Symptoms and signs of magnesium deficiency are easy to identify, the central nervous system is markedly affected. Symptoms include insomnia, chronic fatigue, anxiety, hyperactivity and restlessness with constant movement, panic attacks, agoraphobia, and premenstrual irritability. Magnesium deficiency symptoms involving the peripheral nervous system include numbness, tingling, and other abnormal sensations, such as zips, zaps and vibratory sensations.

Magnesium has been called “nature's physiological calcium channel blocker” (Iseri and French, 1984). During magnesium depletion, intracellular calcium rises. Since calcium plays an important role in skeletal and smooth muscle contraction, a state of magnesium depletion may result in muscle cramps, hypertension, and coronary and cerebral vasospasms. Magnesium depletion is found in a number of diseases of cardiovascular and neuromuscular function, in malabsorption syndromes, in diabetes mellitus, in renal wasting syndromes, and in alcoholism (Ma et al., 1995). These observations have led to studies regarding the role of inadequate magnesium intake in the development of diseases such as chronic fatigue, as opposed to abnormal handling of magnesium caused by the disease process. It is important to ensure that such evaluations are undertaken in apparently normal individuals for whom dietary intake is the primary independent variable.

Cramps in the lower limbs, restless leg syndrome and sleeplessness, chronic fatigue, are all eased by the addition of calcium and magnesium to the diet. Magnesium is more easily absorbed by the body in the form of dolomite, or with the addition of calcium. People who are too busy to eat properly, nursing or pregnant mothers and children who refuse milk and are picky eaters should all take calcium supplements. Children need lots of calcium to build strong bones and teeth that will serve them faithfully for the rest of their lives.