Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms

Magnesium Deficiency Signs and Symptoms

Magnesium Deficiency Signs and Symptoms
Canva (2); Everyday Health
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Updated on January 27, 2025
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If there were a do-it-all nutrient award, it might go to magnesium. The humble mineral plays a critical role in helping your body function successfully.

 “Aside from being a component of our bones, it’s also needed for over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body,” says Robin Foroutan, RDN, a registered dietitian-nutritionist specializing in integrative and functional medicine at the Morrison Center in New York City.

Magnesium is involved in muscle contraction, blood vessels, nerve function, and neurotransmitter formation. It also helps ensure a healthy heart rhythm, says Foroutan. Safe to say, “it’s a pretty important mineral,” she says.

And you might not be getting enough. If you’re deficient or simply running a lower-than-optimal level, it can have far-reaching consequences for your day-to-day well-being. For women under 30, the recommended daily intake is 310 milligrams (mg) and 320 mg for those older than 30. For men under 30, it’s 400 mg and 420 mg for those over 30.

Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

The symptoms of magnesium deficiency can change over time and as the deficiency progresses and becomes more serious. They include the following.

Early Symptoms

  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Weakness
  • Tremors

Later Symptoms

  • Numbness and tingling
  • Muscle cramps or spasms
  • Personality changes (mental health disorders like depression have been associated with low magnesium levels; while the evidence is conflicting, one meta-analysis found that magnesium supplementation can improve depression)

  • Changes in bone structure, leading to osteoporosis; research has shown that magnesium supplementation can alleviate osteoporosis symptoms.

Symptoms of Severe Deficiency

  • An electrolyte imbalance, driving down calcium or potassium levels.

     Consequences of a condition like hypokalemia (low potassium) include symptoms such as muscle weakness and fatigue.

  • Seizures
  • Abnormal heart rhythms
  • Delirium

It’s possible that chronic insufficiency of magnesium — meaning your level is low but not deficient — can also create problems, says Foroutan.

Possible Complications of Suboptimal Magnesium Levels

Olivia Wagner, RDN, an integrative registered dietitian-nutritionist in Chicago, suspects someone has low magnesium when they come in with the following complaints.

Headaches and Migraine

Magnesium may play a role in neurotransmitters that help control or block pain, according to the American Migraine Foundation.

Muscle Cramping With Exercise

Because magnesium is an electrolyte necessary for muscle function, you may notice that you suffer frequent cramps during physical activity.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) or Nighttime Muscle Spasms

Leg cramping at night is thought to be associated with magnesium deficiency, and magnesium supplementation is widely used to ease these cramps. Some anecdotal evidence suggests supplementation may relieve symptoms of restless legs syndrome.

 Studies have reported a link between lower magnesium levels and RLS severity.

 While research hasn’t been conclusive, one study, where subjects supplemented with either magnesium, vitamin B6, or a placebo, found that taking magnesium oxide or vitamin B6 significantly improved sleep quality and RLS symptoms, with magnesium showing greater effectiveness than vitamin B6.

Anxiety or Depression

Certain neurotransmitters require magnesium to function properly, says Wagner. When your neurotransmitters are out of balance, you may feel on edge and have difficulty calming down, increasing the risk of mental conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Constipation

Magnesium supports muscular function in the colon wall and helps you relax, both which encourage bowel movement and reduce constipation, says Wagner.

Fatigue

Magnesium has a hand in adenosine triphosphate synthesis, says Wagner, which is produced in the mitochondria, or the energy factory of cells.

Illustrative graphic titled How Magnesium Deficiency Affects the Body shows headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle cramps, restless legs, constipation and anxiety. Everyday Health logo at bottom left
Low levels of magnesium can cause these symptoms.Everyday Health

Potential Causes of Magnesium Deficiency

Certain conditions, such type 2 diabetes and gastrointestinal diseases like Crohn’s or celiac disease, can affect the way magnesium is absorbed or speed its clearance from the body, therefore putting people who have these conditions at risk of deficiency. But there are a number of reasons someone’s magnesium levels may be low, including:

  • Alcohol use
  • Chronic diarrhea
  • Excessive urination, which can occur with uncontrolled diabetes and during recovery from acute kidney injury
  • Hyperaldosteronism (a disorder in which the adrenal gland releases too much of the hormone aldosterone into the blood)
  • Kidney tubule disorders (tubules are tiny tubes in the kidneys that return needed substances to the bloodstream and remove waste)

  • Celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease which can cause problems with magnesium absorption
  • Malnutrition
  • Medicines like amphotericin, antibodies targeting the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, cisplatin, cyclosporine, diuretics, proton pump inhibitors, tacrolimus, and aminoglycoside antibiotics
  • Pancreatitis
  • Excessive sweating
  • Burns over a large area of the body
Experts disagree on how prevalent low magnesium is. While the National Institutes of Health states that symptomatic magnesium deficiency in healthy people is uncommon, authors of a study wrote that “the vast majority of people in modern societies are at risk for deficiency” because of chronic disease, medications (that affect magnesium levels), diets high in processed foods (which don’t contain sufficient nutrients like magnesium), and depleted levels in soil due to modern farming. But most cases go undiagnosed, the authors say.

Tests for Magnesium Deficiency

To diagnose magnesium deficiency, your doctor will order a serum blood test to check your magnesium level. Normal magnesium levels are usually between 1.46 and 2.68 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

They may also order the following tests:

  • Calcium blood test and a potassium blood test (magnesium plays a role in how your body absorbs these minerals)
  • Comprehensive metabolic panel
  • Urine magnesium test
  • Electrocardiogram (EKG)

When to See a Doctor

If you are concerned that your symptoms or health issues may be a result of magnesium deficiency or that your level may not be optimal, talk to your doctor. If you’re experiencing the following symptoms, especially if they’re persistent, it’s a good idea to make an appointment:

  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Weakness
  • Numbness and tingling
  • Muscle cramps
  • Abnormal heart rhythm
If you have a health condition that can lead to a magnesium deficiency, like Crohn’s disease, it’s important to see your provider regularly to make sure your magnesium levels are in the healthy range.

Treatments for Magnesium Deficiency

Depending on your test results, you may be advised to take a supplement along with making a concerted effort to eat more magnesium-rich foods, such as nuts, pumpkin seeds, spinach, and Swiss chard, says Wagner. It’s always best to get your nutrients from whole foods whenever possible.

If you’re advised to supplement, Wagner says she starts clients off at around 200 to 300 mg and, in some cases, goes as high as 400 mg. Since magnesium is a water-soluble mineral, there’s little risk of toxicity, but too much can give you diarrhea. “It’s important to choose a high-quality magnesium supplement. Consult with your healthcare provider, who can identify what will be the best fit for you,” she says.

The Takeaway

  • Magnesium is essential for numerous bodily functions, including muscle and nerve operations. Magnesium deficiency can lead to symptoms like fatigue, muscle cramps, and even abnormal heart rhythms.
  • If you experience symptoms like persistent fatigue, loss of appetite, or numbness, it's important to speak with a healthcare provider to address possible magnesium deficiency and prevent serious complications.
  • While magnesium supplements are available, talk with your healthcare provider for recommendations tailored to your specific needs, and try to get the nutrient from magnesium-rich whole-food sources.
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Kayli Anderson, RDN

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Kayli Anderson has over a decade of experience in nutrition, culinary education, and lifestyle medicine. She believes that eating well should be simple, pleasurable, and sustainable. Anderson has worked with clients from all walks of life, but she currently specializes in nutrition therapy and lifestyle medicine for women. She’s the founder of PlantBasedMavens.com, a hub for women to get evidence-based, practical, and woman-centered guidance on nutrition and cooking, hormone health, fertility, pregnancy, movement, mental well-being, nontoxic living, and more.

Anderson is board-certified in lifestyle medicine and serves as lead faculty of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s (ACLM) "Food as Medicine" course. She is past chair of the ACLM's registered dietitian member interest group, secretary of the women's health member interest group, and nutrition faculty for many of ACLM's other course offerings. She is the coauthor of the Plant-Based Nutrition Quick Start Guide and works with many of the leading organizations in nutrition and lifestyle medicine to develop nutrition content, recipes, and educational programs.

Anderson frequently speaks on the topics of women’s health and plant-based nutrition and has coauthored two lifestyle medicine textbooks, including the first one on women’s health, Improving Women's Health Across the Lifespan.

She received a master's degree in nutrition and physical performance and is certified as an exercise physiologist and intuitive eating counselor. She's a student of herbal medicine and women's integrative and functional medicine. She lives with her husband in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, where you’ll find her out on a trail or in her garden.

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She has contributed to more than 40 print and digital publications, including Cosmopolitan, O:The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Woman’s Day, Women’s Health, Fitness, Family Circle, Health, Prevention, Self, VICE, and more. Migala lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, two young boys, rescue beagle, and 15 fish. When not reporting, she likes running, bike rides, and a glass of wine (in moderation, of course).

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Resources
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