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Key Takeaways
- Most healthy people get enough magnesium from food, but certain conditions—like diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, or aging—can lead to low magnesium levels over time.
- Mild magnesium deficiency may not cause symptoms at first, but an ongoing deficiency can lead to fatigue, muscle cramps, appetite loss, and more serious complications.
- If you’re experiencing symptoms or are at risk of a deficiency, a blood test can check your magnesium levels. Ask your healthcare provider about dietary changes or supplements.
While most healthy people can maintain normal magnesium levels through diet, certain health conditions can cause levels to drop too low in the body, potentially leading to a deficiency (hypomagnesemia). If left untreated, low magnesium can lead to symptoms and issues like fatigue, muscle cramps, and heart problems.
Early Symptoms of Low Magnesium
In the short term, low magnesium usually doesn’t cause symptoms. The body will hold on to more magnesium when intake is low.
Over time, not getting enough magnesium through food or having poor absorption can result in a magnesium deficiency. Early symptoms may include:
- Appetite loss
- Fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Weakness
More Severe Symptoms of Low Magnesium
If magnesium inadequacy continues, symptoms can progress to:
Long-Term Health Effects
If ignored or left untreated, magnesium deficiency can worsen and eventually lead to:
- Arrhythmias
- Atherosclerosis (build-up of plaque in the walls of the arteries)
- Coronary artery disease (heart disease caused by damage to the large arteries)
- Heart attack
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Stroke
What Is Magnesium, and What Does It Do?
Magnesium is a mineral with several important functions in the body, including:
- Protein production
- Muscle and nerve function
- Blood sugar control
- Blood pressure regulation
- A cofactor (a molecule that binds to enzymes to help them function) needed for over 300 different enzymatic reactions
You can get magnesium through foods and supplements. It is also found as an ingredient in some over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as laxatives and antacids.
What Causes Low Magnesium Levels?
Most healthy people have normal magnesium levels and can get enough from food rather than relying on supplements. Low magnesium levels can occur from the following:
- Not getting enough magnesium in your diet
- Increased magnesium losses related to malabsorption
- Your body getting rid of too much magnesium
Magnesium levels in the blood can change quickly, and the body is good at controlling overall magnesium status. If intake is low, the body holds onto magnesium, but if intake is high, it excretes more magnesium.
Who Is at Risk of Low Magnesium?
People who are at risk of low magnesium levels include those with:
- Alcohol dependence: People with alcohol use disorder often have issues with magnesium status due to factors such as poor diet and kidney problems. Additionally, gut issues affecting the pancreas can lead to poor absorption.
- Gastrointestinal diseases: People with conditions associated with fat malabsorption (e.g., Crohn’s disease, celiac disease) or who have had a surgical resection of the intestines or bariatric surgery may have higher magnesium losses.
- Older age: As we age, magnesium absorption decreases and magnesium excretion increases. Additionally, intake of high magnesium foods may decrease.
- Diabetes: People with type 2 diabetes may lose more magnesium through urine, and those with prediabetes often have lower levels than healthy individuals. While research is ongoing, the American Diabetes Association doesn’t recommend routine magnesium supplements.
- Use of certain medications: Long-term use of certain medications like diuretics, proton pump inhibitors, and antibiotics may affect magnesium levels.
If you’re concerned about your magnesium status, talk to your healthcare provider. They can help diagnose a deficiency, determine the cause, and recommend the proper treatment approach.
How to Learn If You Have Low Magnesium
If you are at risk for low magnesium levels and are experiencing symptoms, your healthcare provider can order a blood test to check your blood magnesium level. Other tests can be done, but they tend to be more cumbersome and invasive. A serum magnesium level is not included in the basic or comprehensive chemistry profile, so it will need to be ordered separately.
Am I Getting Enough Magnesium?
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is the daily nutrient amount needed for healthy individuals. This includes your magnesium intake from all sources, including food, supplements, and medications.
| Age | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 years | 80 milligrams (mg) | 30 mg | |
| 4–8 years | 130 mg | 130 mg | |
| 9–13 years | 240 mg | 240 mg | |
| 14–18 years | 410 mg | 360 mg | Pregnancy: 400 mg; Breastfeeding: 360 mg |
| 19–30 years | 400 mg | 310 mg | Pregnancy: 350 mg; Breastfeeding: 310 mg |
| 31–50 years | 420 mg | 320 mg | Pregnancy: 360 mg; Breastfeeding: 320 mg |
| 50+ years | 420 mg | 320 mg |
What Should I Do if I Have Low Magnesium?
Choosing foods that are good sources of magnesium can be helpful. High magnesium foods include:
- Seeds: Chia seeds and pumpkin seeds
- Nuts: Almonds, cashews, peanuts
- Vegetables: Spinach, carrots, broccoli
- Fruit: Bananas, apples, avocado
- Beans: Black beans, edamame, kidney beans
- Fish/meat: Salmon, halibut, chicken, ground beef
- Soymilk
- Peanut butter
- Grains: Rice, bread, fortified breakfast cereals, and oatmeal
Should You Take a Supplement?
Low magnesium levels or magnesium deficiency is treated with magnesium supplementation.
Supplementation should be discussed with your healthcare provider to determine the best form of supplementation and the proper dose for you.
Before starting magnesium supplementation, discuss the following with your provider:
- Will supplementation improve my magnesium levels?
- What is an appropriate dose for me to take?
- Are there any risks to supplementing magnesium?
- Will magnesium supplementation interact with any medications I am taking?
- Which form of magnesium is best for me to take?