Restless Leg Syndrome

Restless leg syndrome (or Willis-Ekbom disease) is a condition in the nerves that causes uncomfortable sensation and an irresistible urge to move. Most commonly it affects people (or they at least become more aware of it) when they are trying to fall asleep.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke believe up to 10% of people suffer with the condition, with women being twice as likely to be affected than men.

Several studies link low iron levels to an increase in symptoms, as well as pregnancy (during which time a woman's iron levels usually drop.

You can help to manage your symptoms by ensuring you are eating a wide and varied diet full of iron rich foods, such as meat, poultry, fish, legumes, dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds. Eating vitamin C-rich foods alongside these (such as orange and red coloured fruits and vegetables) can help you to absorb more iron from them. You should also avoid drinking tea and coffee with meals that you are aiming to absorb iron from.

For more ways to naturally increase your iron levels, you can check out my previous blog post.

There's also a lot of evidence to suggest that magnesium deficiency might play a role in restless leg syndrome too. Researchers have suggested that magnesium makes it easier for muscles to relax, because of its calcium-blocking abilities, which help regulate the nerves. If magnesium is low, calcium isn’t blocked and nerves become 'overactive'.

You can add more magnesium to your diet by concentrating on the following foods:

• dark, leafy greens like spinach and kale

• nuts and seeds, especially pumpkin and squash seeds

• fish, especially oily fish, like mackerel and tuna

• beans

• avocados

• lentils

• bananas

• dairy (especially raw)