Most Americans get enough magnesium from their diet to prevent a severe deficiency, yet often not enough to prevent symptoms like irritability. Aside from poor eating habits, other potential causes of low magnesium include temporary or chronic illnesses causing diarrhea or vomiting. Gastrointestinal diseases may prevent proper absorption of magnesium, as can some medications. Ask your doctor if eating more magnesium-rich foods and taking a supplement may help irritability and other symptoms.
Mood and Magnesium
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, irritability is one sign of a possible magnesium deficiency. Not only does the mineral boost your energy level, but it also regulates a host of other nutrients that contribute to energy, mood and general health, including calcium, zinc, vitamin D and potassium. Irritability is an early warning sign of deficiency, notes MedlinePlus. Other early symptoms include confusion, fatigue and the inability to sleep. Later-stage signs of magnesium deficiency range from rapid heart rate associated with moderately low levels of the mineral to the delirium and hallucinations that may accompany severe deficiency.
Secondary Links
Low magnesium may also indirectly affect your mood by aggravating related conditions. People who get migraines tend to have low levels of magnesium in their systems, notes UMMC. Increased magnesium also helps some women who suffer from PMS, as well as people who suffer from restless leg syndrome. Lack of sleep from restless leg syndrome, pain and agitation related to migraines, and the well-known hormonal fluctuations of PMS can all provoke irritability. Your doctor may suggest magnesium as part of your treatment for any of these conditions.
Suggested Intake
People with a suspected magnesium deficiency may boost their intake with magnesium-rich food. Doctors may also suggest magnesium supplements or multivitamins containing the mineral. Teen and adult females need between 280 and 300 mg of magnesium daily, while teen and adult males require 270 to 400 mg of the mineral. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should take in between 320 and 355 mg. Children need between 120 and 170 mg magnesium.
Sources
Foods highest in magnesium include Brazil nuts, pine nuts, walnuts, cashews, almonds, wheat bran, pumpkin seeds, soybeans and tofu, whole grains and leafy dark green vegetables. Some spices are rich in the mineral, so consider regularly using seasonings like marjoram, tarragon, agar, coriander, dill, mustard, fennel, sage, poppy seed, celery seed, basil and cocoa. Other good sources of magnesium are pistachios, skin-on potatoes, bananas, peanuts, oatmeal, bran and chocolate. Your doctor may also suggest a multivitamin or magnesium supplement. Follow your practitioner's dosage advice carefully to prevent causing a deficiency in another nutrient, such as calcium, from adding too much magnesium.
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