This is the critical link between these two ions and the heart — magnesium is critical to transporting potassium into the heart cells and optimizing heart health.
Potassium deficiency can be related to, or exacerbated by, magnesium deficiency as these electrolytes have a similar relationship. When magnesium levels fall, potassium levels also fall, and this is referred to as secondary potassium depletion. Of note, potassium levels falling do not cause magnesium levels to fall.
Magnesium has a direct effect on the balance of other electrolytes, including sodium, calcium and potassium. Hypomagnesemia often happens alongside hypocalcemia (low blood calcium levels) and hypokalemia (low blood potassium levels).
Magnesium deficiency impairs Na-K-ATPase, which would decrease cellular uptake of K +. A decrease in cellular uptake of K +, if it occurs along with increased urinary or gastrointestinal excretion, would lead to K + wasting and hypokalemia.
Magnesium helps transport calcium and potassium ions in and out of cells. It may also contribute to the absorption of these important minerals. This is why a lack of magnesium can lead to low calcium and potassium levels.
Magnesium depletion can cause hypokalemia that is refractory to oral or intravenous (IV) potassium chloride therapy because severe magnesium depletion causes renal potassium wasting through undefined mechanisms.
In hypokalemia, the level of potassium in blood is too low. A low potassium level has many causes but usually results from vomiting, diarrhea, adrenal gland disorders, or use of diuretics. A low potassium level can make muscles feel weak, cramp, twitch, or even become paralyzed, and abnormal heart rhythms may develop.
Magnesium deficiency is diagnosed via a blood test and sometimes a urine test. Your doctor may order the blood test if you have symptoms such as weakness, irritability, abnormal heart rhythm, nausea and/or diarrhoea, or if you have abnormal calcium or potassium levels.
Very low magnesium levels may cause:
Headaches. Nighttime leg cramps. Numbness or tingling in the legs or hands. General body weakness.
Carolyn Dean, the following common factors can deplete the body's magnesium and/or increase the demand for magnesium: Supplements and drugs containing caffeine. Diuretics. Certain medications, including proton pump inhibitors, asthma medications, birth control pills, insulin, digitalis, and certain antibiotics.
In addition to its relationship to potassium, magnesium also has a similar relationship with calcium and an inverse relationship with phosphorus.
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. Magnesium is needed for many functions in the body. This includes the physical and chemical processes in the body that convert or use energy (metabolism).
Since you can't properly metabolize vitamin D without the right level of magnesium, taking vitamin D by itself may not fix a deficiency. Taking vitamin D in large doses can also deplete magnesium, leading to a deficiency or making an existing one worse.
Both magnesium and potassium are important minerals that support your overall health and well-being. Magnesium supports essential muscle and heart functioning while potassium benefits heart functioning by helping to control the activity of the heart muscle.
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.
confusion. constipation. an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) – skipped heartbeats or an irregular heartbeat. tingling or numbness.
You can take a potassium test at home, either with a blood or urine sample. If using a 24-hour urine test, you will need to collect your urine wherever you are during the day. For blood tests, you often need to visit a local laboratory to have your sample collected.
Always check the serum magnesium level and replete magnesium prior to repleting potassium. Low magnesium can exacerbate renal potassium losses.
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.
An easy way to boost your potassium intake is by eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Other foods like pulses, fish, nuts, seeds and milk are also high in potassium and low in salt, so can help benefit your heart.”
As noted previously, magnesium deficiency reduces cardiac Na-K-ATPase, leading to higher levels of sodium and calcium and lower levels of magnesium and potassium in the heart. This increases vasoconstriction in the coronary arteries, which can induce coronary artery spasms, myocardial infarction and arrhythmias.