The Low Magnesium Epidemic - Dr. Berg Explains Signs, Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Over 40% of the population is deficient in magnesium .

You're about to find out that a magnesium deficiency can create huge problems for your health .

The influence of magnesium in your heart , if you're deficient , you can end up with high blood pressure .

Magnesium has everything to do with the relaxation of arteries , muscles , smooth muscles .

So if you're deficient in magnesium , you're gonna have a little more calcium , and your arteries are gonna get rigid , and you'll have a tendency to have high blood pressure .

Another common problem with the heart is arrhythmias .

Okay ?

The pacemaker of your heart is neurological , but it connects to the muscle .

And you actually have 4 pacemakers , which are little cells that have this rhythmic , beat into the heart , but that pacemaker is mostly dependent on the electrolyte magnesium .

And because magnesium is involved with nerve and muscle , you can end up with tetany or twitching or any type of abnormal relaxation or contraction of a muscle .

And this is why the number one cause of a leg cramp or a foot cramp is a magnesium deficiency .

Magnesium doesn't just have to do with muscles , though , or nerves .

It's involved in over 350 different , enzyme or biochemical pathways , some involving the production of energy .

That's why the number one sign of a magnesium deficiency is fatigue .

Because if you don't have magnesium , you can't make energy .

You also have magnesium influence over insulin .

For example , if you are deficient , you are way more at risk of getting diabetes and developing insulin resistance .

And so if you have insulin resistance or you're prediabetic or a diabetic , you must make sure that you have enough magnesium to fix that .

Even your mood is influenced by magnesium .

People that were depressed are nearly always deficient in magnesium .

Another really good biomarker or indication that you're low in magnesium is c reactive protein .

It's an inflammatory biomarker , and without magnesium , it's very , very difficult to get rid of inflammation .

And so there's a big , magnesium immune system relationship .

The RDAs or the required amounts of , magnesium range anywhere between 300 to about , you know , 750 milligrams .

If a person has some type of degenerative chronic disorder or a heart problem or diabetes or high blood pressure , the need for magnesium goes way up .

And so if you're just operating off of these smaller amounts , you're gonna have a hard time fixing these problems .

I think there's 2 ways that we are deficient in magnesium .

Number 1 , we lose a lot of magnesium when we process foods , when we refine foods .

And most people live on refined foods , especially children who don't , consume enough magnesium .

So even though we're overfed , we're definitely undernourished .

The other big challenge with magnesium deficiencies is is identifying , magnesium deficiency or testing for a magnesium deficiency .

If you're using the blood to measure magnesium , you will never find a deficiency .

I'm talking about 99% of all your magnesium is actually located inside the cell , not in the blood .

Out of all the total magnesium you have , only 1% of it is in the blood .

So you really have to understand the input dietarily of magnesium as well as things that can deplete magnesium .

And if we take a look at chlorophyll , that's the green stuff in plants .

And at the heart of chlorophyll , you have magnesium .

The chemistry of chlorophyll is very similar to your own blood , with one difference .

With blood , you have iron .

With chlorophyll , you have magnesium .

And with an average person , especially in America , only consuming 1 cup of vegetables per day , you can see the problem .

And that's for adults .

I don't know many children that consume any vegetables .

So we have this input , this dietary input that we need to focus on , but also other things can deplete you of magnesium .

The big one is sugar , and the second one is refined carbohydrates .

The more sugar , the more refined carbohydrates you eat , the more magnesium you need to metabolize or deal with those , calories .

If you have diarrhea , you lose a lot of magnesium .

If you're on a diuretic , you will lose magnesium .

If you're on an antibiotic , you can lose magnesium .

And when you drink alcohol , you lose magnesium .

And even as we age , we store less magnesium in certain tissues .

There's also a really important connection between your ability to absorb vitamin d and magnesium .

You're also gonna have a hard time absorbing b vitamins without magnesium .

Magnesium is involved in certain transporters in certain things in your body .

So one reason why you might be b deficient or vitamin d deficient is you just don't have enough magnesium in the diet .

Magnesium also is involved in helping you keep your cortisol stress on the low side .

This is why magnesium is important in sleeping .

Okay ?

Because you're deficient in magnesium and you have all these muscle cramps and you're stressed out , you're not gonna get a good night sleep .

Ideally , you wanna get your magnesium from your food .

So that would be consuming a lot of , dark leafy green vegetables .

If you wanted to take a supplement , I'd recommend the following types of magnesium .

These are way more bioavailable than other sources .

Okay ?

And I'm talking about magnesium citrate , or magnesium lactate , or magnesium glycinate , or magnesium aspartate , or even magnesium gluconate .

So I think now you have a greater appreciation for magnesium .

But the other mineral that is equally important is potassium .

And if you haven't seen this video , I put it up right here .

Check it out .