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Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms

Magnesium deficiencies can manifest in many different ways

The following is a list of body functions which are negatively affected by low levels of dietary magnesium intake:

• Heart Function
• Blood vessel function
• Stress
• Blood Sugar Levels

Let’s cover each one in turn and take a look at some of the information available.

HEART FUNCTION

Magnesium plays an important part in the proper functioning of the heart and circulation.*  Normal magnesium levels can help support healthy heart and blood vessel function.*  Research has shown that increased levels of magnesium in the body cause the dilation of blood vessels throughout the body, and thus positively affecting blood flow.* [1,2,3]   A lot of evidence has been found that suggests that magnesium rich diets can help maintain normal blood pressure levels already within range, especially in older people.[4,5,6,7]

BLOOD VESSEL FUNCTION

Perhaps one of the most interesting roles for magnesium is the part it plays in healthy artery function.  [8,9,10,11,12]

STRESS

Sleep deprivation is known to deplete magnesium levels, (and interestingly to reduce insulin sensitivity which is also magnesium related).*[17]  Thus a cycle of sleep deprivation and dietary magnesium deficiency will lead to increased levels of stress hormones and aggravate the symptoms of stress.*

BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS

Magnesium plays an important part in the bodie’s regulation of normal blood sugar [18,19]  Oral magnesium supplementation should therefore help regulate blood sugar levels already within normal range.*

 

 

 

REFERENCES

[1] Laurant, P. and Touyz, R.M. 2000 Physiological and pathophysiological role of magnesium in the cardiovascular system: implications in hypertension. J. Hypertens. 18(9), 1177–1191.

 

[2] Ameen, M., Davies, J.E. and Ng, L.L. 1991 A comparison of free intracellular calcium and magnesium levels in the vascular smooth muscle and striated muscle cells of the spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar Kyoto normotensive rat. Ann. New York Acad. Sci. 639, 550–553.

 

[3] Laurant, P., Kantelip, J.P. and Berthelot, A. 1995 Dietary magnesium supplementation modifies blood pressure and cardiovascular function in mineralocorticoid-salt hypertensive rats but not in normotensive rats. J. Nutr. 125, 830–841.

 

[4] Geleijnse, J.M., Witteman, J.C., den Breeijen, J.H., Hofman, A., de Jong, P.T., Pols, H.A.and Grobbee, D.E. 1996 Dietary electrolyte intake and blood pressure in older subjects: the Rotterdam Study. J. Hypertens. 14(6), 737–741.

 

[5] Geleijnse, J.M., Grobbee, D.E. and Kok, F.J. 2005 Impact of dietary and lifestyle factors on the prevalence of hypertension in Western populations. J. Hum. Hypertens. 19(Suppl. 3), S1–S4.

 

[6] Joffres, M.R., Reed, D.M. and Yano, K. 1987 Relation of magnesium intake and other dietary factors to blood pressure: the Honolulu Heart Study. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 45, 469–475.

 

[7] Ascherio, A., Hennekens, C., Willett, W.C., Sacks, F., Rosner, B., Manson, J., Witteman, J. and Stampfer, M.J. 1996 Prospective study of nutritional factors, blood pressure and hypertension among US women. Hypertension 27(5), 1065–1072.

 

[8] Maier, J.A.M., Malpuech-Brugere, C., Zimowska, W., Rayssiguier, Y. and Mazur, A.(2004) Low magnesium promotes endothelial cell dysfunction: implications for atherosclerosis, inflammation and thrombosis. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1689, 13–21.

 

[9] Altura, B.T., Brust, M., Barbour, R.L., Bloom, S., Stempak, J. and Altura, B.M. (1990) Magnesium dietary intake modulates blood lipid levels and atherogenesis. Proc.Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 187, 1840–1844.

 

[10] Rayssiguier, Y., Gueux, E., Bussiere, L., Durlach, J. and Mazur, A. (1993) Dietary magnesium affects susceptibility of lipoproteins and tissues to peroxidation in rats. . Am. Coll. Nutr. 12, 133–137.

 

[11] Steidl L., Ditmar R.; Soft tissue calcification treated with local and oral magnesium therapy. Magnes. Res. 1990 Jun;3(2):113-9.

 

[12] Bigi A. Et al. Structural and chemical characterization of inorganic deposits in calcified human mitral valve. J. Inorg. Biochem. 1988 Oct;34(2):75-82.

 

[13] Martin BJ, Milligan K. Diuretic-associated hypomagnesemia in the elderly. Arch Intern Med. 1987;147:1768-1771

 

[14] Cohen L, Kitzes R. Magnesium sulfate and digitalis-toxic arrhythmias. JAMA. 1983; 249:2808-2810.

 

[15] Whang R, Oei TO, Watanabe A. Frequency of hypomagnesemia in hospitalized patients receiving digitalis. Arch Intern Med. 1985; 145:655-656.

 

[16] Bashir Y, Sneddon JF, Staunton A, et al. Effects of long-term oral magnesium chloride replacement in congestive heart failure secondary to coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol. 1993;72:1156-1162.

 

[17] Tanabe K. Et al. Erythrocyte magnesium and prostaglandin dynamics in chronic sleep deprivation. Clin Cardiol. 1997 Mar; 20(3): 265-8.

 

[18] Yiqing Song et al. "Dietary Magnesium Intake in Relation to Plasma Insulin Levels and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Women" Diabetes Care January 2004 27:59-65

 

[19] Ruy Lopez-Ridaura, Walter C. Willett, Eric B. Rimm, Simin Liu, Meir J. Stampfer, JoAnn E. Manson, and Frank B. Hu "Magnesium Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Men and Women" Dibetes Care January 2004 27:134-140