Exhausted? The Reason May Surprise you

It's the million dollar question: "Why am I so tired?" Like many women, you probably have a full plate, and then some! Kids, housework, career, errands, and all kinds of other obligations and stressful events take their toll on our energy levels. Mix in the symptoms of bipolar disorder, and your pep meter isn't even on the radar anymore! Eating well balanced meals, getting enough sleep, and getting regular exercise should make a real difference, but what if it doesn't?

There are endless potential explanations for your extreme fatigue. Thyroid problems, diabetes, anemia, sleep disorders, dehydration, viral infections...the list goes on and on (and on and on). Perhaps your doctor has tested you for some of these and the results came back as normal. Those results can come as a relief; no one's happy to have diabetes! But at the same time, all those normal test results can make you feel like you're going crazy. If everything is okay, then why do you feel so...not okay?

Last week I watched an episode of The Dr. Oz Show and the program brought to my attention something I had never considered as a cause of fatigue: Magnesium deficiency.

First off, what exactly does magnesium do for our bodies? With a little research I found that this mineral is rather crucial to our overall health. Besides having a cool name, magnesium:

• Helps form and maintain the bones and teeth. 
• Metabolizes carbohydrates and amino acids
• Aids in the metabolism of calcium, vitamin C, phosphorus, sodium and potassium
• Assists in converting blood sugar into energy
• Transmits messages between nerves in the body
•  Increases brain function while relieving stress and anxiety; aids in detox of cortisol
• Can reduce the occurrence of migraines
• Helps maintain healthy weight

That seems like a lot of hard work for one little mineral! Factor in that strength training, alcohol consumption, medications, chronic illnesses, and other influences described  here can deplete the body of magnesium, and it is easy to see why this is a common, albeit overlooked, deficiency to achieve.

Among the many potential Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency here are a few that are commonly a sign of magnesium deficiency:

• Fatigue or lethargy
• Stomach discomfort, such as constipation, nausea/vomiting, or abdominal cramps
• Muscle cramps or spasms, often experienced in the legs
• Stiffness, numbness, or tingling in the extremities; often affects neck and jaw (pain and stiffness)
• Headaches, including migraines
• Irritability, confusion, anxiety, depression, and other behavioral disturbances
• Trouble staying or falling asleep
• Heart rate abnormalities, such as palpitations, chest pain, and lack of stamina with physical exertion
• Deficiencies in calcium and/or potassium
• cravings for salt or carbohydrates
• severe menstrual cramps and breast tenderness
• in some cases, even seizures

Unfortunately, testing for magnesium deficiency is not always a simple task. The results from a blood test can often come back normal since the mineral is found primarily in the cells, rather than in the bloodstream.Your doctor may wish to perform a magnesium loading test. You will be asked to collect your urine over a 24-hour period, and the doctor will test it for the total amount of magnesium found. You will then be given an injection of magnesium and be asked to collect another 24-hour urine sample. The level of magnesium will again be measured. If your body is retaining more than a certain amount of magnesium then it will be concluded that you are deficient since the body is holding on to the magnesium that was injected. Some doctors will only look to symptoms exhibited in the patient and prescribe a magnesium supplement to see if the condition improves. Other physicians may perform the sublingual epithelial test, which involves scraping cells from under your tongue to obtain an accurate magnesium reading.

According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, adults can take 350 mg per day of magnesium supplements without negative health effects. The recommended dosage for adult females is 310-320mg. For pregnant women that amount increases to 360-400mg, and for breastfeeding women the desired dosage is 320-360mg. Note that not all multivitamins contain magnesium. I recently added a supplement to my vitamin regimen that contains a high potency of calcium, magnesium and zinc. Shop around and ask your doctor what may work best for you.

Although vitamins are a great way to supplement your diet, they should not be your only source of magnesium. Make an effort to add magnesium rich foods to your meals each day. The following table gives you an idea of what foods contain a good source of magnesium:

Foods High in Magnesium	Serving Size	Magnesium (mg)
Beans, black	1 cup	120
Broccoli, raw	1 cup	22
Halibut	1/2 fillet	170
Nuts, peanuts	1 oz	64
Okra, frozen	1 cup	94
Oysters	3 oz	49
Plantain, raw	1 medium	66
Rockfish	1 fillet	51
Scallop	6 large	55
Seeds, pumpkin and squash	1 oz (142 seeds)	151
Soy milk	1 cup	47
Spinach, cooked	1 cup	157
Tofu	1/4 block	37
Whole grain cereal, ready-to-eat	3/4 cup	24
Whole grain cereal, cooked	1 cup	56
Whole wheat bread	1 slice	24

USDA Nutrient Database for Standard References, Release 15 for Magnesium, Mg (mg)