Magnesium is an essential mineral that helps keep our bodies functioning at their best, and when you aren’t getting enough of it, you’ll definitely notice a difference (even if you don’t realize it’s the lack of magnesium behind your symptoms).
As registered dietitian nutritionist, Natalie Butler, RDN, L.D., previously wrote for mindbodygreen, fatigue and exhaustion are generalized symptoms of a magnesium deficiency. “You may attribute your tiredness to stress, poor sleep, or a host of other reasons and not realize just how much nutrition is playing a role,” she says, adding, “This is because magnesium is required for the production of energy. If the body has inadequate access to magnesium, then energy production suffers, leaving you prone to fatigue.”
Not to mention, magnesium also plays an essential role in managing the body’s normal inflammatory response. “When magnesium intake is low, inflammatory biomarkers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6, and fibrinogen1 are significantly affected,” Butler notes.
To that end, chronic inflammation is associated with fatigue as well, furthering the importance of making sure your magnesium levels are adequate to keep both inflammation and fatigue in check.