Got muscle cramps that keep you up at night or have chocolate cravings that consume your mind? There's a good chance you are magnesium deficient. 

Magnesium is an essential macronutrient that plays a key role in many body processes, including muscle, nerve, bone health, and mood. Research has linked magnesium deficiencies with a range of health complications. It’s a common mineral to be deficient in, yet most people have no idea they’re lacking this vital nutrient!

Here are some signs you may be deficient without even realising:

Muscle Cramps

When you’re running low on magnesium, it's common to find your muscles contracting involuntarily, which can cause painful spasms! This mineral helps to relax your muscles.  

Chocolate Cravings

When you listen to your body, it tells you what it needs. Just one square, of 70 to 85 percent dark chocolate provides 64.6 mg of magnesium, which is 15.4 percent of the daily value. If your feeling the need for a chocolate fix, it could be just what you need!

Anxiety

If you are feeling anxious, it could be your central nervous system giving you early warning signs you need a magnesium boost. 200mg of magnesium may help calm your adrenal hormones when anxiety kicks in.

Restlessness

At night your magnesium levels drop in your body which means if you’re low in magnesium chances are you'll have trouble sleeping! Getting to sleep or staying asleep is so common with so many of us. A deficiency in magnesium could be a contributing factor as it plays such a key role in the function of your central nervous system.

High Blood Pressure

Eat well and exercise regularly but still have high blood pressure? This could be due to a lack of magnesium and electrolytes. Magnesium aids in dilating and relaxing your blood vessels, so if you’re running low on it, your blood vessels tend to constrict more, which results in higher blood pressure. High blood pressure can occur from electrolyte levels being unbalanced due to a lack of magnesium as well.

Irregular Heartbeat

If you have a magnesium deficiency, your muscles are unable to function to their full ability and your heart is exactly that - a muscle! Without enough magnesium your heart could find it difficult to contract correctly leading to irregular heartbeats. 

Constipation

Intestines are prone to contract more when your magnesium levels are low, which makes it challenging for waste to pass. Having adequate magnesium is essential for your bowels to maintain movement as it's an osmotic laxative, so it pulls water into your intestines. 

If you have one or more of these symptoms listed then you might like to consider increasing your magnesium intake.

What depletes your Magnesium Levels?

• Substances high in salt, sugar, caffeine and alcohol.
• Stress.

Check with your health care professional to find out if your medication is causing magnesium loss. High blood pressure medications may be contributing to your problems rather than helping! 

How Can I Get More Magnesium?

Magnesium is an important mineral that you may not be getting enough of. Thankfully, there are many delicious foods that will give you all the magnesium you need to hit the RDI (reference daily intake of 400mg). Seek leafy green vegetables — such as spinach as well as; legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

However, if you require magnesium supplements, we've got you covered here.