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Magnesium is an essential mineral and electrolyte that plays a role in many bodily processes like producing energy, maintaining bone and teeth structure, regulating nerve function, and DNA replication. So, it is important that you get adequate magnesium in your diet. However, a lack of this mineral can lead to various complications – which can even be fatal.

Doctors say in many cases, deficiency can be underdiagnosed since the obvious signs commonly do not appear until your levels become severely low. You may usually think tiredness and fatigue would mean a deficiency, but it is your heart that gets most affected.

According to US-based Dr. Eric Berg, a few ways your heart gets affected include:

“The most dangerous symptom of a magnesium deficiency is not muscle spasm, insomnia or fatigue. It is what a magnesium deficiency can do to your heart,” he said on his social media channel Instagram. Dr. Berg says lack of this nutrient causes arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat – which ranges from causing no symptoms to causing very serious symptoms. In some people, it may lead to heart palpitations, which are pauses between heartbeats.

Magnesium plays an important role in your heart function by regulating blood vessel contraction, which helps manage blood pressure. Magnesium is also in charge of heart muscle contraction, which beats the heart properly.

A typical heartbeat is maintained by multiple electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and calcium. Yet, magnesium is the nutrient responsible for regulating the movement of these electrolytes within the heart’s tissues.

And so, when your body lacks magnesium, it begins to build too much calcium which can block the arteries.

Also, “Without magnesium your blood pressure goes up because magnesium causes relaxation of the arteries,” Dr. Berg said. Studies say low magnesium levels give rise to inflammation which shoots hypertension.

Without magnesium, your risk of getting clots goes up because there is going to be excess calcium, which causes more clots.

A few other symptoms of magnesium deficiency, which are usually subtle unless your levels become severely low, include:

• Fatigue and extreme tiredness
• Muscle cramps
• Mental health conditions
• Osteoporosis

How to get adequate magnesium for your body?

According to experts, even though people do not reach the daily requirement levels for magnesium, there are plenty of magnesium-rich foods to choose from. The mineral is widely found in both plant- and animal-based foods, including:

If you have a health condition that causes your body to lose magnesium, such as diabetes, it’s important to eat plenty of magnesium-rich foods or take supplements. Talk with your doctor about creating a plan to increase your magnesium intake that works well for your needs.

However, according to Dr. Berg, if you are taking a supplement, “take magnesium glycinate with vitamin D,” which is great for your heart and bone health.

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