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Metabolic activities are a set of biochemical reactions that provide energy to various tissues in your body. Properly regulated metabolic activities are essential for healthy living. Magnesium has an important role in regulating hundreds of biochemical reactions involved in such metabolic activities. It also has an important role in using the energy in the cells that is transported through the blood to the cells. So, in case of magnesium deficiency you will surely experience some symptoms. However, magnesium deficiency is not widely reported. It is mostly seen that people suffering from some underlying health condition or alcohol abuse suffer from magnesium deficiency. Another class of people that may suffer from magnesium deficiency are those who have increased protein intake while keeping all other nutrition at previous level. Nevertheless, if you are aware of the symptoms you can at least bring it to the notice of the doctor and prevent the problem from going out of control.
1. Loss Of Appetite And Irritability:
Loss of appetite may be a precursor to many diseases, and it is not possible to pin point magnesium deficiency as a reason for this. Nevertheless, this may be one of the early signs of magnesium deficiency as well. When magnesium is running low in your body a large number of biochemical reactions are affected. This affects the normal pace and efficacy of metabolic activities in your body which may result in loss of appetite. Along with this you may also suffer from a general lack of interest in life and irritability.
2. Numbness And Tingling:
Some of the profound effects of magnesium deficiency are seen in functioning of the muscular and nervous systems. As the deficiency would progress you would notice an increase in numbness and tingling in hands and feet. Magnesium acts as a cofactor in many biochemical reactions involved in muscle and nerve functioning. As these reactions would slow down due to low level of magnesium you might experience tingling and numbness in hands and feet. If the deficiency is allowed to continue it may even result in seizures and coma.
3. Confusion, Insomnia, Poor Memory And Fatigue:
As magnesium has a role to play in keeping the central nervous system, digestive system, energy production and muscular system in good health, its deficiency may result in a state of confusion, insomnia, poor memory and fatigue. You may also suffer from a poor ability to learn.
4. Muscle Contractions And Twitching, Muscle Weakness And Cramp:
If you are suffering from frequent cramps, muscle contractions, muscle twitching and muscle weakness along with the aforesaid symptoms then there is a possibility that this is due to magnesium deficiency. Magnesium helps to run and regulate many metabolic functions that control muscle and nerve functions. Moreover, building and maintenance of muscle tissue itself is affected when protein synthesis is affected due to magnesium deficiency.
5. Rapid Heartbeat And Arrhythmia:
If magnesium deficiency continues unabated it may lead to some pronounced symptoms like rapid heartbeat or abnormal rhythm in heartbeat. This is your body’s response to the slowing metabolic activity. So if you are experiencing this symptom along with some of the above symptoms then it is possible that you are suffering from magnesium deficiency.
6. Hallucinations:
If magnesium deficiency is severe or continuing for a long time then you may experience hallucinations. When you are hallucinating you are likely to see and hear things that are not there.
You should visit the doctor even if you are experiencing all or some of the aforesaid symptoms.
