Vitamin B1. People who have a vitamin B1 deficiency can experience aching and cramping in the lower legs.
Vitamin B1 deficiency can cause heavy and tired legs after running, muscle cramps, fatigue, and odd sensations in your legs and feet. Some foods rich in vitamin B1 include whole grains, vegetables, legumes, milk products, and meat. Iron deficiency can cause restless leg syndrome.
However, the strongest association between vitamin D deficiency and pain is reported to occur in leg muscles (Heidari et al., 2010).
For muscles to contract properly, they need assistance from essential vitamins and minerals like Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium Chloride, and vitamins like Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Vitamin D and Vitamin K. Each of these nutrients plays a significant role in healthy muscle contraction.
B12 deficiency affects sensory nerve function leading to motor dysfunction, which can cause muscle cramps and weakness.
Key points about vitamin B12 deficiency anemia
Without enough red blood cells, your tissues and organs don't get enough oxygen. Without enough oxygen, your body can't work as well. Symptoms include weak muscles, numbness, trouble walking, nausea, weight loss, irritability, fatigue, and increased heart rate.
Leg cramps can be caused by a lack of magnesium in the body, and supplementing with magnesium can help to relieve them. Magnesium also helps to regulate nerve and muscle function, and can help to prevent other muscle-related issues such as spasms and twitches.
Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) can cause aching legs at night due to high pressure in the veins and stagnant venous blood from sitting or standing all day. Proper daily leg elevation can help relieve this pressure. Nervousness and restless leg syndrome usually result in legs that feel heavy, jittery, and shaky.
Since magnesium plays a role in neuromuscular transmission and muscle contraction, it has been hypothesised that magnesium deficiency may predispose to muscle cramps. Thus magnesium supplements are often recommended to prevent cramps.
Vitamins B-1, B-6, and B-12 have been found to be especially beneficial for treating neuropathy. Vitamin B-1, also known as thiamine, helps to reduce pain and inflammation and vitamin B-6 preserves the covering on nerve endings.
A significant body of research has found that increasing your magnesium intake can help with the frequency of night time leg cramps, especially for pregnant women. Health experts recommend getting at least 300 milligrams of magnesium each day.
Muscle cramps and muscle weakness.
B12 deficiency negatively impacts motor and sensory nerve function, which can cause muscle cramps and weakness ( 7 , 27 ).
Some people write off nightly leg pain as a symptom of getting older, but if you are experiencing nightly leg pain that is interrupting your sleep that could be a symptom of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). Peripheral Artery Disease is a circulatory disease that is caused by fatty deposits in your artery walls.
Leg Pain Could Indicate Vein or Artery Disease
Often, leg pain is misdiagnosed as simply muscle aches or arthritis. The reality is leg pain and cramps may be signs of a more serious underlying disease; therefore, you should discuss your leg challenges with a vascular specialist.
Although further research is needed on magnesium and muscle cramps, taking 300 mg of magnesium daily may help decrease symptoms.
Magnesium citrate may be the most effective type if you want to try a supplement. If you're magnesium deficient, there may be other benefits from increasing your intake of this nutrient. And other remedies are available for leg cramping that may help.
Taking Magnesium at Night or Before Bed
It helps to relax your muscles, and nerves while facilitating the release of melatonin — the sleep hormone. People who have Restless Leg Syndrome rely on Natural Calm before bed to relieve their condition. Natural Calm magnesium can become a soothing nighttime ritual.
How to raise your B12 levels fast. The most common way to treat B12 deficiencies is by adjusting your diet. If this is unsuccessful, vitamin supplements may be recommended. If you're looking to boost the amount of vitamin B12 in your diet, you should eat more animal products, like meat, seafood, dairy and eggs.
Diet. Some people can develop a vitamin B12 deficiency as a result of not getting enough vitamin B12 from their diet. A diet that includes meat, fish and dairy products usually provides enough vitamin B12, but people who do not regularly eat these foods can become deficient.
Bananas also contain fibre and potassium. It helps manage blood pressure, reduce stress, and relieve constipation and ulcer problems. The fruit also helps regulate body temperature. Another fruit that is rich in vitamin B12 is blueberries.
Muscle weakness due to vitamin D deficiency is predominantly of the proximal muscle groups and is manifested by a feeling of heaviness in the legs, tiring easily, and difficulty in mounting stairs and rising from a chair; the deficiency is reversible with supplementation (15–18).