The recommended daily allowance (RDA)
of a mineral that protects against heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke,
and other dangerous disorders —required by
every cell in your body—is so often overlooked that it’s been dubbed “the
forgotten mineral.”
Skimping on this crucial mineral—magnesium—could
actually be fatal, a
new study suggests. The researchers checked the magnesium levels of 7,664
initially healthy people (using urine tests), then tracked the participants for
an average of 10.5 years. Those with the lowest urinary levels of
magnesium were
70 percent more likely to die from heart disease, compared to people with
higher levels, even after other cardiovascular threats were taken into
consideration.
The researchers report that low
magnesium levels are an independent risk factor for heart disease, while a diet
that’s rich in this vital mineral may be protective.
Yet most of us eat a dangerously
unbalanced diet that’s too high in calcium and too low in magnesium, a
combination that may actually boost risk for heart attacks and strokes,
according to another new
paper.
Low Magnesium & Heart Disease Risk
The paper, which analyzes decades
of peer-reviewed science, reports that low magnesium levels—not cholesterol or saturated
fat—is the leading predictor of heart disease.
The paper argues that medical research took “an early wrong turn” by ignoring
studies dating back to 1957 showing that lack of this essential mineral may
actually
cause plaque buildup in
arteries.
“This means we have been chasing our tails all of these years going
after cholesterol and the high saturated-fat diet, when the true culprit was
and still is low magnesium,” study author Andrea Rosanoff, Ph.D., Director of Research & Science
Information Outreach Center for Magnesium Education & Research, in Pahoa,
Hawaii, contends in a statement.
“It should be obvious that cholesterol isn’t the cause, since heart
disease remains the leading killer of Americans, despite two decades of statin
use,” adds Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, author of The
Magnesium Miracle (Ballantine Books). Indeed, a 2009 study of more than 136,000 people hospitalized
for heart attacks found that nearly 75 percent of had LDL (bad) cholesterol
levels considered normal under national guidelines, and close to half had
“optimal” levels.
First Aid Kit for Food Allergy Sufferers
A Potentially Lifesaving Heart Attack Treatment
“Magnesium deficiency is the missing puzzle
piece that explains why people with normal or optimal cholesterol—as well as
those being treated with drugs to lower cholesterol—suffer heart attacks and
strokes,” reports Dr. Dean.
“Not only is there very solid
scientific evidence that magnesium helps prevent heart attacks, but there is
also research showing that if one occurs, immediate treatment with magnesium
can actually stop cell death and save lives,” Dr. Dean adds.
In a
randomized study of 194 heart-attack patients, those treated with IV
magnesium had one-fourth the in-hospital death rate compared to those who
received a placebo, and also had lower rates of irregular heartbeats and
congestive heart failure. A follow-up study by the
same researchers also found that five years later, nearly twice as many in the
placebo group had died from heart disease or other causes and those who survive
had higher rates of impaired heart function.
Magnesium Helps Protect Against Chronic Disease
Magnesium plays a key role in more
than 300 biological functions of the human body. It helps maintain healthy
muscle and nerve function, supports the immune system, keeps bones strong, and
aids regulation of blood sugar levels and blood pressure, reports
the NIH’s
Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS).
Potential health benefits of magnesium
include:
- Reduced risk
for type 2 diabetes, according to data from very large studies. That’s
because magnesium plays a key role in carbohydrate metabolism and may influence
the release and activity of insulin, according to ODS. Low levels of magnesium
are common in diabetes and may also contribute to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is the root
cause of type 2 diabetes and implicated in 70 percent of heart attacks.
- Protection
against osteoporosis, the brittle bone disease that leads to fractures,
deformity and disability in older people, particularly women. Several studies
suggest that taking magnesium supplements may boost bone density.
- Maintaining
healthy blood pressure levels. A diet that’s high in fruits and vegetables,
both of which are good sources of magnesium, has consistently been linked to
lower blood pressure in large studies, including the well-known DASH (Dietary
Approaches to Stop Hypertension) study.
- Reduced
risk for coronary artery disease (CAD). Several studies have tied higher
levels of magnesium to lower risk for CAD—clogged arteries that can lead to a
heart attack. There is also evidence that getting enough magnesium may help
prevent stroke and heart arrhythmias.
How much magnesium do you need?
The RDA is 400 to 420 mg. daily for
men, and 310 to 320 mg. daily for women. For pregnant women, the RDA rises to
350 to 400 mg. daily,
according to
MedlinePlus. In the UK, the RDA is
700 mg. daily, the amount that Dr. Dean recommends to her patients.
Foods that are rich in magnesium
include leafy green vegetables like spinach and beans, fruits like bananas and
apricots, peas, nuts, seeds, whole grains, soy products, and some types of
mineral water.
It is extremely common for
Americans to have low levels of magnesium because most don’t eat the
recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. These foods are also lower in the
mineral than was the typical in the past, since today’s produce is often grown
in magnesium-depleted soil.
What are the warning signs of deficiency?
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include
chronic fatigue, weakness, insomnia, poor memory, mental fog, nausea, muscle
cramps, tingling, and numbness. In more severe cases, people can experience
seizures, abnormal heartbeats, and heart spasms.
Because these symptoms can overlap
with those of other conditions, if you think you might be deficient, consult a
healthcare provider, who can order tests to check your levels. Also talk to
your provider before taking magnesium supplements, which can interact with
certain medications.
If a supplement is advised, one
type Dr. Dean recommends is magnesium citrate powder, such as Natural Calm
(sold at most health food stores). However, the powder can have a laxative
effect if you take too much at once, so she advises spreading the dosage
through the day. If you prefer to take a pill, magnesium dimalate is available
as a sustained release pill.
Source http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/mineral-could-save-your-life
... for disease and death