Top 10 signs of calcium, magnesium, and iron deficiency

C). Melatonin and sleep. We fall asleep thanks to the hormone melatonin. Calcium directly affects its production: little calcium = worse synthesis of this hormone (study). By the way, sleep problems can arise not only from calcium deficiency but also from other reasons: the same lack of magnesium, vitamins B3 and B6.

Calcium has many different forms. Which supplement is best for you? The answer is in this material.

2. Magnesium. Often used by most people to calm the nervous system, but wherever you look in our body, magnesium participates in one way or another. Therefore, magnesium affects:

A). Mood, irritability, and depression. Magnesium deficiency is characterized by sharp mood swings, fatigue, nervousness: literally every little thing irritates you (although usually it’s not like that). Most likely, it’s due to magnesium deficiency. If you work out, you are guaranteed to deplete its reserves, which are replenished to a lesser extent, most likely. Hence the above symptoms (study).

B). Fatigue. Magnesium is involved in the production of ATP - the energy molecule that powers our entire body. Low magnesium = increased fatigue and underperformance during sports activities (study).

C). Cramps. Magnesium is also responsible for muscle and nervous system relaxation. Muscle cramps (the body can't relax) and twitching while falling asleep are definitely signs of magnesium deficiency (study).

D). Sexual drive (libido). Magnesium is involved in the production of the sex hormone - testosterone (which is why it is included in such a supplement as ZMA). This hormone is also important for women. Reduced desire is linked to magnesium deficiency (study). Or zinc.

3. Iron. Responsible for transporting oxygen. You've probably come across the word "anemia" (lack of blood) – this is a deficiency of oxygen due to a lack of iron. But anemia is an extreme form of iron deficiency. In the early stages, the deficiency manifests as:

A). Fatigue and decreased endurance. Oxygen is needed for energy production (for oxidative reactions). Little iron = little oxygen = low endurance and a decline in strength (study 1 and 2).

B). Decline in cognitive abilities. This refers to thinking speed, decision-making speed, memory, etc. In short, the lower the level of iron, the worse you'll think (you start to slow down more). But even if you don’t slow down, you can't maintain attention, reaction speed, etc. at a high level for long. The so-called cognitive endurance declines quickly (study).

C). Changes in taste and cold hands. These are pronounced symptoms of iron deficiency. Geophagia (change in taste preferences) is when you crave something that people usually don't eat: clay, lots of salt, starch, cardboard, and ice (I didn't make this up; it's taken from the book "Dietetics" by A. Baranovsky). Cold fingers even in warm weather are also indicative.

How to Accurately Determine Deficiencies in Calcium, Magnesium, and Iron

Look, the ideal option is to undergo lab tests for mineral deficiencies and understand what we have enough of and what problems we have. But this is the ideal option that requires significant financial investments. It’s clear that this is for your own health, but personally, I feel the pinch spending big money on this (and it’s not cheap at all). I already know that due to systematic training, I consume each mineral more than a non-training person. Therefore, the solution for me is to take a vitamin-mineral complex daily, but in small amounts.

Especially irritating are those colleagues of mine who are categorically against taking vitamin supplements until the aforementioned tests on each micronutrient are conducted (they fear overdosing). But the fact is that, for example, the level of magnesium in the blood does not reflect the entire picture of magnesium in the body (study). That’s one.

Two – almost everyone is, to some extent, deficient in certain vitamins or minerals. As for frequent cases of vitamin overdose – I haven't heard much about that. And three – are you ready to spend 10-20 thousand rubles just on vitamin tests? Once before starting a supplement, and once after, to understand how much each micronutrient's level has increased.

And do you know what’s most interesting? All sources (my colleagues, doctors, nutritionists, etc.) talk about balanced nutrition, saying it’s the solution to all problems. That’s true, but no one can give a precise answer about how much of each product you need to eat to meet your norm of each substance and cover your needs purely through diet, without supplements. But we can. And we’ve already done it. Let’s move on through this link.