Like other vitamins, minerals and nutrients, your body needs magnesium as well. To maintain health of your muscles and heart intake of magnesium is important. Proper consumption of magnesium has been associated with a lower risk of, atherosclerosis, a fatty buildup on the walls of arteries, hypertension, or high blood pressure.
Do you know magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body? When magnesium has so many benefits, have you wondered what the signs are when your body needs more magnesium?
Here are 5 signs when your body needs more magnesium
Muscle cramps and twitches
As you know magnesium is very important to maintain health of your muscles, but when feeling twitches, tremors and muscle cramps start more often than these are the signs of magnesium deficiency. In some worst conditions, seizures or convulsions can also be caused due to the deficiency of magnesium. Note that muscle twitches can be caused due to some other reasons also, for example, they may be caused by stress or too much intake of caffeine.
Also read: 7 Simple Ways to Add More Protein to Your Diet
High blood pressure
Various studies suggest that, low magnesium levels or poor dietary intake might be the reason of increase in blood pressure. High blood pressure directly affects your heart health. Therefore, intake of magnesium may lower blood pressure, especially in elderly with high blood pressure.
Asthma
Sometimes, patients suffering from asthma are found to have deficiency of magnesium in their body. Which means magnesium levels seems to be lower in person with asthma than in healthy people. Researches state that, deficiency of magnesium may cause the buildup of calcium in the muscles lining the airways of the lungs. This affects the airways which makes breathing more difficult.
Irregular heartbeat
Heart arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat, is among the most serious symptoms of magnesium deficiency. In most of the cases symptoms of arrhythmia are mild or may have no symptoms at all. Whereas, in some people, it might cause heart palpitations, known as pauses between heartbeats. Lightheadedness, shortness of breath, chest pain or fainting are the possible symptoms of arrhythmia. But in some severe cases, arrhythmia might increase the risk of heart failure or stroke.
Mental illness
Another health problem caused due to deficiency of magnesium id mental illness. Apathy, in other words lack of emotion, delirium and coma are the consequences of magnesium deficiency. Risk of depression is also increased with low magnesium levels.
Also read: Turmeric Water: Know method and its Health Benefits
Foods enrich with magnesium
- Dark Chocolate
- Tofu
- Almonds, cashews and peanuts
- Quinoa
- Whole wheat
- Spinach
- Black beans
- Edamame
- Avocado
- Cultured Yoghurt
The National Institutes of Health suggested the following daily intake of magnesium:
Children 1-3 years: 80 mg
Children 4-8 years: 130 mg
Children 9-13 years: 240 mg
Teenagers 14-18 years: for boys 410 mg and girls 360 mg
Adults 19-30 years: for men 400 mg and women 310 mg
Adults 31+ years: for men 420 mg and women 320 mg
Read more articles on Healthy Diet.
