Magnesium is an important mineral that helps your body work properly. It helps with many things, like keeping your muscles healthy, making sure you have enough energy, and even helping you stay in a good mood. Usually, you can get enough magnesium from your food, but sometimes you might need a bit more if you are someone who consumes a lot of fast food. Here are five signs that you might need magnesium supplements.

1. You Have Muscle Cramps and Spasms Often

Muscle cramps can be more than just annoying after a workout or a long day. If your muscles are cramping or twitching a lot, even when you haven’t been very active, it could mean that your body doesn’t have enough magnesium. Magnesium helps your muscles relax, so if you don’t have enough, you might get cramps or those weird muscle twitches.

As explained by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), magnesium helps keep the right balance of calcium and potassium in your muscles, which helps prevent cramps. If you’re getting cramps all the time, you might need a magnesium supplement.

2. You Feel Tired Even When You Get Enough Sleep

Everyone feels tired sometimes, but if you’re feeling super tired all the time, even when you’re sleeping well, you might need more magnesium. The National Institutes of Health explains that magnesium is really important for making energy in your body. If you don’t have enough, you might feel drained and low on energy.

If you’re always tired and can’t figure out why, it could be because your magnesium levels are too low. It’s a good idea to ask your doctor about getting a blood test to check your magnesium.

3. You Feel Anxious or Sad More Often Than Usual

Magnesium is important for keeping your nervous system balanced. If you’re feeling anxious or down more than usual, it might be because you don’t have enough magnesium. Research shows that magnesium helps control certain chemicals in your brain, like serotonin, that affect your mood.

Studies show that people with low magnesium levels often feel more stress and anxiety. If you’ve been feeling down for a while, taking magnesium supplements could help improve your mood.

4. You Have Trouble Sleeping or Feel Restless at Night

If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, low magnesium could be the reason. Magnesium helps make melatonin, which is a hormone that helps you sleep. If you don’t have enough magnesium, your sleep might be interrupted, and you may not feel rested in the morning.

Research says that getting enough magnesium can help you sleep better, especially if you struggle with insomnia. If you’re not sleeping well and feel tired all the time, magnesium supplements might help you get the rest you need.

5. High Blood Pressure or Irregular Heartbeats Might Be Due to Low Magnesium

Magnesium is also important for your heart. It helps keep your blood pressure in check and keeps your heartbeat steady. The Mayo Clinic says that if your heartbeat feels irregular or if you have high blood pressure, low magnesium could be part of the problem.

Magnesium helps keep a good balance of electrolytes in your body, which helps your heart work properly. If you’re having heart issues, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about whether magnesium could help.

Should You Take Magnesium Supplements?

If any of these signs sound familiar, you should talk to your doctor about taking magnesium supplements. It’s important not to start taking supplements without talking to your doctor first because too much magnesium can cause problems like diarrhea or stomach issues.

You can get magnesium from foods like leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. But if you’re not getting enough from food, a supplement can help you make sure your body has enough magnesium to work well.

Final Thoughts

Magnesium is a very important mineral that helps your body in many ways—keeping your muscles healthy, helping your mood, improving your sleep, and keeping your heart working well. If you’re having problems like muscle cramps, feeling tired, mood changes, trouble sleeping, or heart issues, you might need more magnesium.

A visit to the doctor and a simple blood test can tell you if your magnesium levels are low. If they are, your doctor might suggest taking supplements to help get your levels back to normal.