Magnesium Deficiency
Recommended Daily Allowance of Magnesium
The recommended daily allowance was established by the food and nutrition board, and is used for the general term of reference for a healthy diet. These guidelines include the average daily intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%-98%) healthy individuals. The adequate intake established when evidence is insufficient to develop and recommended daily allowance, but is still set to allow for a person to get nutritional adequacy.
The recommended daily allowance of Magnesium, according to the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of National Academies is the following: age one year to three years male 80 mg per day, age one year to three years female 80 mg per day, age four years to eight years male 130 mg per day, age four years to eight years female 130 mg per day, age nine years to thirteen years male 240 mg per day, age nine years to thirteen years female 240 mg per day, age fourteen years to eighteen years of age male 410 mg per day, age fourteen years to eighteen years female 360 mg per day, age fourteen years to eighteen years female pregnant 400 mg per day, age fourteen years to eighteen years female lactating 360 mg per day, age nineteen years to thirty years male 400 mg per day, age nineteen years to thirty years female 310 mg per day, age nineteen years to thirty years female pregnant 350 mg per day, age nineteen years to thirty years female lactating 310 mg per day, age thirty-one years or older male 420 mg per day, age thirty-one years or older female 320 mg per day, age thirty-one years or older female pregnant 360 mg per day, and age thirty-one years or older female lactating 320 mg per day.
There has also been a published recommended adequate intake for magnesium for infants: age zero to six months male 30 mg per day, age zero to six months female 30 mg per day, age seven months to twelve months male 75 mg per day, and age seven months to twelve months female 75 mg per day.
Magnesium Deficiency
The average American does not get enough Magnesium in their diet. While that is true, it is also believed that magnesium deficiencies are very rare in the United States. This means that there are a higher than average number of cases involving magnesium inadequacies.
The concern of many health professionals is that the average American diet does not provide enough magnesium for the body to have sufficient stores of the mineral in the body. These stores of magnesium in the body are very important to lower a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease and immune dysfunction.
Early signs of magnesium deficiency include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and overall body weakness. Numbness, tingling, muscle contractions, cramps, seizures, sudden changes in behaviors caused by excessive electrical activity in the brain, personality changes, abnormal heart rhythms, and coronary spasms all occurs as magnesium deficiency worsens.
It is important to see a physician to properly diagnosis magnesium deficiency properly as there are many other diseases which also have similar symptoms—including a person having too much magnesium in their system.
Groups at Risk of Magnesium Deficiency
There are many factors which can influence how much magnesium a person is getting in their diet, as well as how well the body is able to absorb the magnesium and store it in the body. There are certain groups of people who should be more concerned than others about the amounts of magnesium they are consuming.
Older adults are at a higher risk of not have enough magnesium. Studies have shown that the magnesium levels of the elderly are much lower than younger adults. Plus, older adults are at a higher risk of Osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Higher levels of magnesium have been shown to lower a person’s chances of developing both of those disorders.
People with low chronic blood pressure should also be more concerned about how much magnesium they have in their system. Low levels of magnesium could complicate their disorder. People who consume alcohol should also be concerned about their magnesium levels. Those who consume alcohol have been shown to have low blood pressure in 30-60% of drinkers. Nearly 90% of alcoholics experience low blood pressure, and this system is especially true during alcohol withdraw. Many of these patients are recommended to supplement their diets with magnesium supplementation of some kind.
Magnesium Toxicity
While it is very rare for a person to suffer from magnesium toxicity there have been reported cases of magnesium toxicity. What makes magnesium toxicity difficult to diagnosis is that magnesium toxicity has many of the same symptoms as magnesium deficiency. Therefore, when being diagnosed it is important to give all health information to a medical professional. The symptoms of magnesium toxicity include: changes in mental status, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, muscle weakness, extremely low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, and irregular heartbeat. A person with too much magnesium in their system runs the risk of kidney failure. There are some medications, normally laxatives and antacids, which contain larger than expected amounts of magnesium. People who disregard the recommended dosages are a greater risk of consuming too much magnesium.
Hot to Get Enough Magnesium in a Diet
Magnesium is one the essential minerals the body needs in order to function properly. The best way to get the right amount of Magnesium in the body is through a proper diet. A healthy low fat diet which includes fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats is usually enough, depending on the health of the individual, to get all of the essential vitamins and minerals the body requires.
Yet, the simple truth is very few people actually eat a full enough diet not to be lacking an essential vitamin and mineral. When the body is lacking an essential vitamin or mineral it will not function properly. The other problem is many of the essential vitamins and minerals, like magnesium, cannot be easily stored in the human body. The body needs a constant daily intake of some essential vitamins and minerals.
The best way to ensure the body gets the nutrients it needs is by taking a reputable daily multivitamin. A good daily multivitamin will help to fill in the gaps of a normal healthy diet. The multivitamin will also help to bridge the deficiencies which occur due to changing health issues.
When looking for a good multivitamin look for one which is gender specific. Why? There are two major reasons. First, males and females need different amounts of vitamins and minerals. A gender specific vitamin will be able to give more of the vitamins and minerals which males and females normally struggle to obtain. Second, there are many sub par vitamin manufactures. For the health of the person taking the vitamin it is important to find a manufacture which is reputable. A manufacture with differing vitamins for males and females is a helpful indication of their legitimacy—although it is always recommended to investigate any vitamin company before making a purchase.
