Magnesium And Heart Health
It’s time to celebrate magnesium and heart health!
Magnesium is the single most heart protective mineral of all time.
As February is Heart Health month, keep in mind that magnesium protects against and treats cardiovascular disease and mitral valve prolapse—two of the top health concerns in North America.
While calcium has long been touted as the #1 mineral, I’m excited to say that the benefits of a magnesium supplement go above and beyond calcium, even where bone density is concerned.
Magnesium can even prevent premature aging of the brain!
Amazing Benefits of Magnesium
- Improved sleep
- Reduced anxiety
- Relaxed muscle tension
- Lowered blood pressure
- Improved muscle-building
- Lowered risk of osteoporosis
- Healthier teeth and gums
- Better pH balance and hydration
- Improved elimination
- Balanced blood sugar
Upwards of 80% of the population is deficient in magnesium, a crucial mineral that is essential to heart health and over 350 metabolic processes in our bodies.
In America, 2 out of 3 people don’t even come close to the Recommended Dietary Intake of 500 mg of magnesium daily—although I typically recommend 400-1000 mg—which I’d say is a pretty severe statistic!
Even if you have a good plant-based diet including magnesium-rich foods like beet greens, mustard greens, basil, almonds and pumpkin seeds, it is still possible to be deficient.
The most effective way to uncover your unique individual magnesium status is with a simple blood test called MagRBC. I have found that the most desirable range for magnesium in this test is between 6.0-7.0 mg/dL, although most reference ranges note 4.0-6.8 mg/dL.
Studies on my own patients have revealed magnesium deficiency in 9 out of 10 people!
In fact, many of my colleagues believe that low levels of Vitamin D are another indicator of magnesium deficiency, indicating the one benefit of magnesium supplementation is improved vitamin D and calcium metabolism.
That’s why I recommend UNI KEY’s natural multivitamins for men and multivitamins for women—which contain vitamin D3 and the proper ratio of calcium to magnesium for heart health. Heart-damaging iron has been taken out of the equation for men and post-menopausal women, too.
To exacerbate the problem, many prescription drugs actually lower magnesium levels- drugs including acid blockers, antacids, antibiotics and antivirals, blood pressure modulators, hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives, corticosteroids and sulfonamides.
Other factors that significantly interfere with magnesium retention are alcohol use, coffee intake, a diet high in sugar, mineral oil in personal care products, high cortisol levels, and estrogen dominance.
Getting to the Heart of the Matter
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can include muscle weakness, and even tremors or spasms. When you consider that your heart is a muscle, those symptoms are very troubling. Rapid heart rate, atrial fibrillation and irregular contraction are all complications of magnesium deficiency.
How sad it is that cardiologist never mention magnesium and heart health to their patients? It’s not surprising that heart disease is the #1 killer.
There are many different forms of magnesium, all with their own unique benefits. Magnesium oxide is quite good at relieving constipation.
Magnesium glycinate is very calming and promotes restful sleep. But when it comes to magnesium and heart health, you can’t beat magnesium taurinate.
In this form, magnesium and taurine team up to create enzymes that contribute to heart muscle contractility, regulate the amount of calcium moving in and out of the cell to generate nerve impulses, and stabilize the cell membranes by neutralizing free radicals.
Where Magnesium Saves the Day…
Diabetes – Magnesium is necessary for insulin production and the creation of ATP for cellular energy.
High Blood Pressure – By supporting healthy potassium levels, magnesium relaxes constricted blood vessels and allows the heart to pump a greater volume of blood- making your cardiovascular system more efficient.
Preeclampsia – Mothers and babies are both at risk when this condition is present. Transdermal magnesium supplementation throughout pregnancy can help treat or even prevent preeclampsia. Babies born under these conditions are facing major blood pressure complications, too. In an experimental trial, 7 babies who did not respond to medication and were expected to die due to high blood pressure were given magnesium sulfate injections which normalized blood pressure and saved their lives.
Mitral Valve Prolapse – This condition increases magnesium excretion, so oral supplementation with magnesium taurinate reduces or even eliminates the problem, and also helps correct low blood sugar and fatigue, the two most common complaints associated with mitral valve prolapse.
Migraines – An IV push of magnesium can significantly relieve migraine headaches and even reduce their frequency.
Fibromyalgia – Combined with 1-2 grams of malic acid, magnesium reduces the joint pain and muscle aches of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) – Mood swings, cramps, fatigue, headaches and yeast infections related to PMS were soothed by topical and oral magnesium supplementation.
You can read up on balancing other minerals in your body in my recent blog on copper imbalance symptoms, The Copper Conundrum, which highlights the benefits of the Tissue Mineral Analysis Test that is available through Uni Key Health.
