Magnesium 101

If you have been reading my work for a while now, you will know that at this time of year, you can pretty much guarantee a majority of your patients are either deficient or insufficient in vitamin D.

It is also worth remembering that amongst the population with ongoing pain as a symptom, the rates tend to be even higher.

What you might not know is that magnesium deficiency and sub-optimal magnesium levels are also very common.

Let’s take a look at the research.

If we use an estimated average requirement (EAR – which is lower than the RDA/NRV, it is a guide for intake for “healthy people”, not really our population I would argue) from diet surveys (not the most reliable, it must be said), we can see that 50-60% adults do not meet this requirement. In the over 71 range, it hits 70% and tragically, in the girls aged 14-18 a whopping 90%.