Feeling tired all the time? Struggling to get to sleep at night? Not bouncing back from workouts as quickly as you used to? If you experience fatigue, poor sleep quality or muscle cramps, it could be because you’re not getting enough magnesium.
What is magnesium?
Magnesium is a mineral that’s behind over 300 of our body’s biochemical processes—meaning it’s pretty essential to our survival. However, your body can’t produce magnesium on its own.
Magnesium comes from the soil or the sea, so we need to get it through the foods we eat, or a high-quality supplement.
What are the signs of magnesium deficiency?
Severe magnesium deficiency (hypomagnesemia) is very rare, affecting 2.5% – 15% of the UK population.
Certain groups are more at risk than others—for example, people who are very sick in hospital, people with an alcohol use disorder, or those with poorly managed diabetes.
In the short term, not getting enough magnesium can lead to muscle spasms or cramps, numbness in your hands and feet, fatigue and weakness, or abnormal heart rhythms. In the long term, it can put you at greater risk of high blood pressure, osteoporosis, migraines, and other health conditions.
It’s important to be clear on the difference between a deficiency and low levels here—if you’re concerned about any unusual symptoms, consult a healthcare professional. If you simply want to give yourself the best chance at a healthy life, a magnesium supplement can help.
Because it’s surprisingly easy to not get enough magnesium…
If you’re doing these five things, you might be lacking magnesium
Medical conditions like diabetes, celiac disease or kidney disease can affect your body’s magnesium levels—in which case, your doctor should talk to you about how to get the right nutrition.
However, there are some everyday habits and routines that may be impacting your body’s magnesium stores without you realising it.
This is one of the most common causes of low magnesium levels. Aim to eat lots of magnesium-rich foods, like leafy greens, nuts, legumes, and whole grains to keep the magnesium flowing.
Magnesium plays a key role in regulating your nervous system, which controls your stress response.
When you’re going through a stressful period, your body loses more magnesium. And if you’re not getting enough magnesium, you’re more vulnerable to stress—it’s a vicious cycle!
Try to keep stress in check through lifestyle, mindfulness and stress-busting activities, like yoga, walks, or a creative practice. And when things do get hectic, make sure to replenish your magnesium levels.
Alcohol interferes with how your body absorbs magnesium, as it increases the amount of magnesium you lose through urine.
It’s recommended to have no more than 14 units (about six glasses of wine or beer) every week. To cut back, try scheduling alcohol-free days into your week, switch to lower-strength beers or wines, or enjoy no-alcohol alternatives, like functional drinks.
You’ve probably heard that it’s good to follow a course of antibiotics with probiotics. But did you know that antibiotics can throw your body’s magnesium levels off-balance too? As can other medications, like diuretics and PPIs (proton pump inhibitors, commonly used to treat acid reflux).
Always consult with your doctor before taking new medication, and shore up magnesium reserves with a supplement if safe to do so.
There’s no escaping it—we’re all getting older, all of the time.
As we age, our magnesium levels tend to decrease due to a combination of factors—from diet, to our digestion becoming less effective. This is why magnesium deficiency can be more common in older age groups.
However, magnesium is crucial for bones, hearts, the nervous system, cognition, and other aspects of our health that are more vulnerable as we age.
That’s why the magnesium RDA for people aged 51 and over increases to 420 mg for men and 320 mg for women.
How to fix it
If you’re worried you’re low on magnesium, the best place to start is by adding more magnesium-rich foods to your diet. You could also consider a high-quality magnesium supplement, so you can easily get enough magnesium without having to think too hard about it.
Our Marine Magnesium is designed to give you body some serious sea power. Our clean, powerful and pure magnesium hydroxide formula is sourced from all-natural marine algae, supporting bone health, muscle recovery, sleep, energy, mood, and more.