“Every known disease is linked to magnesium deficiency,” warns US holistic physician Norman Shealy. This is because “magnesium is the most important mineral required for the electrical stability of every cell in the body.”
Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions as a so-called “co-factor”: from energy production in the cell to the formation of genetic material and the body’s own proteins.
A deficiency “may be responsible for more diseases than any other nutrient,” warns Shealy. Every second
adult in the Western world consumes less of it through food and drink than their body needs (1); in the
US, as many as 80% may be affected. Why does magnesium deficiency often go undetected, get misdiagnosed, and get treated with expensive drugs?
Because it cannot be detected in standard blood tests—our bodies store less than 1% of magnesium in
serum, with the rest stored in bones and soft tissue. And because the symptoms are nonspecific: physical and mental exhaustion, persistent twitching under the eyes, tension in the upper back, shoulders, and neck, headaches, premenstrual fluid retention and/or breast tenderness, hormonal imbalances, weakness, confusion, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, tantrums, cramps, poor digestion, sleep disorders, muscle tension, calcification of organs, cardiac arrhythmia.
Signs of severe magnesium deficiency include: extreme thirst, ravenous appetite, frequent urination, slow-healing wounds or bruises, dry, itchy skin, unexplained weight loss, blurred vision that changes from day to day, unusual tiredness or drowsiness, fainting, tingling or numbness in the hands or feet, frequent or recurring skin, gum, bladder, or vaginal yeast infections. But who thinks of magnesium in such cases?
Expensive check
How, if not in blood serum, can we reliably determine whether we are deficient in magnesium? Only through mineral analyses, e.g., of hair, carried out by specialized laboratories. These cost between $65 and $230. Only if there is already a concrete suspicion of a genuine deficiency can the doctor bill the health insurance company for specific diagnostics.
Otherwise, for mere “screening,” “micronutrient tests” are typically considered “individual health services” (IgeL), and patients must pay for them themselves.
Adults need 300 to 350 milligrams of magnesium daily. A balanced diet is the best way to prevent a deficiency. The mineral is found in particular in green, leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, whole grains, and select mineral waters. Foods rich in fiber typically provide more magnesium.
At the same time, it is important to actively manage risk factors. Chronic losses or reduced absorption of magnesium occur with persistent diarrhea/malabsorption, e.g., due to chronic inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease; type 2 diabetes/insulin resistance; excessive alcohol consumption; but also due to medications such as diuretics and proton pump inhibitors.
In older age, the body absorbs less magnesium and excretes more of it via the kidneys. In this case,
supplements make sense – preferably in forms that are better absorbed. These are often those that dissolve well, e.g., citrate/chloride/lactate/aspartate, while magnesium oxide has been shown in studies to be less bioavailable.
More does not bring more
But be careful: even with magnesium, more is not necessarily better. Anyone who constantly takes excessive doses—even as little as 300 mg/day in supplements in addition to their normal diet—can expect diarrhea, and sometimes abdominal cramps and nausea. If the kidneys are no longer able to excrete excess magnesium adequately, there is a risk of hypermagnesemia, an excessively high level of magnesium in the blood.
Warning signs that should be checked by a doctor as soon as possible include new-onset severe muscle weakness, drowsiness/confusion, low blood pressure, slow pulse, arrhythmia, shortness of breath/noticeably shallow breathing, and significantly reduced/absent reflexes. If you want to be on the safe side, follow the recommendation of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): “The maximum daily intake of magnesium in dietary supplements should not exceed 250 milligrams.”