Many of the nutrition misconceptions I overhear are in the lunch room at work. I’ve heard people discussing the nutrient deficiencies causing their muscle twitches on a couple of occasions recently. The first time the individual was convinced that the twitching was caused by a magnesium deficiency. The second time it was due to a potassium deficiency. These individuals had self-diagnosed based on google searching their symptom. Magnesium deficiency has been linked to muscle spasms, among other concerns such as, an irregular heartbeat, disorientation, nausea, vomiting, and seizures. Potassium deficiency has been linked to muscle cramps as well as loss of appetite, confusion, constipation, and eventually, irregular heartbeat. These are serious concerns, and most of us do not consume enough potassium nor magnesium in our diets. However, most of us are not clinically deficient in these nutrients either. The most common cause of muscle twitching is anxiety. While it’s not going to hurt you to eat some more potassium and magnesium rich foods. It’s also important not to self diagnose. If you’re experiencing muscle twitches and they’re causing you concern, it’s best to go to your doctor to determine if the cause is anxiety, nutrient deficiency, or disease. The Internet contains a wealth of information and it can help you to enter your doctor’s office well-informed, but self-diagnosis can be dangerous. You may be correct, but you may also be causing yourself undue worry or delaying appropriate treatment. In the meantime, you can increase your potassium levels by consuming foods such as kidney beans, winter squash, plain yoghurt, and cantaloupe. You can increase your magnesium levels by eating more spinach, squash, wheat germ, and peanut butter.