Magnesium and diseases

Do you often suffer from tension headaches? Magnesium deficiency could be the trigger! Other diseases such as diabetes, arteriosclerosis or high blood pressure are also closely related to magnesium. Magnesium deficiency can aggravate the symptoms, the administration of magnesium can alleviate the symptoms. Does the intake of magnesium help against complaints, and can magnesium deficiency trigger diseases? Can magnesium be used for therapeutic purposes?

Magnesium is an essential mineral that must be supplied to the body in sufficient quantities every day. Magnesium deficiency manifests itself in a variety of non-specific symptoms such as muscle cramps or fatigue. If several of the non-specific symptoms occur frequently, the attending doctor can determine the deficiency by means of a blood or urine test. In that case, treatment should be given quickly, because the magnesium deficiency can also throw other important minerals out of balance. Some diseases often occur in connection with magnesium deficiency and can be alleviated with a magnesium-rich diet or by taking magnesium supplements:

In many cases, headache is linked to magnesium deficiency. Magnesium deficiency can cause hyperexcitability of muscle and nerve cells, resulting in tension in the shoulder and neck area, which in turn can trigger tension headaches. Migraine attacks can be reduced in frequency, duration and severity by taking magnesium. To prevent migraine attacks, the German Migraine League (Deutsche Migräne Liga e. V.) recommends high doses of magnesium of 600 to 900 mg daily; the German Neurological Society recommends 600 mg daily. [1]

Allergies and hay fever are a reaction of the body to irritant substances, so-called allergens. These stimuli cause calcium ions to be released from their stores at lightning speed, and these ions trigger the release of the hormone histamine in the mast cells, which can trigger allergic reactions. Only magnesium can stop this process by transporting the calcium ions back into their stores. If you are optimally supplied with magnesium as an allergy sufferer, you will suffer significantly less from the symptoms. You can often get enough magnesium by eating a diet rich in magnesium.

Studies have shown that there is an obvious connection between magnesium deficiency and diabetes. On the one hand, people with a sufficient magnesium supply develop diabetes much less frequently, and on the other hand, a large proportion of diabetics who rely on insulin have a magnesium deficiency [2], [3].

Magnesium plays an important role in regulating the blood glucose level, because only when the magnesium level in the blood is sufficiently high can the pancreas secrete enough insulin. Insulin controls the uptake of glucose from the blood and its transfer to the body's cells. If magnesium is lacking, glucose is only absorbed very slowly from the blood and transported into the cells, an incipient insulin resistance. The blood sugar level rises, as more glucose remains in the blood, and the pancreas then releases more insulin...a vicious circle! This condition can go unnoticed for a long time until the pancreas becomes unable to function due to overload and stops producing insulin altogether: the development of diabetes.

If you already suffer from diabetes, it is especially important to pay attention to a sufficient magnesium intake and any symptoms that may occur, such as eyelid twitching or calf cramps. This is because magnesium excretion via the kidneys is also often increased in diabetics. If you suspect a magnesium deficiency, you should discuss it with your doctor immediately so that you can counteract it at an early stage.

The risk of developing late complications of type 2 diabetes - kidney damage, heart attacks, impaired vision, nerve damage - is also minimised by an adequate magnesium intake. A study has shown that patients suffering from a secondary disease have significantly lower magnesium levels than diabetics without complications [5].

Arteriosclerosis is a pathological accumulation of fat and cholesterol deposits on the inner wall of the blood vessels. These so-called plaques increasingly block the arteries and can promote a stroke or heart attack. In a large-scale study, researchers found that arterial calcification decreases with an increase in daily magnesium intake [4]. Magnesium is not only able to prevent the build-up of arteriosclerotic plaques, but can also break down existing plaques. With a magnesium-rich diet, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing arteriosclerosis.

High blood pressure is caused by constriction of the blood vessels and is often the harbinger of a heart attack or stroke. Magnesium counteracts constriction and blockage of the blood vessels, and relaxes the muscles surrounding the arterial blood vessels. As a result, it can naturally lower blood pressure. The second mechanism of action of magnesium is the lowering of adrenaline levels: excitement decreases, the body calms down, blood pressure normalises. An adequate supply of magnesium can regulate blood pressure and correct it downwards.

Fibromyalgia syndrome encompasses a broad clinical picture. It manifests itself in chronically changing pain in different parts of the body and often results in different physical and psychological symptoms. The symptoms are varied and their cause is often not clearly understood. Diagnosis is difficult because neither X-rays nor laboratory results provide clear information. The diagnosis is therefore based on the findings of the physical examination and the questioning of the patient. Often the symptoms are similar to those of magnesium deficiency, and in fact many patients also have magnesium deficiency. Studies have shown that giving patients magnesium compensates for their poor magnesium status and thus alleviates the symptoms. [8]

Both a magnesium deficiency and a potassium deficiency can change the so-called membrane potential of heart cells in such a way that an increased excitability of the pacemaker and muscle cells in the heart occurs, resulting in increased cardiac arrhythmias [7]. Magnesium is also administered during heart surgery as an effective measure to reduce the frequency of atrial fibrillation [6].

Every day you excrete about 100 mg of magnesium in your urine. The kidneys have the function of keeping the magnesium content in the body in balance. If the body receives more magnesium than it needs, the surplus is excreted through the kidneys. If the body needs more than it is supplied with, it retrieves the nutrients via the renal tubules and the excretion with the urine is reduced.

However, caution is advised in the case of chronic kidney disease: due to a kidney dysfunction, magnesium that is fed in may no longer be excreted sufficiently via the kidneys. Magnesium levels rise dramatically, increasing the risk of hypermagnesemia (excess magnesium), which can be life-threatening if left untreated. If you suffer from kidney pain, you should only take magnesium after consulting your doctor.

Magnesium is a vital mineral, a deficiency is noticeable through numerous symptoms. Many diseases are directly related to magnesium deficiency, often the symptoms can be alleviated by magnesium supplementation. Due to its versatile properties, magnesium is also used specifically for therapy.  Caution with kidney pain, a doctor should be consulted in any case before taking magnesium.

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