Magnesium Deficiency and Consequences

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on nutritional needs and deficiencies that you might wish make sure you have covered in your food storage supplies and plans.  No medication or supplement, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.
Magnesium.  You have got to have it.  Every cell in your body uses it.  Hundreds of enzymatic processes in the body depend on it.  Without it, you die.  Also, bear in mind that magnesium doesn't work alone.  It's like one of the three musketeers of essential minerals--the body also has to have adequate levels of potassium and calcium for magnesium to do its job properly. 

And surprisingly, even in the United States, about 68% of the population fails to get the minimum recommended daily allowance of magnesium.  This is primarily attributed to insufficient dietary intake as well as taking proton pump inhibitors.  And magnesium deficiency is increasing for a number of reasons:

• Soil depletion.  Leafy green vegetables and whole grains are the primary dietary sources of magnesium.  If our veggies don't get enough magnesium from the soil they grow in, they don't have it to give to us.  Most farmers do what it takes to get a good product to market, but they do it at the minimum level.  They aren't adding any more magnesium (in the form of fertilizer) to their soil than they have to.  When I am eating fresh produce from my garden, I don't need a magnesium supplement.  When the garden dies and I have to go back to grocery store produce, the heart palpitations return and I have to resume taking magnesium.
• Digestive problems, due to disease or aging.  Several digestive diseases make it difficult for the body to absorb vitamins and minerals, including magnesium.  And we also become at greater risk of nutrient malabsorption as we age.
• Chronic disease and medicine use.  It's a vicious cycle.  Many chronic diseases can be traced to magnesium deficiency.  But instead of correcting the magnesium deficiency, drugs are prescribed.  These drugs have their side effects, one of which is retarding the absorption of nutrients in the digestive tract.  More disease, more medicine, more malabsorption.  More money for the drug companies.

Lab work probably isn't going to be an option post-collapse; you're going to be on your own to figure out if you need more magnesium in your diet or need to take supplements.  Some of the most common symptoms of magnesium deficiency include:

• Leg cramps and restless leg syndrome
• Insomnia (take 400 mg magnesium with dinner or before bedtime to sleep better)
• Anxiety
• High blood pressure
• Heart arrhythmias and palpitations
• Type-2 diabetes (magnesium deficiency is a cause of it, but also a symptom)
• Migraines
• Osteoporosis
• Severe asthma

Individuals most at risk for magnesium deficiency include type-2 diabetics; those who drink a lot of soda, caffeinated drinks, or alcohol; the elderly; and those with gastrointestinal issues such as celiac or Crohn's disease or those who have had gastric bypass surgery.

But that's just people who are most at risk.  The rest, unfortunately, are not off the hook.  There are some people that are genetically disposed to absorb magnesium poorly.  And then there is the afore-mentioned problem of soil depletion.  Our food, even the organically-grown, non-GMO stuff, isn't as nutritious as it used to be. There are also the people on acid blockers (including Tagamet, Pepcid, Zantac, and Prilosec), antacids (like Tums, Maalox, Milk of Magnesia, and Alka-Seltzer), corticosteroids, antibiotics (all the ones preppers commonly store, except penicillin and cephalexin), blood pressure drugs, hormone and birth control medications, and ADHD drugs. 

So where do we get magnesium?  What are the best sources, especially post-collapse?

Magnesium is found in leafy green vegetables, whole grains (especially popcorn and oats), cocoa (in the form of dark chocolate--hallelujah!), and nuts (particularly almonds, peanuts, and cashews).  So we need to be able to grow these vegetables and store a whole lot of the rest.  And if eating a balanced diet high in leafy greens and whole grains still doesn't provide enough magnesium as is often the case, we need to store supplements.  Magnesium chelate and magnesium citrate are the most common forms.  Physicians all seem to have their preferences; you will, too.  The supplements aren't that expensive.  Try a few to see which works best for you.  If you don't need it now, stockpile it for the future, just in case.  Remember, every cell in the body uses it, and many chronic diseases are associated with inadequate magnesium levels.

For those who truly have difficulty with digestive malabsorption of magnesium, magnesium chloride flakes can be used in a bath or made into magnesium oil that is applied externally.

Links to related posts:
Dietary deficiency--Iron and Anemia  
Dietary deficiency--Calcium
Dietary deficiency--Zinc
Dietary deficiency--Vitamin D 


For further information:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8754704 (muscle cramps)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23853635 (insomnia)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198864/ (anxiety)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19271946 (migraines)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19488681 (osteoporosis)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17277891 (asthma)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3732091 (heart arrhythmias, palpitations)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24966690
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/soil-depletion-and-nutrition-loss/
https://www.drperlmutter.com/magnesium-deficiency-symptoms-causes-treatments/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/#en41
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
http://www.nutritionalmagnesium.org/health-warning-antacids-create-magnesium-deficiency/
All articles accessed on 19 February 2019.

10 april 2019