Magnesium deficiency can cause a variety of symptoms and conditions due to magnesium’s central role in more than 300 enzymatic systems in the body. Often, what we include in our daily diets can have a significant, if not detrimental, impact on our stores of magnesium, leading to a debilitating magnesium deficiency.
Magnesium deficiency, writes Dr. George Lundberg at Medscape, is indicated in conditions such as migraines, heart attacks, seizures, anxiety, PMS, headaches, leg cramps, muscle and nerve disorders, diabetes, and more. Magnesium is responsible for “controlling muscle, nerve, bone, protein, DNA, glucose, and energy metabolism,” says Lundberg, and is excreted by the kidneys on a daily basis.
ALERT: This Common Metal Keeps Your Heart Beating and Alive
In order to prevent magnesium deficiency, normal daily dosage for an adult is 400 mg; the kidneys excrete around 120 mg/day.
Diet can dramatically decrease stores of magnesium leading to a deficiency. Lundberg points out that alcohol consumption can cause double or quadruple the amount of magnesium to be excreted by the body.
Experts have been touting the benefits of a magnesium-rich diet for years, but what about eating a diet full of magnesium-depleting foods? A diet high in processed foods, the new “normal” diet in America, causes
magnesium depletion and ultimately deficiency, according to Ancient Minerals.
SPECIAL: Top Cardiologist Asks: Can Magnesium Save Your Heart?
Magnesium deficiency is greater in those who consume high levels of fat, sugar, salt, and synthetic Vitamin D, protein, and calcium.
A chronic processed diet is not only devoid of vital magnesium but “increases the need for magnesium in the body,” says Ancient Minerals. In addition, carbonated sugary drinks contain phosphates which bind to magnesium, completely impeding its use in the body.
According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, an influential osteopathic physician, magnesium deficiency affects around 80 percent of Americans. He explains that magnesium deficiency can also be linked to excessive caffeine intake and medications such as diuretics, certain antibiotics, corticosteroids, antacids, and insulin.
URGENT: Can You Avoid Heart Attacks With One Nutrient? Doctor Discovers ...
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.