Magnesium deficiency-- cause of migraines and headaches

[Lori Anne]

Are Migraine Headaches a Symptom of a Magnesium Deficiency?

The link between magnesium (mg) deficiency and migraine headaches has been established through a large number of clinical studies as noted below:

    * Mg therapy has been shown to be effective in treating migraines.

    * Intravenous magnesium sulfate therapy has been shown to provide immediate relief from migraines headaches. 

    * In a study in France, migraine patients were been shown to have significantly lower erythrocyte magnesium levels than controls.  (Serum magnesium levels in this study did not significantly differ.) The authors of the French study noted that previous studies had shown that migraine patients were shown to benefit from Mg water.

    * Patients suffering from migraines were found to be twice as likely to have mitral valve prolapse than controls.  This association between migraines and mitral valve prolapse has been noted in quite a few studies on Pubmed.  This is not surprising, since people with mitral valve prolapse have also been shown to often be low in magnesium and to benefit from Mg supplementation. 

    * Associations have been noted between anxiety disorders and migraines.  Anxiety disorders also have a close link to magnesium deficiencies.

    * The Grand Forks Human Nutrition Center, a part of the USDAs Agricultural Research Service, reports that, studies show that around half of all the people who suffer from migraine headaches have a low amount of ionized magnesium in their blood, suggesting a low magnesium status. The researchers go on to report that supplementation reduces both the duration and total number of migraines, including premenstrual migraine headaches.

    * A study from Harvard Medical School found that migraine sufferers 'have increased risk of heart attacks and strokes'. Yet other studies have found that magnesium may help to prevent death from heart attacks. So perhaps instead of concluding that migraine sufferers have an increased risk of strokes, a more logical and holistic way of looking at these types of studies would be to hypothesize that people with inadequate magnesium levels are at higher risk for migraine headaches, heart attacks and strokes. Part of the reason for this common link may be that Mg is known for relaxing and dilating blood vessels.

Associations between migraines, mitral valve prolapse and epileptic seizures have been noted.  Epileptic seizures can be caused by Mg deficiencies.


"Despite the number of clinical studies that show magnesium supplementation (as well as elimination of food allergies) is effective in many cases, most physicians choose to prescribe drugs that usually have only moderate benefits and significant side effects."

Michael Murray, writing in Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements on the topic of Migraine and Tension Headaches

Women often experience menstrual migraines, migraine headaches that start before or during their periods. Perhaps not coincidentally, other studies have noted that right before menstruation is also a time when magnesium levels in women tend to dip.

If you look at the chart below, many of the the symptoms of magnesium deficiency are identical to the conditions linked to migraine headaches. Interestingly, alcohol can deplete magnesium and many of the symptoms of hangovers are the same as the symptoms linked to magnesium deficiency and migraine headaches.

Conditions Linked to Migraine Headaches
   
Sensitivity to noise
Sensitivity to bright light

   
Headache
Mitral valve prolapse
   
Heart Disease
Menstrual Cramps
Nausea



Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency
Sensitivity to noise
Sensitivity to bright light

   
Headache
Mitral valve prolapse
   
Heart Disease
Menstrual Cramps
Nausea
Based on the evidence, it would be highly logical to consider that a diet high in magnesium rich foods would be beneficial in the treatment and prevention of migraine headaches, especially menstrual migraines.

[Lori Anne]

   

How to Have a Magnesium (Mg) Rich Diet
 

Magnesium (Mg) is one of the forgotten minerals. Unlike calcium, which we hear advertisements about relentlessly, magnesium is not often publicized. However, many common ailments including heart palpitations, high blood pressure, diabetes, fibromyalgia, anxiety, insomnia, tics and twitches, migraines and many more health conditions may be caused by magnesium deficiencies. A number of recent studies have shown that many people on modern diets do not get the minimum RDA for magnesium. As such, it would be logical to conclude that higher Mg intakes across the population may result in significant improvements in many of the common health maladies associated with Mg deficiency.
I get a lot of emails from parents on how to increase Mg in their children's diets. Some high Mg foods kids often like include baked potatoes, smoothies that include bananas and coconut milk, banana baby food (serve for dessert instead of pudding), bean burritos, bean tostadoes, baked beans, peas, peanut butter and honey cashews. (Of course, avoid any foods your child may be allergic to.) Visit this page for more info on children's diets and Mg.

Below are some tips I've found over the years to get more magnesium into my family's diet.
General Tips for Increasing Magnesium Levels

    * The first step, of course, is to basically just eat more magnesium rich foods, especially beans, nuts and vegetables. Vegetables are especially good if you are watching your weight because you can ingest a lot of magnesium for a relatively small number of calories. Almost every morning I make a big batch of soup with lots of beans, meat and vegetables and then let it simmer in the crock pot all day. Then for lunch or whenever I'm hungry I have the soup all made up and ready to eat.

    * While too much fat in the diet can be unhealthy, eating at least some fat along with your meals may help improve nutrient absorption. In a 2004 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers reported that, "Essentially no absorption of carotenoids was observed when salads with fat-free salad dressing were consumed. A substantially greater absorption of carotenoids was observed when salads were consumed with full-fat than with reduced-fat salad dressing."1 If you are trying to lose weight but are low in magnesium, you may be better off cutting down on calories and especially high glycemic, empty calorie foods like white bread, cake and cookies rather than fat. I developed many of my major Mg deficiency symptoms (twitches, fibromyalgia, muscle cramps, etc.) as an adult when I went on a low fat diet to lose weight, though at the time I didn't realize that a lack of fat may have been a factor in all of my health issues.

    * Limit empty calorie foods such as chips, sodas, cookies and refined grains because they provide a lot of calories yet tend to be low in nutrients, especially magnesium. A big bowl of vegetable beef soup may have around the same amount of calories as a couple of slices of white bread, but the soup will most likely contain much higher levels of magnesium and other vital nutrients. Also see my section on information on how to increase Mg levels in children without using supplements.

    * Calcium is a magnesium antagonist. As such, drinking too much milk or eating too many other calcium rich foods in relation to Mg containing foods may lower magnesium levels. A recent study found that older women who took calcium supplements had an increased risk of heart attack. Logically, it would make sense that a known magnesium antagonist like calcium, taken in too high of a dosage, may hurt the heart since numerous studies have shown that magnesium is vital for proper heart functioning.

    * According to the NutritionData.com web site, one tablespoon of molasses has 48.4 mg of magnesium for only 58 calories. For a person on a 2,000 daily calorie diet, this is 12% of the FDA's recommended daily values for Mg. So for 2.9% of your daily calories, you can get 12% of your recommended MG intake - a pretty good deal. Molasses is also a good source of iron, calcium, Vitamin B6 and manganese.

# I think it is better to get magnesium from your diet than to take supplements. Magnesium is an alkaline mineral and a common ingredients in antacids. We've noticed in my family that taking magnesium supplements for more than a day or two can sometimes cause cramping and diarrhea. Taking magnesium supplements too often can be like overdosing on antacids, which can lower your stomach acid, which in turn may prevent you from absorbing nutrients properly. Plus magnesium needs other vitamins and minerals as co-factors for proper utilization, so taking magnesium supplements alone may not be enough to really correct a deficiency.

# Also consider that your body's pH may be too acid or too alkaline to maintain optimal magnesium levels. In my personal experience, I suspect that either condition may negatively impact magnesium levels. For more on this, read my section on Mg and Acid-Base Balance. I believe an over acid body is one of the reasons that many people suffer from both heartburn and migraines.

[Lori Anne]

# Alcohol may cause a loss of Mg. Many of the symptoms of hangovers (headache, noise sensitivity, light sensitivity) are identical to the symptoms of Mg deficiency.

# A variety of prescription drugs, including some commonly prescribed antibiotics, may cause a Mg deficiencies. One of my sons, who happens to not be a big vegetable fan, developed ringing in his ears while being on penicillin for an illness. He said the ringing lessened appreciably after eating a bean, rice and and cheese burrito for dinner one night. We think this may have been because of the high magnesium content and absorbability of the mashed beans in the burrito.

# Caffeine can cause a magnesium loss. Foods with caffeine include include coffee, tea, some energy drinks and bars, and some types of soda.

# Be aware that many multivitamin pills do not contain any appreciable levels of magnesium, yet may contain many magnesium antagonists. (Magnesium is not often found in multivitamin pills because adding Mg makes the pill too big to swallow, so the manufacturers just leave it out!) If you or members of your family feel you need nutritional supplements, consider products larger than multivitamins, such as nutrition bars or powdered supplements. These types of products are more likely to contain an appreciable percent of the RDA for magnesium, but you still have to check the labels to make sure.

# Be aware that many fortified foods do not include magnesium but may contain Mg antagonists.

# Estrogen helps the body's uptake and utilization of magnesium. When my muscles are tight or I'm having trouble sleeping, conditions that are both possible signs of magnesium deficiency, often a little soy milk will help me to relax. Soy milk is high in phytoestrogens as well as magnesium. However, I don't think soy is a healthy food to eat in large quantities because it may raise estrogen levels too much, which isn't healthy. A high intake of soy foods may also cause thyroid problems, so for me soy is something I consume only in limited quantities.

[Lori Anne]

signs of sensitive hearing, a symptom associated with magnesium deficiency,

If you want to get more magnesium in your diet but circumstances require you to eat fast food now and then, trying having Mexican fast food with bean dishes, or look for places that serve baked potatoes as a side dish option.

Magnesium rich foods that are cooked, processed and diluted with liquid seem to be easier to absorb  than raw foods. Good liquid or semiliquid sources of magnesium include mashed potatoes, banana smoothies, soy milk, and home made vegetable broth.

[Lori Anne]

Magnesium Rich Foods
   

Magnesium is an essential mineral for human nutrition. Magnesium in the body serves several important metabolic functions. It plays a role in the production and transport of energy. It is also important for the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Magnesium is involved in the synthesis of protein, and it assists in the functioning of certain enzymes in the body. Learn more about the many health benefits of magnesium.

According to recent USDA surveys, the average intake of magnesium by women 19 to 50 years of age was about 74 percent of the RDA. Men of the same age got about 94 percent of the recommended amount. About 50 percent of women had intakes below 70 percent of their RDA.
Recommended Daily Requirements of Magnesium:

    * Children
          o 1-3 years old: 80 milligrams
          o 4-8 years old: 130 milligrams
          o 9-13 years old: 240 milligrams
          o 14-18 years old (boys): 410 milligrams
          o 14-18 years old (girls): 360 milligrams
    * Adult females: 310 milligrams
    * Pregnancy: 360-400 milligrams
    * Breastfeeding women: 320-360 milligrams
    * Adult males: 400 milligram

What Foods are High in Magnesium?

Green vegetables such as spinach are good sources of magnesium because the center of the chlorophyll molecule (which gives green vegetables their color) contains magnesium. Some beans, peas, nuts, seeds, and whole, unrefined grains are also good sources of magnesium.

You should note that refined grains are generally low in magnesium. When white flour is processed, the magnesium rich germ and bran are removed. Bread made from whole grain wheat flour provides more magnesium than bread made from white refined flour. Tap water can be a source of magnesium, but the amount varies according to the water supply. Water that naturally contains more minerals is described as "hard". "Hard" water usually contains more magnesium than "soft" water.
List of Magnesium Rich Foods

Try to include as many foods rich in magnesium in your diet as possible, and supplement the shortfall with bio-available AlgaeCal. Below is a list of foods containing 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

[Lori Anne]

Symptoms of Low Magnesium


Magnesium compounds manipulate the DNA, ATP and the RNA. Thus, a lot of magnesium in magnanimous amounts is required for out body to function properly. Magnesium is a very valuable element in the human body. Low levels of magnesium in the body causes several problems. Excessive vomiting and diarrhea are some of the causes of magnesium deficiency. Symptoms of low magnesium are loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and weakness.


The other symptoms of magnesium deficiency are difficulty in swallowing, constipation, urinary spasms, menstrual cramps, photophobia, chest tightness, neck pain, jaw joint dysfunction and breast tenderness. Magnesium deficiency primarily affects the nervous system. This causes insomnia, anxiety, hyperactivity, restlessness, panic attacks and premenstrual irritability. The symptoms arising out of peripheral effect on nervous system are numbness and tingling.

Low levels of magnesium also affect the heart. Palpitations, heart arrhythmias, high blood pressure and mitral valve prolapse are the common its common magnesium deficiency symptoms. Persons suffering from magnesium deficiency often experience desperate urge to eat chocolates.