Combatting Low Magnesium Levels: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

A condition marked by insufficient magnesium in the body, affecting muscle function, bone health, and nerve function.
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Prepared by Lee Cheng, reviewed by Dr. Helena Rodriguez

Low Magnesium Levels FAQ

What does low magnesium mean?

Magnesium is an essential mineral vital for regulating your heart rhythm; muscle, nerve, and brain functions; and energy levels. Low magnesium can occur when you don't get enough magnesium in your diet, your body doesn't absorb it well, or you excrete too much.

Can low magnesium cause symptoms?

Low magnesium may not cause symptoms initially because your bloodstream borrows excess magnesium from your cells or bones. Your body can perform vital functions until the cells and bones run out of extra magnesium. Symptoms arise when there is nothing left to tap into.

Why is my magnesium level so low?

Usually, the magnesium level becomes low because people consume less (most often, because of starvation) or because the intestine cannot absorb nutrients normally (called malabsorption ). But sometimes hypomagnesemia develops because the kidneys or intestine excrete too much magnesium.

What does a low magnesium level mean?

Someone with a concentration below 0.70 mM/L is defined as having low levels of magnesium in their blood. Some researchers believe this value should be higher—0.85 mM or greater, especially for people with diabetes. By this definition, many more people would be found to have hypomagnesemia.

Can a low magnesium intake cause symptoms?

However, it is relatively uncommon for a low magnesium intake to cause symptoms in healthy people. When someone has levels that are low, but not low enough to constitute a deficiency, this is called “magnesium inadequacy.” People with mild hypomagnesemia may have no symptoms.

How does low magnesium affect the body?

These reactions impact a number of very important body processes, including: Low magnesium is typically due to decreased absorption of magnesium in the gut or increased excretion of magnesium in the urine. Low magnesium levels in otherwise healthy people are uncommon. This is because magnesium levels are largely controlled by the kidneys.

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