Symptoms of Magnesium deficiency and Precautions

• Magnesium deficiency is unlikely to arise in human beings due to an inadequate intake of foods containing it.
• Deficiency may, however, occur under the same metabolic condition that leads to a lack of potassium, namely, excessive loss due to chronic diarrhea.
• Magnesium deficiency has been observed in patients with certain clinical conditions where magnesium intake or absorption has been decreased and magnesium excretion increased. These conditions include chronic alcoholism, diabetes, malabsorption syndrome, renal disease, disorders of the parathyroid gland, and post surgical stress.
• Continuous deficiency of magnesium also causes a loss of calcium and potassium from the body with consequent deficiencies of these minerals.
• Deficiency can lead to kidney damage and kidney stones, muscle cramps, arteriosclerosis, heart attack, epileptic seizures, nervous irritability, marked depression and confusion, impaired protein metabolism, and premature wrinkles. Magnesium deficiency increases an individual’s susceptibility to high blood pressure.

Precautions

Large amounts of magnesium over an extended period of time, can be toxic if the calcium and phosphorus intakes are high. Supplements of magnesium should not be taken after meals as the mineral neutralizes stomach acidity.

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