Warning: Magnesium Deficiency Can Be Fatal!

Magnesium deficiency  is the most common mineral deficiency in the United States. A government study reveals that 68% of Americans fall below the recommended daily intake for this very vital mineral. Magnesium is one of the 6 most important minerals that the body needs in large quantities.

Menopausal women who take calcium supplements, are on low carb dieting or hormone replacement therapy, are prone to suffer from this deficiency.  


Men, on the other hand, also get magnesium deficiencies if they drink a lot of coffee, tea or carbonated sodas, or eat a few sugary snacks during the day. Excess refined dietary sugar causes you to lose a lot of magnesium through urination.  Also, if you are under stress frequently, you can become deficient in magnesium due to your body’s increased production of cortisol and adrenaline.  Both of these chemicals can deplete your magnesium stores.

"Virtually every known disease is associated with magnesium deficiency, including asthma, hypertension, cancer, diabetes, migraine, allergies, myocardial (h), and depression." Dr. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D.

"As I explain to my patients, magnesium is a critical mineral that your body needs to perform all its major functions, especially your heart, muscles and kidneys.  In fact, magnesium is one of the first treatments given in emergency departments in heart attack patients.  Optimal magnesium levels can also prevent stroke and obesity.  If you’re one of the 55% of Americans who have a magnesium deficiency, follow the recommendations I give my own patients for maintaining optimal magnesium levels, and you’ll go a long way to improving most of those symptoms that perhaps you thought were due to just getting old!"  Mark Rosenberg, M.D.

Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms

"Some of the most frequent complaints I hear from my patients, especially those over 50, involve muscle cramps and spasms, notably those leg zingers that make them jump out of bed in the middle of the night; trouble sleeping and daytime stiffness or pain in their muscles.  Most of my patients laugh these symptoms off as just "getting old," but they’re surprised when I tell them these are more likely symptoms of a magnesium deficiency, which can easily be corrected."  Mark Rosenberg, M.D.

"And since most magnesium is stored in the tissues, the first signs may be leg cramps, foot pain, or muscle twitches.  Other symptoms can gradually develop, including, but not limited to:  high blood pressure ... anxiety ... asthma ... inability to get into deep sleep ... restless legs ... blood sugar imbalances ... abnormal heart rhythms ... chest pains ... kidney stones ... and many other symptoms.

But be forewarned:  Although the symptoms might be subtle or mild at first, magnesium deficiency is a dangerous condition and chronic deficiency can produce long-term damage and even be fatal." Dr. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D.

Symptoms are a better gauge in determining a deficiency because blood tests only show what magnesium is circulating in the blood at the time of the test. Also, medical conditions and medications to treat them, can cause magnesium deficiency.

How To Handle Magnesium Deficiency [by:  Mark Rosenberg, M.D.]

If you have any of the conditions or symptoms listed above, you could very well have a magnesium deficiency as they are very common.   Here are some recommendations I give my patients who have symptoms of magnesium deficiency:

• Restrict refined sugar in your diet. 
• Restrict carbonated sodas, especially colas, which disable magnesium uptake. 
• Eat more magnesium rich foods such as pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, unsweetened cocoa powder, halibut, bran, spinach.  Or, take a 250-500 mg magnesium supplement before bedtime especially if you’re bothered by sleep difficulty, leg muscle cramps or daytime muscle stiffness.  Also, try transdermal (topical) magnesium for muscle cramps.   
• If you have soft water, it would be best to switch to bottled drinking water for consumption and leave your tap water for cleaning.  Soft water depletes magnesium. 
• Restrict alcohol intake.  Alcohol causes dehydration through frequent urination and magnesium gets depleted from urinary excretion.