.
People with diabetes, intestinal disease, heart disease or kidney disease should not take magnesium before speaking with their health care provider. Overdose. Signs of a magnesium overdose can include nausea, diarrhea, low blood pressure, muscle weakness, and fatigue. At very high doses, magnesium can be fatal.
When should I get this test? Magnesium testing may be a follow-up to chronically low blood calcium and potassium levels. It also may be ordered when you have symptoms possibly due to a magnesium deficiency, such as muscle weakness, twitching, cramping, confusion, cardiac arrhythmias, and seizures.
Vitamins and minerals
Let's start with magnesium. A cup of coffee contains about 7 mg, which is a drop in the daily-requirement bucket (420 mg for men, 320 mg for women).
"Research has shown that magnesium supplementation may affect the brain functions that help lower stress and anxiety," Gorin says. It works by helping your body kick into the "rest and digest" state, or by activating your parasympathetic nervous system.
What does the Department of Health and Social Care advise? You should be able to get all the magnesium you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. If you take magnesium supplements, do not take too much as this could be harmful. Having 400mg or less a day of magnesium from supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.