Magnesium and Leg Cramps
I recently discovered how Important magnesium supplementation really is for women, and even more so for pregnant and those recovering postpartum and/or breastfeeding.*
Most people are thought to be deficient in magnesium because of today’s poor diets.
There are studies that claim our soil is no longer as rich in magnesium as it was ages ago, and we don’t eat a diet as rich in magnesium rich foods. And also — no one is hanging out playing in soil and most of us aren’t Cleopatra hitting up the salt and milk baths on the reg.
Magnesium rich foods include leafy greens, nuts, and seeds.
But even if we do consume these foods, magnesium gets depleted by other factors such as stress, sugar, alcohol, coffee, and soda.
I’d been on a magnesium supplement since long before birth and it’s part of my daily ritual, since my bloodwork always comes back on the low side for magnesium.
Today’s high-demand lifestyles are a recipe for magnesium deficiency.
Recently I ran out of my magnesium supplement, and because I have so much on my mind lately, completely forgot to restock. A week went by, and another, and another — only felt like a couple of days, but it added up.
In my recent session with a postpartum pelvic floor recovery specialist, I started complaining that I’ve been having leg cramps, and Mary asked what supplements I’m on, and as I started listing them out, in dawned on me —
Magnesium, it’s been at least three weeks now that I’ve been out of it!
Ha!
Until this conversation happened I didn’t even realize that my leg cramps could have been caused my lack of magnesium.
I’ve been tormented by these cramps for the past few weeks, even waking up from them, and as soon as I got my Magnesium back, the cramps diminished by so much.
With the stress of #momlife, mothering a growing toddler, breastfeeding, running around and eating and already restricted diet due to other health concerns, it will take a bit of time for the mag levels to restore to normal, but
I’m so happy at the I discovery made.
Supakatisant C, Phupong V. Oral magnesium for relief in pregnancy-induced leg cramps: a randomised controlled trial. Matern Child Nutr. 2012;11(2):139–45.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pubmed/22909270-oral-magnesium-for-relief-in-pregnancy-induced-leg-cramps-a-randomised-controlled-trial/
