Magnesium deficiency is among the most overlooked health issues millions across the world face. According to experts, magnesium – which helps maintain a healthy rhythm, apart from regulating blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and stronger bones production, plays a critical role in your overall health and well-being.

However, a lack of this important nutrient in your body, also known as hypomagnesemia, can lead to various freaky kinds of symptoms, which can surprise you.

According to studies, 2-15 per cent of people experience magnesium deficiency at some point in their lives, and the percentage is far greater in those battling diabetes or alcohol addiction. However, in a lot of cases, deficiency goes underdiagnosed since the obvious signs commonly do not appear until your levels become severely low.

A few of these signs include:

Anytime you feel a growing susceptibility to sensitivity to loud sounds – doctors attribute it to low magnesium levels. According to Dr. Eric Berg, a US-based healthcare professional, low magnesium affects the function of the inner ear hair cells, making them more susceptible to damage from noise and potentially leading to a condition known as hyperacusis, where even normal sounds seem uncomfortably loud.

Even a mild deficiency causes heavy sensitivity to noise, anxiety, irritability, mental depression, confusion, twitching, trembling, apprehension, insomnia, muscle weakness, and cramps in the toes, feet, legs, or fingers.

Dr. Berg says it happens since magnesium plays an important role in regulating calcium influx within these cells, which is crucial for sound perception.

Magnesium deficiency takes a big toll on your mental health – leading to mood disorders, heightened stress, depression, and high anxiety. This essential mineral also affects brain function, mood, and nerve transmission in many people.

Dr. Berg says since magnesium is vital for proper nerve function, low levels of this important nutrient lead to increased excitability in the nervous system, manifesting as irritability and mood swings.

Lack of magnesium in your body causes muscle contractions – due to which your eyelids may continuously twitch.

Magnesium deficiency is known to cause muscle contractions, so it’s possible that this could include eyelid twitching. You can make appropriate dietary changes like eating peanuts, spinach, sunflower seeds, rice, and oatmeal as suggested by your doctor, or include potential supplements to get over this deficiency.

If you lack magnesium in your body, your cold sensitivity will increase, says Dr. Berg. According to him, it happens since the mineral's role in muscle function and circulation is extremely high and if you are low in magnesium, it leads to poor blood flow.

A feeling of coldness in the extremities, particularly hands and feet, even when the environment is not cold can also be accompanied by muscle cramps and spasms.

There's a thin line between a mineral deficiency and having a sweet tooth. According to Dr. Berg, a constant craving for chocolates is a big indicator of a deficiency in magnesium, required for over 300 enzyme reactions in your body.

Studies say chocolate – loaded with cacao has the highest amount of magnesium per gram.

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