Harrison,
Tinsley R. Principles of Internal Medicine. 1994, 13th edition, McGraw-Hill, pp.
1106-15 and pp. 2434-35
As magnesium intake
fell during the 100 years since 1900, death from heart disease skyrocketed –adequate Mg levels are essential for proper heart
function anda magnesium deficiency can cause the heart muscle to spasm or
cramp and stop beating (i.e cardiac arrest).
Lower magnesium
concentrations have been found in heart attack patients
Shechter, Michael, et al. The
rationale of magnesium supplementation in acute myocardial infarction: a review
of the literature. Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 152, November 1992, pp.
2189-96
A U.S. study of >10,000
people found that 79% were consuming less than the US RDA of Mg – further, 26% of the study participants were
actually taking magnesium supplements and demonstrated lower levels of
C-Reactive protein (a measure of inflammatory activity in the body and an
accurate predictor of heart disease).
Source: US Study, reported in the July
2006 issue of the journalNutrition Research.
Appropriate magnesium
supplementation can eliminate CVD related problems via several mechanisms:
– Most importantly,
magnesium prevents calcification of the heart tissues
– Magnesium is required for
muscle relaxation –Mg deficiency can result in symptoms of
tachycardia, fibrillation, arterial constrictions, angina, even instant death.
– Keeps blood flowing
smoothly –by reducing platelet aggrevation/stickiness, Mg
helps prevent the formation of blood clots.
Bo S, Pisu E. Role of dietary magnesium
in cardiovascular disease prevention, insulin sensitivity and diabetes. Curr
Opin Lipidol. 2008 Feb;19(1):50-6.
– Magnesium dilates the
heart arteries - both the
epicardial and resistance coronary arteries. Mg produces vasodilation by both
direct and indirect action –indirectly by sympathetic blockade and inhibition
of catecholamine release.
– Mg lowers LDL cholesterol
levels/prevents atherosclerosis –
Mg +ATP complex regulates cholesterol synthesis
(by deactivating the rate-limiting enzyme HMG-CoA reductase required for its
production). Mg also lowers inflammation, decreases oxidative stress, reduces
homocysteine levels and diminishes endothelial dysfunction—all factors
underlying CVD. Mg can raise HDL cholesterol, whilst lowering LDL cholesterol,
since it is a cofactor of the enzyme LCAT which transfers part of one molecule
to another resulting in the conversion of LDL to HDL.
“The Magnesium Factor”by Mildred S. Seelig, Andrea Rosanoff (Note that
adequate magnesium levels do not prevent the synthesis of cholesterol needed for
healthy production of steroid hormones and vitamin D, since deactivated HMG-CoA
reductase can be reactivated by other enzymes, some of which require magnesium
for proper function).
– Mg is essential for
endocrine stability /function.
– Mg is protective against
metabolic syndrome and diabetes - mmajor factors that threaten heart and vascular
health.
Calcium must be balanced with
Magnesium,
(and also Vitamins A,D and K – all part of the calcium “team”) otherwise
calcium causes calcification and arterial restriction.
High
calcium
levels
(unbalanced
by magnesium) constrict the heart
arteries and increase the risk of heart attacks
– Calcium
deposits in the walls of the arteries contribute to the development of
arteriosclerosis -
arteries become hard and rigid, which restricts
blood flow causing high blood pressure. Additionally, inelastic blood vessels
can easily rupture, causing strokes.
– Cardiovascular
calcification lesions can lead to the development of CVD – including myocardial ischaemia, myocardial
infarction, impaired myocardial function, congestive heart failure, cardiac
valve insufficiency, and cardiac arrhythmias. There is a strong association
between increased cardiac calcification and risk of death.
Countries consuming the highest
calcium
to magnesium
ratios (high calcium and low
magnesium levels)
have the highest
incidence of cardiovascular disease
– Topping the list is
Australia, then the U.S. and Scandinavian countries - in contrast, Japan with its low cardiac death
rate cites a daily Mg intake as high as 560 mg, mainly from Mg in sea vegetables
and single-cell algae, such as chlorella and spirulina, and also a variety of
ocean-related food sources, including Nigari (magnesium chloride crystals that
remain after sodium chloride is removed and water is evaporated from seawater)
added to drinking water, miso soups, steamed vegetables, etc. and used as
coagulants in the production of tofu. Additionally, the Japanese have one of the
lowest intakes of calcium from dairy products.
– Fatal heart attacks are more common
in areas where the water supply is deficient in magnesium - and the average intake through the diet is often
significantly less than the 200-400 milligrams required daily.
Eisenberg, Mark J. Magnesium deficiency
and sudden death. American Heart Journal, Vol. 124, No. 2, August 1992, pp.
544-49
– Studies show low incidence
of high blood pressure and heart disease where Mg levels in drinking waterand
food are high –
Greenland natives, the Bantu of southern Africa, the Bedouin of the middle east
and Aborigines of Australia were studied, but when these people moved to urban
areas and began eatinga modern diet, they developed high blood pressure and
heartdisease at similar rates to those in industrialized western countries.
Those who die from
heart attacks have very low magnesium and high calcium levels in their heart
muscles -
CHD patients treated with high dose Mg survived better than those treated with
other drugs. Intravenous Mg could save your life when administered during or
shortly after a heart attack. (see below)
Study by Northwestern
University School of Medicine, Chicago determined that insufficient dietary Mg
increases your chances of developing coronary artery disease - in a study of 2,977 men and women, researchers
used CT scans of the chest to assess coronary artery calcium levels. Beginning
measurements were taken when the study participants were 18- to 30-years old—and
again 15 years later. Results concluded that dietary Mg intake was inversely
related to coronary artery calcium levels. Coronary artery calcium is considered
an indicator of atherosclerosis, in which plaque build-up blocks arteries.
TThe ratio of calcium to
magnesium is vital for cell membranes and the blood-brain barrier.
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