Magnesium Deficiency In Children: Symptoms, Benefits And Foods To Add To Your Kid’s Diet

Written by Smriti Dey | May 21, 2024

Introduction

Magnesium is an essential mineral for growing children as it is involved in more than 300 different chemical reactions in the human body. It plays multiple important roles in the human body, from promoting metabolism, improving energy, enhancing bone health to increasing muscle function and relaxation, ensuring heart health, preventing tooth problems, and boosting a stressed immune system.

Magnesium is an essential mineral that helps with more than 300 functions in the body each day. Magnesium helps keep your muscles functioning properly and your nerves transmitting properly. Magnesium-rich foods help kids grow by providing the energy production they need. Lack of magnesium in children weakens the immune system and reduces the daily resilience. Growing children need enough magnesium for emotional balance, focus and sleep. They get benefits from magnesium that include physical growth and healthy brain development.

Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms In Kids

Knowing what to look for, parents can recognize the symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Muscle cramps, weakness and fatigue are some of the first common symptoms. Magnesium deficiency in kids always results in poor sleep, restlessness and unexplained irritability. Loss of appetite, frequent headaches, and nausea are signs of magnesium deficiency in children. In severe magnesium deficiency, stomach problems and irregular heartbeat are seen. The mood and concentration problems that come with magnesium deficiency greatly affect academic performance. If your child is showing several symptoms of magnesium deficiency at the same time, see a doctor.

Understanding Magnesium Deficiency In Kids

With so many amazing health benefits, meeting the daily required magnesium intake is essential. Infants aged 0 to 6 months need 30 mg/day, babies aged 7 to 12 months require 75 mg/day, toddlers aged 1 to 3 years need 80 mg/day, children aged 4 to 8 years require 130 mg/day, while kids aged 9 to 13 years need at least 240 mg per day.

Unlike vitamin D and vitamin B12, magnesium is relatively easy to source, as multiple foods are rich in important micronutrients. Here is a quick guide to foods to add to your kids’ diet that prevent magnesium deficiency in children.

Foods Rich in Magnesium for Your Kids

Fruits and Vegetables - Vegetables like spinach, Swiss chard, tamarind, potatoes with their skins, okra, and broccoli are rich sources of magnesium. Among fruits, bananas, apples, avocados, and blackberries are rich sources of magnesium. While a half cup of cooked spinach provides 75 mg of magnesium, a medium banana provides 32 gm, and a cup of blackberries provides 29 mg of magnesium. Incorporate these fruits and veggies into your kids’ diet and watch them work wonders for your kid.

Fruits and vegetables

Nuts and seeds - Pumpkin seeds are a superfood for magnesium, providing 592 mg per 100 gm of dried pumpkin seeds. Among others, an ounce of almond provides 80 mg of magnesium, while cashews, peanuts, chia seeds, and the rest follow in close pursuit. Incorporate nuts and seeds in your kids’ diet by making granola at home and pairing it with some yogurt or making tasty trail mixes at home to boost your kids’ magnesium levels on the go.

Legumes - Among legumes, soybeans, black beans, kidney beans, lentils, and edamame are wonderful sources of magnesium, offering between 50 to 70 mg of magnesium per serving. Kids who are fussy with soybeans and edamame can go for soya chunks as they are a tastier alternative that goes well in pulaos, snacks, and curries. As for young fans of Mexican cuisine, feed them homemade burrito bowls full of black beans and kidney beans, or add fancy names to ordinary Indian dals and rajma curries by internationally plating them, like lentil soup or kidney beans and pilaf (a fancy name for pulao).

Fatty fish - Some fatty fish, like salmon, mackerel, and halibut pack a lot of magnesium in them. In fact, a 100-gm serving of cooked salmon packs 30 mg of magnesium. And when paired with broccoli, and some lentils, a wholesome meal rich in magnesium and multiple other micronutrients nourishes your child and improves their health.

Whole grains - Bread and fortified breakfast cereals like quinoa, oats, and brown rice are great sources of magnesium. As only 2 slices of whole wheat bread offer 46 mg of magnesium, while ½ cup of cooked brown rice provides 42 mg of magnesium, whole grains are a great way of incorporating carbs, energy, and magnesium into your kids’ diet. Make them quinoa bowls or whole grain bowls filled with vegetables, proteins, and legumes, and watch your children gobble them down. You can also take the dessert path and make some overnight oats or ragi pancakes. Sometimes, even low-fat, homemade bread pudding wins the deal.

Tips on incorporating magnesium-rich foods into your kids’ diet

• Try to pair something your children like, either food item, flavor, or texture, with foods rich in magnesium, in case your kids are fussy eaters. This will make them at least want to give it a try.
• Since good food sources of magnesium are abundant, make it a priority to hit the daily target for your children, but do not go over the limit, as that can lead to depression, lethargy, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeats, and urine retention. Magnesium in optimal amounts is incredible at improving child health, growth, and disease protection.
• Involve your kids in the process. Try to involve them in preparing the food while whipping up a grain bowl for lunch. While talking, also discuss the health benefits of the dish casually before letting them taste it and decide which team they wish to be on, team deficiency or team health.
• Since kids do not learn from adults but copy them, it is wise to incorporate magnesium into your own diet as well. Make magnesium-rich foods a family affair, especially since all the sources are also rich in multiple other vitamins, minerals, macronutrients, and fiber.
• Remember, since kids love yummy fast foods but hate being singled out for any special ‘healthy food’, it is ideal to stop associating fast food with rewards and healthy fruits, vegetables, and fish with punishment from a tender age to promote the consumption of magnesium-rich food in your household.

Common Causes Of Magnesium Deficiency In Children

In children, magnesium deficiency is often due to chronically low dietary intake. High processed-food consumption displaces natural sources of magnesium in the diet. Poor gut health and digestive issues reduce the correction of magnesium deficiency in kids through diet. Some medical conditions and long-term medications can, over time, lower magnesium levels. Selective eating patterns reduce the variety of daily food sources of magnesium. Low intake of nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains aggravates magnesium deficiency. Knowing the root cause will help parents to effectively tackle magnesium deficiency in children.

How To Add Magnesium-Rich Foods To Your Kid’s Diet

Reducing magnesium deficiency in children by combining magnesium foods with familiar flavors. You can add food sources of magnesium daily through smoothies, parathas, bowls and pancakes. Add ground nuts and seeds to meals regularly to naturally increase magnesium benefits. Make trail mix, oats bars & seed laddoos for magnesium-rich school snacks. Don’t use healthy food as a punishment, make sources of magnesium feel like a celebration. Magnesium benefits are increased by the regular addition of magnesium-rich foods to the family diet.

Can Too Much Magnesium Be Harmful For Kids?

Too much magnesium from supplements can lead to nausea, weakness, and serious digestive problems. Do not treat magnesium deficiency in children with unsupervised use of supplements. An overdose of magnesium supplements in them causes an irregular heartbeat. Natural food sources of magnesium are generally safe and self-limiting, whereas supplements can be harmful. Before attempting to alter magnesium intake through supplements, seek pediatric advice. The safest approach to treating magnesium deficiency in children is to use a daily diet first approach.

Frequently Asked Questions About Magnesium Deficiency In Children

What are the common magnesium deficiency symptoms in kids?

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include muscle cramps, poor sleep, fatigue and irritability. Kids also have loss of appetite, headaches and mood changes when they are magnesium deficient.

What foods are highest in magnesium for children?

Good food sources of magnesium include pumpkin seeds, spinach, and almonds. Magnesium deficiency in children is reduced by daily consumption of lentils, oats and bananas.

Why is magnesium important for growing children?

Benefits of magnesium for growing children include strong bones, good sleep and muscle function. Children with magnesium deficiency have problems with energy production, immunity, and emotional balance.

How much magnesium do children need daily?

Children's prevention of magnesium deficiency is 80-240 mg daily depending on age. The dietary sources of magnesium need to be consistently adequate to meet these age-specific targets.

Can magnesium deficiency affect sleep in kids?

Yes, magnesium deficiency is a direct cause of poor sleep, restlessness and night waking in children. Magnesium benefits for sleep include more relaxation and less cramping at night.

Can low magnesium cause muscle cramps in children?

Yes, magnesium deficiency in children is one of the most common causes of muscle cramps. When magnesium levels fall below the appropriate daily levels, symptoms of magnesium deficiency such as cramps occur.

What are the best vegetarian food sources of magnesium?

Magnesium is found in some of the best vegetarian sources such as pumpkin seeds, spinach and almonds. Regular consumption of dal, oats and banana reduces magnesium deficiency in children on a vegetarian diet.

How can parents prevent magnesium deficiency in kids?

Parents can prevent magnesium deficiency in children by regularly including food sources of magnesium on a daily basis. Magnesium deficiency in kids is decreased when nuts, seeds, legumes and greens are part of meals.