How to Tell if It's a Magnesium or Potassium Deficiency—Or a Problem Digesting Oils

Alright, let’s get right into it.

Ever felt fatigued, bloated, maybe a little foggy in the brain? Maybe you’ve got muscle cramps, heart palpitations, or you just feel “off.” You pop online and suddenly you're down a rabbit hole of information: Is it low magnesium? Is it potassium? Or wait—are you just not digesting fats properly?

Let’s clear the fog, real talk style. You don’t need a medical degree to start understanding your body—you need clarity and strategy.

Before we go into the differences, here’s what most people miss:
Your body runs like a machine, but the fuel and how you absorb it matters more than just taking random supplements. If your magnesium or potassium is low, that’s one issue. But if your body can’t digest fats properly—like from oils, nuts, avocados—then guess what? You're missing out on absorbing fat-soluble nutrients, including the very minerals you’re low in.

So it’s not about popping pills. It’s about understanding the signs and getting tactical.

Let’s decode some magnesium symptoms. You might be low on magnesium if:

• You get muscle cramps, especially at night

• You feel anxious or stressed out more than usual

• Sleep is off—either hard to fall asleep or stay asleep

• You feel heart palpitations or fluttery chest moments

• You're constipated or your bowels feel "stuck"

• You're sensitive to loud noises or light

• You crave chocolate or nuts (yes, that’s real—chocolate has magnesium)

If you're nodding your head to more than a few of these, magnesium might be waving a red flag.

Now potassium is a different beast. Low potassium can show up with:

• Muscle weakness, fatigue, or heaviness in the limbs

• Irregular heartbeats (can feel like skipped beats)

• Constipation and bloating

• Cramping—but deeper and often with twitching

• You feel weak after exercise

• Tingling or numbness sensations

Digesting oil is not about the mineral side of the game—it’s a gut and gallbladder issue. If you can’t break down fats properly, you’ll likely feel:

• Nausea after eating fatty foods (even “healthy” oils)

• Loose stools, sometimes yellowish or greasy

• Pain under the right rib (gallbladder area)

• Floating stools (yep, fat makes them float)

• Bloating that gets worse after eating

• Low energy despite eating enough calories

• Dry skin, brittle nails, or dull hair

If you’re taking your Omega-3s and healthy fats but still feel like crap—this could be the reason.

Here’s where we flip the switch.

Ask Yourself These 3 Questions:

1. When do symptoms appear?

• If it's after eating fats or oils and you feel worse—think digestion.

• If it’s random, more like cramps or brain fog or heart issues—think minerals.

2. What's your diet like?

• Low veggie intake, poor hydration, lots of coffee/alcohol = likely mineral loss.

• Clean diet but you feel sick after avocados or olive oil = probably digestion.

3. How's your bowel movement game?

• Constipation + cramps = possible magnesium/potassium imbalance.

• Yellow, greasy, or floating stools = fat digestion issue.

I’m not gonna leave you hanging. Here’s the action plan.

Step 1: Support Minerals First

You can start with magnesium glycinate or citrate and a potassium-rich diet (think coconut water, bananas, spinach, avocado). Add in trace minerals if you're sweating a lot or doing keto.

✅ Stay hydrated
✅ Limit caffeine & alcohol (they deplete minerals fast)
✅ Add mineral drops to water for absorption boost

Step 2: Heal Your Fat Digestion

If fats feel like the enemy, look at digestive support:

• Take ox bile or a digestive enzyme with lipase before fatty meals

• Support your liver and gallbladder with bitter herbs (dandelion, milk thistle)

• Don’t eat fats alone—combine with fiber or lean protein

• Use MCT oil instead of long-chain fats like peanut oil or canola

Step 3: Track, Don’t Guess

Keep a symptom journal. Write down what you eat and how you feel after. Patterns show up real fast when you're honest with yourself.

If you’ve cleaned up your diet, supported minerals, added enzymes—and still feel like a trainwreck? Don’t be a hero.

See a practitioner. Functional medicine or naturopathic doctors can test mineral levels, run digestion panels, and spot what’s missing.

No shame in asking for backup.

'Your body isn’t broken. It’s communicating. Whether it's whispering muscle cramps or screaming “you can't handle this oil!”—there's always a reason.

The big mistake most people make?
They treat symptoms like isolated problems.
Take a pill for sleep. Another for anxiety. Pop some pain meds for cramps.
But what if it’s all coming from the same root cause—like missing minerals or poor fat absorption?

You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be aware.

If this post hit home, share it. Tag a friend who’s always “tired for no reason.”

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“Top 10 Mineral Deficiency Clues Most People Miss”

Because if you're going to win this health game, you better learn the rules.

Stay real. Stay powerful.

-Makro