Many Americans Don’t Get Enough Magnesium
If you’re eating a typical American diet, which is often short on whole grains, nuts, seeds and vegetables, and not taking a multivitamin, chances are you’re not getting enough magnesium. That deficiency could lead to serious health problems which could compromise your well-being and longevity. The good news is that with proper nutrition, any deficiency can be quickly remedied.
Researchers at the USDA’s Human Nutrition Research Center, in North Dakota, followed 14 postmenopausal women who were given typical American diets containing 100 mg of magnesium per day. That’s about one-third of the RDA(Recommended Daily Allowance).
Five of the women soon developed heart rhythm problems, such as atrial fibrillation and flutter that quickly resolved with magnesium supplementation. All had increased urinary excretion of sodium and potassium, and higher blood sugar levels. These changes can lead to heart problems, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.
Many people eating a typical American diet come up short on magnesium. About 10 percent of women age 70 or older consume 100 mg or less per day, the amount that caused deficiency symptoms in this study. Doctors often don’t think to check magnesium, or do the wrong test — testing serum magnesium, instead of red or white blood cells — to check for deficiency.
You can get more magnesium — and lots of other nutrients — by making sure your diet contains whole grains, nuts, seeds and vegetables. To be safe, you should take a magnesium supplement or make sure your multivitamin contains magnesium, which can easily correct deficiency-related problems.
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