Top 7 Reasons You Could Be Experiencing Low Magnesium Levels

When exploring ways to keep an active and mobile lifestyle, magnesium is one essential nutrient that should be monitored closely. It seems incredible in the United States where we are surrounded by so many magnesium-rich foods (like nuts, fish, chocolate, fruits, vegetables) that it is estimated that many of us may have low levels of magnesium. How can that be?

How much magnesium do we need vs how much are we actually getting?

The recommended dietary amount (RDA) of magnesium for women is 320 mg/day, 420 mg/day for men, and up to 240 mg/day (depending on age) for children 13 years and under. (See below chart for more details on magnesium RDA.) (1-3)

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDAs) for Magnesium (1)

However, it is estimated:

• ~75% of Americans intake less than the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for magnesium (4-6)

• Western-based diets trend <30%-50% of magnesium RDA (2)

Many people may be unaware of the possibility of having low magnesium levels and are struggling through needless stiffness, aches and pains in the joints, muscle spasms, and unrelenting tensions in the body.

Furthermore, some studies indicate magnesium deficiency may lead to several chronic health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, autism, and depression (See Key Signs and Symptoms.)

How is all this possible? It is a combination of low magnesium intake from the foods we eat coupled with burning quickly through the magnesium store within our bodies. Let’s take a closer look at some possible reasons.

1. Demineralization of the soil (5,8,9)

Many of our fruits and vegetables may be lacking sufficient magnesium content. It is estimated that magnesium content in vegetable and fruits has declined by 20% to 30% over the last 60+ years. (8)This is due to the soil in which many of the plants are grown tend to be over cultivated.

There is also a high usage of pesticides and chemical fertilizers (low in magnesium but high in harmful phosphates). It’s not enough to buy non-GMO and organic fruits and vegetables. As a consumer you have to go beyond organic and search out local farms that grow their produce in nutrient-rich soil.

2. Poor dietary habits

Living in the fast lane unfortunately can cause us to not have enough time to eat wholesome foods that are good for us. To feed our bodies, we can start to rely on fast foods that are loaded with ingredients like sugar and that tend to cause the body to excrete vital minerals like magnesium.

Photo by Sagar Chaudhray on Unsplash.

3. Processed Foods

Furthermore, processed foods and drinks that are consumed are typically stripped of key nutrients. (8) Examples include:

• Sodas contain phosphates which bind to magnesium that later is flushed out of the system

• Lunch/deli meats tend to contain phosphates which bind to magnesium and then gets excreted

• Coffee acts like a diuretic that flushes out magnesium the body

• Alcohol, totaling 3 to 4 drinks per day can block magnesium in the body

Even with “healthy”, whole foods, you have to be scrupulous. It is estimated that anywhere from 80% to 90% of magnesium content is lost during food processing. (4) Many of these foods when processed lose their magnesium punch. (2,7,8) Examples include:

• Milled grains are stripped of nutrient-rich germ, bran and minerals, including magnesium

• Dry roasted nuts and seeds are typically stripped of their oils; this is where nutritious magnesium can be found

• Calcium-fortified foods which can push magnesium out of the body

4. Poor Intestinal Health (4,5,9)

Many individuals these days tend to suffer from digestive track issues, ranging from leaky gut, to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), to Crohn’s disease. These conditions can make it difficult to absorb minerals and can impede the uptake of magnesium.

Malabsorption (4,5,9)

One common cause of digestive track issues is low stomach acid levels. Ample amounts of stomach acid are needed so that your body can make digestive enzymes to convert minerals, like magnesium, into a bioavailable substance.

Poor diet and stress are typically the 2 main culprits of low stomach acid levels. With the highly processed, fried, greasy, and sugary foods that can be typically found in the Western diet, and with the stress of present-day life, it’s no wonder that many people are suffering digestive track issues.

Furthermore, not only does it take a lot of stomach acid to digest highly non-nutritious foods, but also these highly processed foods tend to come with insufficient digestive enzymes to help breakdown the food in the intestines.

5. Aging (4,5,9)

As we grow older our stomach acid tends to decline making it even more critical that we eat more nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables that come with their own digestive enzymes to help the process.

6. Daily Stress (9)

Stress can be a major reason for depletion of the magnesium stores within your body. All types of stress can have this negative effect on the body and increase the magnesium burn rate (the rate at which magnesium leaves your body). Common examples of magnesium burners, include (9):

• Balancing multiple family obligations

• Overworked muscles from an intense workout

• Long work hours to meet tight deadlines

• Pregnancy – giving birth

• Surgery

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash.

7. Drug-induced Magnesium Deficiency

Both prescriptive and over-the- counter drugs can cause your magnesium levels to drop. The types of drugs that can deplete your magnesium store range from birth control pills to antibiotics. See below for some examples (2,5,8-12):

• Antibiotics (eg, demeclocycline, ciprofloxacin)

• Antimicrobial medication (eg, pentamidine)

• Antiviral medication (eg, foscarnet)

• Asthma medications (eg, fenoterol, salbutamol)

• Birth control pills (eg, ethinyl estradiol and desogestrel)

• Cardiovascular medication (eg, digoxin, hydralazine)

• Chemotherapeutic agents (eg, amsacrine, cisplatin)

• Digitalis

• Diuretics/Blood pressure medication (eg, furomeside, hydrochlorothiazide)

• Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) (eg, esomeprazole magnesium [Nexium] and lansoprazole, [Prevacid])

• Immunosuppressants (eg, cyclosporine, sirolimus)

• Osteoporosis medication (eg, pamidronate, alendronate)

We have covered a lot of ground on some common reasons that may lead to low magnesium levels for individuals. Now stay tuned for next post where we will go over how to recognize low magnesium levels.

References

1. National Institute of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: fact sheet for health professionals. Updated September 26, 2018. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional. Accessed April 16, 2019.

2. Grober U, Schmidt J, Kisters K. Magnesium in prevention and therapy. Nutrients. 2015;7(9):1-34.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26404370. Accessed February 10, 2019.

3. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D and Fluoride. Washington DC: National Academy Press; 1997.https://www.nap.edu/read/5776/chapter/8#239. Accessed February 24, 2019.

4. Ahmed F, Mohommed A. Magnesium: The forgotten electrolyte–a review on hypomagnesemia. Med Sci. 2019;7(4):1-13. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3271/7/4/56. Accessed May 6, 2019.

5. Guerrara MP, Volpe SL, Mao JJ. Therapeutic uses of magnesium. Am Fam Physician. 2009;80(2):157-162. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2009/0715/p157.html#afp20090715p157-b2. Accessed May 12, 2019.

6. Dean, C. The Magnesium Miracle. 2nd ed. Ballantine Books: New York; 2017.

7. Razzaque MS. Magnesium: are we consuming enough? Nutrients.2018;10(12):1-12.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6316205. Accessed February 10, 2019.

8. De Baaij JHF, Hoenderop JGJ, Bindels RJM. Magnesium in man: implications for health and disease. Physiol Rev. 2015. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25540137. Accessed February 10, 2019.

9. DiNicolantonio J, O’Keefe JH, Wilson W. Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis. Open Heart. 2018;5(1): e000688.

10. National Institute of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: fact sheet for health professionals. Updated September 26, 2018. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional. Accessed April 16, 2019.

11. Harvard Health Publishing: Harvard Medical School. Are your medications causing nutrient deficiency? August 2016. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/are-your-medications-causing-nutrient-deficiency. Accessed April 16, 2019.

12. Penn State Hershey: Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Drugs that deplete: magnesium.http://pennstatehershey.adam.com/content.aspx?productId=107&pid=33&gid=000711. Accessed April 16, 2019.