Magnesium deficiency | |
---|---|
Other names | Hypomagnesia, hypomagnesemia |
Magnesium | |
Specialty | Endocrinology |
Symptoms | Tremor, poor coordination, nystagmus, seizures [1] |
Complications | Seizures, cardiac arrest ( torsade de pointes), low potassium [1] |
Causes | Alcoholism, starvation, diarrhea, increased urinary loss, poor absorption from the intestines, certain medications [1] [2] |
Diagnostic method | Blood levels < 0.6 mmol/L (1.46 mg/dL) [1] |
Treatment | Magnesium salts [2] |
Frequency | Relatively common (hospitalized people) [2] |
Magnesium deficiency is an electrolyte disturbance in which there is a low level of magnesium in the body. It can result in multiple symptoms. [3] Symptoms include tremor, poor coordination, muscle spasms, loss of appetite, personality changes, and nystagmus. [1] [2] Complications may include seizures or cardiac arrest such as from torsade de pointes. [1] Those with low magnesium often have low potassium. [1]
Causes include low dietary intake, alcoholism, diarrhea, increased urinary loss, poor absorption from the intestines, and diabetes mellitus. [1] [4] [5] A number of medications may also cause low magnesium, including proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and furosemide. [2] The diagnosis is typically based on finding low blood magnesium levels (hypomagnesemia). [6] Normal magnesium levels are between 0.6 and 1.1 mmol/L (1.46–2.68 mg/dL) with levels less than 0.6 mmol/L (1.46 mg/dL) defining hypomagnesemia. [1] Specific electrocardiogram (ECG) changes may be seen. [1]
Treatment is with magnesium either by mouth or intravenously. [2] For those with severe symptoms, intravenous magnesium sulfate may be used. [1] Associated low potassium or low calcium should also be treated. [2] The condition is relatively common among people in hospitals. [2]
Deficiency of magnesium can cause tiredness, generalized weakness, muscle cramps, abnormal heart rhythms, increased irritability of the nervous system with tremors, paresthesias, palpitations, low potassium levels in the blood, hypoparathyroidism which might result in low calcium levels in the blood, chondrocalcinosis, spasticity and tetany, migraines, [7] epileptic seizures, [8] basal ganglia calcifications [9] and in extreme and prolonged cases coma, intellectual disability or death. [10] Magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism and its deficiency may worsen insulin resistance, a condition that often precedes diabetes, or may be a consequence of insulin resistance. [11]
Magnesium deficiency may result from gastrointestinal or kidney causes. Gastrointestinal causes include low dietary intake of magnesium, reduced gastrointestinal absorption or increased gastrointestinal loss due to rapid gastrointestinal transits. Kidney causes involve increased excretion of magnesium. Poor dietary intake of magnesium has become an increasingly important factor – many people consume diets high in refined foods such as white bread and polished rice which have been stripped of magnesium-rich plant fiber. [12]
Magnesium deficiency is not uncommon in hospitalized patients. Up to 12% of all people admitted to hospital, and as high as 60–65% of people in an intensive care unit, have hypomagnesemia. [13]
About 57% of the US population does not meet the US RDA for dietary intake of magnesium. [14] The kidneys are very efficient at maintaining body levels; however, if the diet is deficient, or certain medications such as diuretics or proton pump inhibitors are used, [15] or in chronic alcoholism, [16] levels may drop.
Low levels of magnesium in blood may be due to not enough magnesium in the diet, the intestines not absorbing enough magnesium, or the kidneys excreting too much magnesium. Deficiencies may be due to the following conditions:
Magnesium is a co-factor in over 300 functions in the body regulating many kinds of biochemical reactions. [21] It is involved in protein synthesis, muscle and nerve functioning, bone development, energy production, the maintenance of normal heart rhythm, and the regulation of glucose and blood pressure, among other important roles. [16] Low magnesium intake over time can increase the risk of illnesses, including high blood pressure and heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, osteoporosis, and migraines. [16]
There is a direct effect on sodium (Na), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca) channels. Magnesium has several effects:
Potassium channel efflux is inhibited by magnesium. Thus hypomagnesemia results in an increased excretion of potassium in kidney, resulting in a hypokalaemia. This condition is believed to occur secondary to the decreased normal physiologic magnesium inhibition of the ROMK channels in the apical tubular membrane. [32]
In this light, hypomagnesemia is frequently the cause of hypokalaemic patients failing to respond to potassium supplementation. Thus, clinicians should ensure that both magnesium and potassium is replaced when deficient. Patients with diabetic ketoacidosis should have their magnesium levels monitored to ensure that the serum loss of potassium, which is driven intracellularly by insulin administration, is not exacerbated by additional urinary losses. [ citation needed]
Release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum is inhibited by magnesium. Thus hypomagnesemia results in an increased intracellular calcium level. This inhibits the release of parathyroid hormone, which can result in hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia. Furthermore, it makes skeletal and muscle receptors less sensitive to parathyroid hormone. [13]
Magnesium is needed for the adequate function of the Na+/K+-ATPase pumps in cardiac myocytes, the muscles cells of the heart. A lack of magnesium inhibits reuptake of potassium, causing a decrease in intracellular potassium. This decrease in intracellular potassium results in a tachycardia.
Magnesium has an indirect antithrombotic effect upon platelets and endothelial function. Magnesium increases prostaglandins, decreases thromboxane, and decreases angiotensin II, microvascular leakage, and vasospasm through its function similar to calcium channel blockers.[ citation needed] Convulsions are the result of cerebral vasospasm. The vasodilatatory effect of magnesium seems to be the major mechanism.
Magnesium exerts a bronchodilatatory effect, probably by antagonizing calcium-mediated bronchoconstriction. [33]
Magnesium deficiency is frequently observed in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, with an estimated prevalence ranging between 11.0 and 47.7%. [34] Magnesium deficiency is strongly associated with high glucose and insulin resistance, which indicate that it is common in poorly controlled diabetes. [35] Patients with type 2 diabetes and a magnesium deficiency have a higher risk of heart failure, atrial fibrillation and microvascular complications. [36] Oral magnesium supplements has been demonstrated to improve insulin sensitivity and lipid profile. [37] [38] [39] A 2016 meta-analysis not restricted to diabetic subjects found that increasing dietary magnesium intake, while associated with a reduced risk of stroke, heart failure, diabetes, and all-cause mortality, was not clearly associated with lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) or total cardiovascular disease (CVD). [40]
A 2021 study on blood from 4,400 diabetic patients over 6 to 11 years reported that "People with higher levels of magnesium in the blood were found to have a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease", and also of diabetic foot and diabetic retinopathy. The researchers, however, stated that "we have [not] demonstrated that magnesium supplements work. Further research is needed." [41]
Magnesium rich foods include cereals, green vegetables (with magnesium being a main component of chlorophyll), beans, and nuts. [26] It is absorbed primarily in the small intestine via paracellular transport; passing between intestinal cells. Magnesium absorption in the large intestine is mediated by the transporters TRPM6 and TRPM7. [26]
The body contains about 25 grams of magnesium. [26] Of the body's magnesium, 50-60% is stored in bone as part of hydroxyapatite, with the remainder, about 40-50%, being stored in muscle or soft tissue, with about 1% being in the plasma. [42] Therefore, normal plasma levels of magnesium may sometimes be seen despite a person being in a state of magnesium deficiency and plasma magnesium levels may underestimate the level of deficiency. Plasma magnesium levels may more accurately reflect magnesium stores when consideration is also given to urinary magnesium losses and oral intake of magnesium. [26]
Inside cells, 90-95% of magnesium is bound to ligands, including ATP, ADP, citrate, other proteins and nucleic acids. [26] In the plasma, 30% of magnesium is bound to free fatty acids, therefore elevated levels of free fatty acids are associated with hypomagnesemia as well as a possible risk of cardiovascular disease. [26]
The kidneys regulate magnesium levels by reabsorbing magnesium from the tubules. In the proximal tubule (at the beginning of the nephron, the functional unit of the kidney) 20% of magnesium is reabsorbed via paracellular transport with claudin 2 and claudin 12 forming channels to allow for reabsorption. [26] 70% of magnesium is reabsorbed in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle where claudins 16 and 19 form the channels to allow for reabsorption. [26] In the distal convoluted tubule, 5-10% of magnesium is reabsorbed transcellularly (through the cells) via the transporters TRPM6 and TRPM7. Epidermal growth factor and insulin activate TRPM6 and 7 and increase magneisum levels via increased renal reabsorption. [26]
Magnesium deficiency or depletion is a low total body level of magnesium; it is not easy to measure directly. [43] Typically the diagnosis is based on finding hypomagnesemia, a low blood magnesium level, [44] which often reflects low body magnesium; [6] however, magnesium deficiency can be present without hypomagnesemia, and vice versa. [43] A plasma magnesium concentration of less than 0.6 mmol/L (1.46 mg/dL) is considered to be hypomagnesemia; [1] severe disease generally has a level of less than 0.50 mmol/L (1.25 mg/dL). [2]
The electrocardiogram (ECG) change may show a tachycardia with a prolonged QT interval. [45] Other changes may include prolonged PR interval, ST segment depression, flipped T waves, and long QRS duration. [1]
Treatment of magnesium deficiency depends on the degree of deficiency and the clinical effects. Replacement by mouth is appropriate for people with mild symptoms, while intravenous replacement is recommended for people with severe effects. [46]
Numerous oral magnesium preparations are available. In two trials of magnesium oxide, one of the most common forms in magnesium dietary supplements because of its high magnesium content per weight, was found to be less bioavailable than magnesium citrate, chloride, lactate or aspartate. [47] [48] Amino-acid chelate was also less bioavailable. [49]
Intravenous magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) can be given in response to heart arrhythmias to correct for hypokalemia, preventing pre-eclampsia, and has been suggested as having a potential use in asthma. [1]
Food sources of magnesium include leafy green vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds. [50]
The condition is relatively common among people in hospital (especially those in the intensive care unit (ICU)) and those with diabetes. [2] Hypomagnesemia may be seen in 3-10% of the general population. [26] It is present in an estimated 10-30% of people with diabetes, 10-60% of hospitalized people and greater than 65% of people in the ICU. [26] In hospitalized patients, hypomagnesemia is associated with an increased length of stay. And in those in an ICU, it is associated with a higher risk of requiring mechanical ventilation, and death. [51] [52] In population based cohort studies, chronic magnesium deficiency was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death and overall death. [26] [53]
Magnesium deficiency in humans was first described in the medical literature in 1934. [54]
Magnesium deficiency is a detrimental plant disorder that occurs most often in strongly acidic, light, sandy soils, where magnesium can be easily leached away. Magnesium is an essential macronutrient constituting 0.2-0.4% of plants' dry matter and is necessary for normal plant growth. [55] Excess potassium, generally due to fertilizers, further aggravates the stress from magnesium deficiency, [56] as does aluminium toxicity. [57]
Magnesium has an important role in photosynthesis because it forms the central atom of chlorophyll. [55] Therefore, without sufficient amounts of magnesium, plants begin to degrade the chlorophyll in the old leaves. This causes the main symptom of magnesium deficiency, interveinal chlorosis, or yellowing between leaf veins, which stay green, giving the leaves a marbled appearance. Due to magnesium's mobile nature, the plant will first break down chlorophyll in older leaves and transport the Mg to younger leaves which have greater photosynthetic needs. Therefore, the first sign of magnesium deficiency is the chlorosis of old leaves which progresses to the young leaves as the deficiency progresses. [58] Magnesium also acts as an activator for many critical enzymes, including ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase ( RuBisCO) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), both essential enzymes in carbon fixation. Thus low amounts of Mg lead to a decrease in photosynthetic and enzymatic activity within the plants. Magnesium is also crucial in stabilizing ribosome structures, hence, a lack of magnesium causes depolymerization of ribosomes leading to premature aging of the plant. [55] After prolonged magnesium deficiency, necrosis and dropping of older leaves occurs. Plants deficient in magnesium also produce smaller, woodier fruits.
Magnesium deficiency in plants may be confused with zinc or chlorine deficiencies, viruses, or natural aging, since all have similar symptoms. Adding Epsom salts (as a solution of 25 grams per liter or 4 oz per gal) or crushed dolomitic limestone to the soil can rectify magnesium deficiencies. An organic treatment is to apply compost mulch, which can prevent leaching during excessive rainfall and provide plants with sufficient amounts of nutrients, including magnesium. [59]
Magnesium deficiency | |
---|---|
Other names | Hypomagnesia, hypomagnesemia |
Magnesium | |
Specialty | Endocrinology |
Symptoms | Tremor, poor coordination, nystagmus, seizures [1] |
Complications | Seizures, cardiac arrest ( torsade de pointes), low potassium [1] |
Causes | Alcoholism, starvation, diarrhea, increased urinary loss, poor absorption from the intestines, certain medications [1] [2] |
Diagnostic method | Blood levels < 0.6 mmol/L (1.46 mg/dL) [1] |
Treatment | Magnesium salts [2] |
Frequency | Relatively common (hospitalized people) [2] |
Magnesium deficiency is an electrolyte disturbance in which there is a low level of magnesium in the body. It can result in multiple symptoms. [3] Symptoms include tremor, poor coordination, muscle spasms, loss of appetite, personality changes, and nystagmus. [1] [2] Complications may include seizures or cardiac arrest such as from torsade de pointes. [1] Those with low magnesium often have low potassium. [1]
Causes include low dietary intake, alcoholism, diarrhea, increased urinary loss, poor absorption from the intestines, and diabetes mellitus. [1] [4] [5] A number of medications may also cause low magnesium, including proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and furosemide. [2] The diagnosis is typically based on finding low blood magnesium levels (hypomagnesemia). [6] Normal magnesium levels are between 0.6 and 1.1 mmol/L (1.46–2.68 mg/dL) with levels less than 0.6 mmol/L (1.46 mg/dL) defining hypomagnesemia. [1] Specific electrocardiogram (ECG) changes may be seen. [1]
Treatment is with magnesium either by mouth or intravenously. [2] For those with severe symptoms, intravenous magnesium sulfate may be used. [1] Associated low potassium or low calcium should also be treated. [2] The condition is relatively common among people in hospitals. [2]
Deficiency of magnesium can cause tiredness, generalized weakness, muscle cramps, abnormal heart rhythms, increased irritability of the nervous system with tremors, paresthesias, palpitations, low potassium levels in the blood, hypoparathyroidism which might result in low calcium levels in the blood, chondrocalcinosis, spasticity and tetany, migraines, [7] epileptic seizures, [8] basal ganglia calcifications [9] and in extreme and prolonged cases coma, intellectual disability or death. [10] Magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism and its deficiency may worsen insulin resistance, a condition that often precedes diabetes, or may be a consequence of insulin resistance. [11]
Magnesium deficiency may result from gastrointestinal or kidney causes. Gastrointestinal causes include low dietary intake of magnesium, reduced gastrointestinal absorption or increased gastrointestinal loss due to rapid gastrointestinal transits. Kidney causes involve increased excretion of magnesium. Poor dietary intake of magnesium has become an increasingly important factor – many people consume diets high in refined foods such as white bread and polished rice which have been stripped of magnesium-rich plant fiber. [12]
Magnesium deficiency is not uncommon in hospitalized patients. Up to 12% of all people admitted to hospital, and as high as 60–65% of people in an intensive care unit, have hypomagnesemia. [13]
About 57% of the US population does not meet the US RDA for dietary intake of magnesium. [14] The kidneys are very efficient at maintaining body levels; however, if the diet is deficient, or certain medications such as diuretics or proton pump inhibitors are used, [15] or in chronic alcoholism, [16] levels may drop.
Low levels of magnesium in blood may be due to not enough magnesium in the diet, the intestines not absorbing enough magnesium, or the kidneys excreting too much magnesium. Deficiencies may be due to the following conditions:
Magnesium is a co-factor in over 300 functions in the body regulating many kinds of biochemical reactions. [21] It is involved in protein synthesis, muscle and nerve functioning, bone development, energy production, the maintenance of normal heart rhythm, and the regulation of glucose and blood pressure, among other important roles. [16] Low magnesium intake over time can increase the risk of illnesses, including high blood pressure and heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, osteoporosis, and migraines. [16]
There is a direct effect on sodium (Na), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca) channels. Magnesium has several effects:
Potassium channel efflux is inhibited by magnesium. Thus hypomagnesemia results in an increased excretion of potassium in kidney, resulting in a hypokalaemia. This condition is believed to occur secondary to the decreased normal physiologic magnesium inhibition of the ROMK channels in the apical tubular membrane. [32]
In this light, hypomagnesemia is frequently the cause of hypokalaemic patients failing to respond to potassium supplementation. Thus, clinicians should ensure that both magnesium and potassium is replaced when deficient. Patients with diabetic ketoacidosis should have their magnesium levels monitored to ensure that the serum loss of potassium, which is driven intracellularly by insulin administration, is not exacerbated by additional urinary losses. [ citation needed]
Release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum is inhibited by magnesium. Thus hypomagnesemia results in an increased intracellular calcium level. This inhibits the release of parathyroid hormone, which can result in hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia. Furthermore, it makes skeletal and muscle receptors less sensitive to parathyroid hormone. [13]
Magnesium is needed for the adequate function of the Na+/K+-ATPase pumps in cardiac myocytes, the muscles cells of the heart. A lack of magnesium inhibits reuptake of potassium, causing a decrease in intracellular potassium. This decrease in intracellular potassium results in a tachycardia.
Magnesium has an indirect antithrombotic effect upon platelets and endothelial function. Magnesium increases prostaglandins, decreases thromboxane, and decreases angiotensin II, microvascular leakage, and vasospasm through its function similar to calcium channel blockers.[ citation needed] Convulsions are the result of cerebral vasospasm. The vasodilatatory effect of magnesium seems to be the major mechanism.
Magnesium exerts a bronchodilatatory effect, probably by antagonizing calcium-mediated bronchoconstriction. [33]
Magnesium deficiency is frequently observed in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, with an estimated prevalence ranging between 11.0 and 47.7%. [34] Magnesium deficiency is strongly associated with high glucose and insulin resistance, which indicate that it is common in poorly controlled diabetes. [35] Patients with type 2 diabetes and a magnesium deficiency have a higher risk of heart failure, atrial fibrillation and microvascular complications. [36] Oral magnesium supplements has been demonstrated to improve insulin sensitivity and lipid profile. [37] [38] [39] A 2016 meta-analysis not restricted to diabetic subjects found that increasing dietary magnesium intake, while associated with a reduced risk of stroke, heart failure, diabetes, and all-cause mortality, was not clearly associated with lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) or total cardiovascular disease (CVD). [40]
A 2021 study on blood from 4,400 diabetic patients over 6 to 11 years reported that "People with higher levels of magnesium in the blood were found to have a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease", and also of diabetic foot and diabetic retinopathy. The researchers, however, stated that "we have [not] demonstrated that magnesium supplements work. Further research is needed." [41]
Magnesium rich foods include cereals, green vegetables (with magnesium being a main component of chlorophyll), beans, and nuts. [26] It is absorbed primarily in the small intestine via paracellular transport; passing between intestinal cells. Magnesium absorption in the large intestine is mediated by the transporters TRPM6 and TRPM7. [26]
The body contains about 25 grams of magnesium. [26] Of the body's magnesium, 50-60% is stored in bone as part of hydroxyapatite, with the remainder, about 40-50%, being stored in muscle or soft tissue, with about 1% being in the plasma. [42] Therefore, normal plasma levels of magnesium may sometimes be seen despite a person being in a state of magnesium deficiency and plasma magnesium levels may underestimate the level of deficiency. Plasma magnesium levels may more accurately reflect magnesium stores when consideration is also given to urinary magnesium losses and oral intake of magnesium. [26]
Inside cells, 90-95% of magnesium is bound to ligands, including ATP, ADP, citrate, other proteins and nucleic acids. [26] In the plasma, 30% of magnesium is bound to free fatty acids, therefore elevated levels of free fatty acids are associated with hypomagnesemia as well as a possible risk of cardiovascular disease. [26]
The kidneys regulate magnesium levels by reabsorbing magnesium from the tubules. In the proximal tubule (at the beginning of the nephron, the functional unit of the kidney) 20% of magnesium is reabsorbed via paracellular transport with claudin 2 and claudin 12 forming channels to allow for reabsorption. [26] 70% of magnesium is reabsorbed in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle where claudins 16 and 19 form the channels to allow for reabsorption. [26] In the distal convoluted tubule, 5-10% of magnesium is reabsorbed transcellularly (through the cells) via the transporters TRPM6 and TRPM7. Epidermal growth factor and insulin activate TRPM6 and 7 and increase magneisum levels via increased renal reabsorption. [26]
Magnesium deficiency or depletion is a low total body level of magnesium; it is not easy to measure directly. [43] Typically the diagnosis is based on finding hypomagnesemia, a low blood magnesium level, [44] which often reflects low body magnesium; [6] however, magnesium deficiency can be present without hypomagnesemia, and vice versa. [43] A plasma magnesium concentration of less than 0.6 mmol/L (1.46 mg/dL) is considered to be hypomagnesemia; [1] severe disease generally has a level of less than 0.50 mmol/L (1.25 mg/dL). [2]
The electrocardiogram (ECG) change may show a tachycardia with a prolonged QT interval. [45] Other changes may include prolonged PR interval, ST segment depression, flipped T waves, and long QRS duration. [1]
Treatment of magnesium deficiency depends on the degree of deficiency and the clinical effects. Replacement by mouth is appropriate for people with mild symptoms, while intravenous replacement is recommended for people with severe effects. [46]
Numerous oral magnesium preparations are available. In two trials of magnesium oxide, one of the most common forms in magnesium dietary supplements because of its high magnesium content per weight, was found to be less bioavailable than magnesium citrate, chloride, lactate or aspartate. [47] [48] Amino-acid chelate was also less bioavailable. [49]
Intravenous magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) can be given in response to heart arrhythmias to correct for hypokalemia, preventing pre-eclampsia, and has been suggested as having a potential use in asthma. [1]
Food sources of magnesium include leafy green vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds. [50]
The condition is relatively common among people in hospital (especially those in the intensive care unit (ICU)) and those with diabetes. [2] Hypomagnesemia may be seen in 3-10% of the general population. [26] It is present in an estimated 10-30% of people with diabetes, 10-60% of hospitalized people and greater than 65% of people in the ICU. [26] In hospitalized patients, hypomagnesemia is associated with an increased length of stay. And in those in an ICU, it is associated with a higher risk of requiring mechanical ventilation, and death. [51] [52] In population based cohort studies, chronic magnesium deficiency was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death and overall death. [26] [53]
Magnesium deficiency in humans was first described in the medical literature in 1934. [54]
Magnesium deficiency is a detrimental plant disorder that occurs most often in strongly acidic, light, sandy soils, where magnesium can be easily leached away. Magnesium is an essential macronutrient constituting 0.2-0.4% of plants' dry matter and is necessary for normal plant growth. [55] Excess potassium, generally due to fertilizers, further aggravates the stress from magnesium deficiency, [56] as does aluminium toxicity. [57]
Magnesium has an important role in photosynthesis because it forms the central atom of chlorophyll. [55] Therefore, without sufficient amounts of magnesium, plants begin to degrade the chlorophyll in the old leaves. This causes the main symptom of magnesium deficiency, interveinal chlorosis, or yellowing between leaf veins, which stay green, giving the leaves a marbled appearance. Due to magnesium's mobile nature, the plant will first break down chlorophyll in older leaves and transport the Mg to younger leaves which have greater photosynthetic needs. Therefore, the first sign of magnesium deficiency is the chlorosis of old leaves which progresses to the young leaves as the deficiency progresses. [58] Magnesium also acts as an activator for many critical enzymes, including ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase ( RuBisCO) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), both essential enzymes in carbon fixation. Thus low amounts of Mg lead to a decrease in photosynthetic and enzymatic activity within the plants. Magnesium is also crucial in stabilizing ribosome structures, hence, a lack of magnesium causes depolymerization of ribosomes leading to premature aging of the plant. [55] After prolonged magnesium deficiency, necrosis and dropping of older leaves occurs. Plants deficient in magnesium also produce smaller, woodier fruits.
Magnesium deficiency in plants may be confused with zinc or chlorine deficiencies, viruses, or natural aging, since all have similar symptoms. Adding Epsom salts (as a solution of 25 grams per liter or 4 oz per gal) or crushed dolomitic limestone to the soil can rectify magnesium deficiencies. An organic treatment is to apply compost mulch, which can prevent leaching during excessive rainfall and provide plants with sufficient amounts of nutrients, including magnesium. [59]