We usually think of Mg (mg) as the abbreviation for milligrams. Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about Mg as the symbol for magnesium. In fact, a friend all the way across the country in Florida sent me an article about it from her local town paper. That got me to thinking. I haven’t written about magnesium in over three years. Has anything new been uncovered about this particular electrolyte? But first we need to know what I wrote about it in SlowItDownCKD 2017.
“The medical dictionary part of The Free Dictionary by Farlex at http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/magnesium tells us:
‘An alkaline earth element (atomic number 12; atomic weight 24.3) which is an essential mineral required for bone and tooth formation, nerve conduction and muscle contraction; it is required by many enzymes involved in carbohydrate, protein and nucleic acid metabolism. Magnesium is present in almonds, apples, dairy products, corn, figs, fresh leafy greens, legumes, nuts, seafood, seeds, soybeans, wheat germ and whole grains. Magnesium may be useful in treating anxiety, asthma and cardiovascular disease; it is thought to prevent blood clots, raise HDL-cholesterol, lower LDL-cholesterol, reduce arrhythmias and blood pressure, and to help with depression, fatigue, hyperactivity and migraines.’
All this by an electrolyte that constitutes only 1% of extra cellular fluid? I’m beginning to suspect that magnesium is the under explained electrolyte.
All right then, what happens if you have too little magnesium?
The U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services of the National Institutes of Health at https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/ lays it out for us:
‘Early signs of magnesium deficiency include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. As magnesium deficiency worsens, numbness, tingling, muscle contractions and cramps, seizures, personality changes, abnormal heart rhythms, and coronary spasms can occur …. Severe magnesium deficiency can result in hypocalcemia or hypokalemia (low serum calcium or potassium levels, respectively) because mineral homeostasis is disrupted….’
Well, who’s at risk for magnesium deficiency? The same source tells us:
‘Magnesium inadequacy can occur when intakes fall below the RDA [Gail here today: RDA is the Recommended Dietary Allowances] but are above the amount required to prevent overt deficiency. The following groups are more likely than others to be at risk of magnesium inadequacy because they typically consume insufficient amounts or they have medical conditions (or take medications) that reduce magnesium absorption from the gut or increase losses from the body.
People with gastrointestinal diseases
The chronic diarrhea and fat malabsorption resulting from Crohn’s disease, gluten-sensitive enteropathy (celiac disease), and regional enteritis can lead to magnesium depletion over time …. Resection or bypass of the small intestine, especially the ileum, typically leads to malabsorption and magnesium loss ….
People with type 2 diabetes [Gail again today: That’s me.]
Magnesium deficits and increased urinary magnesium excretion can occur in people with insulin resistance and/or type 2 diabetes…. The magnesium loss appears to be secondary to higher concentrations of glucose in the kidney that increase urine output ….
People with alcohol dependence
Magnesium deficiency is common in people with chronic alcoholism…. In these individuals, poor dietary intake and nutritional status; gastrointestinal problems, including vomiting, diarrhea, and steatorrhea (fatty stools) resulting from pancreatitis; renal dysfunction with excess excretion of magnesium into the urine; phosphate depletion; vitamin D deficiency; acute alcoholic ketoacidosis; and hyperaldosteronism secondary to liver disease can all contribute to decreased magnesium status ….
Older adults
Older adults have lower dietary intakes of magnesium than younger adults …. In addition, magnesium absorption from the gut decreases and renal magnesium excretion increases with age …. Older adults are also more likely to have chronic diseases or take medications that alter magnesium status, which can increase their risk of magnesium depletion ….’”
Okay, that was then. Let’s see if there’s more news now. Oh, look at that! I found lots of goodies at https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/ which is one of the same sites I used in 2017. I suggest you check this site for even more information about magnesium and your health.
Table 1: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Magnesium
| Age | Male | Female | Pregnancy | Lactation |
| Birth to 6 months | 30 mg* | 30 mg* | ||
| 7–12 months | 75 mg* | 75 mg* | ||
| 1–3 years | 80 mg | 80 mg | ||
| 4–8 years | 130 mg | 130 mg | ||
| 9–13 years | 240 mg | 240 mg | ||
| 14–18 years | 410 mg | 360 mg | 400 mg | 360 mg |
| 19–30 years | 400 mg | 310 mg | 350 mg | 310 mg |
| 31–50 years | 420 mg | 320 mg | 360 mg | 320 mg |
| 51+ years | 420 mg | 320 mg |
*Adequate Intake (AI)
Table 2: Selected Food Sources of Magnesium
| Food | Milligrams (mg) per serving | Percent DV* |
| Pumpkin seeds, roasted, 1 ounce | 156 | 37 |
| Chia seeds, 1 ounce | 111 | 26 |
| Almonds, dry roasted, 1 ounce | 80 | 19 |
| Spinach, boiled, ½ cup | 78 | 19 |
| Cashews, dry roasted, 1 ounce | 74 | 18 |
| Peanuts, oil roasted, ¼ cup | 63 | 15 |
| Cereal, shredded wheat, 2 large biscuits | 61 | 15 |
| Soymilk, plain or vanilla, 1 cup | 61 | 15 |
| Black beans, cooked, ½ cup | 60 | 14 |
| Edamame, shelled, cooked, ½ cup | 50 | 12 |
| Peanut butter, smooth, 2 tablespoons | 49 | 12 |
| Potato, baked with skin, 3.5 ounces | 43 | 10 |
| Rice, brown, cooked, ½ cup | 42 | 10 |
| Yogurt, plain, low fat, 8 ounces | 42 | 10 |
| Breakfast cereals, fortified with 10% of the DV for magnesium, 1 serving | 42 | 10 |
| Oatmeal, instant, 1 packet | 36 | 9 |
| Kidney beans, canned, ½ cup | 35 | 8 |
| Banana, 1 medium | 32 | 8 |
| Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked, 3 ounces | 26 | 6 |
| Milk, 1 cup | 24–27 | 6 |
| Halibut, cooked, 3 ounces | 24 | 6 |
| Raisins, ½ cup | 23 | 5 |
| Bread, whole wheat, 1 slice | 23 | 5 |
| Avocado, cubed, ½ cup | 22 | 5 |
| Chicken breast, roasted, 3 ounces | 22 | 5 |
| Beef, ground, 90% lean, pan broiled, 3 ounces | 20 | 5 |
| Broccoli, chopped and cooked, ½ cup | 12 | 3 |
| Rice, white, cooked, ½ cup | 10 | 2 |
| Apple, 1 medium | 9 | 2 |
| Carrot, raw, 1 medium | 7 | 2” |
As mentioned in my earlier blog on magnesium:
“Quick, go check your lab results. You’ll notice there’s no magnesium level. If you’d like your magnesium tested, you or your doctor need to order a specific test for that. Some labs will allow you to order your own magnesium test; others will require a doctor’s orders.”
Until next week,
Keep living your life!
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