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Magnesium deficiency is quite common, with estimates suggesting that up to 80% of people may be lacking adequate magnesium. Several factors contribute to this widespread deficiency:
1. **Poor Diet**: Modern diets often lack magnesium-rich foods, such as leafy greens, nuts, seeds,
legumes, and whole grains. Highly processed foods, which are more common in the Western diet, tend to have lower magnesium content.
2. **Soil Depletion**: The magnesium content of soil has decreased over the years due to industrial
farming practices, which leads to less magnesium in the crops grown on that soil.
3. **Gut Health Issues**: Certain digestive conditions like Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or celiac disease can impair the body’s ability to absorb magnesium from food. Also, a disrupted gut microbiome can reduce nutrient absorption.
4. **Increased Use of Medications**: Some medications, such as diuretics, proton pump inhibitors, and
antibiotics, can deplete magnesium levels. These medications either interfere with magnesium absorption or increase its excretion through urine.
5. **Chronic Stress**: Stress leads to the release of stress hormones like cortisol, which can increase magnesium excretion through urine. People under chronic stress are at a higher risk of magnesium deficiency.
6. **Age**: As people age, their ability to absorb magnesium decreases, and they may not consume enough magnesium-rich foods. Older adults are particularly susceptible to deficiency.
7. **Excessive Alcohol Consumption**: Alcohol can interfere with magnesium absorption and increase its excretion, making individuals who consume large amounts of alcohol more likely to become deficient.
8. **Physical Activity**: Intense exercise can deplete magnesium levels due to increased sweating and changes in the body’s magnesium metabolism.
Magnesium is essential for many bodily functions, including muscle function, nerve transmission, energy production, and bone health. Therefore, its deficiency can contribute to various health problems, ranging from muscle cramps and fatigue to more serious issues like heart arrhythmias and osteoporosis.
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