Magnesium, the Mineral You Can’t Afford To Neglect

This week saw the publication of yet another important study about the mineral magnesium, in the journal Atherosclerosis. Researchers in Japan studied nearly 60,000 people aged 40 to 79 for 14 years, dividing them into four levels of magnesium intake, from lowest to highest. Compared to those with the highest intake,

men with the lowest intake had…

• 51% higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke (from a burst blood vessel)

women with the lowest intake had…

• 53% higher risk of ischemic stroke (from a blocked blood vessel)
• 50% higher risk for heart disease
• 50% higher risk for heart failure (weakened heart muscle)
• 36% higher risk for dying of heart disease.

In other words, low intake of magnesium hurts the heart! (Scientists have been saying this for decades.)

I found this particularly interesting because I’m right in the middle of writing a chapter on magnesium for my new book, Drugless Diabetes Cures, to be published later this year. Study after study links low intake and blood levels of magnesium to the development of insulin resistance, prediabetes and diabetes. Some startling scientific findings:  People newly diagnosed with diabetes are 10 times more likely to have low blood levels of magnesium than healthy people.  People with diabetes and low intake of magnesium had poorer blood sugar control.  People with diabetic nerve damage (neuropathy) had magnesium levels 23% lower than people with diabetes who didn’t have neuropathy.  In fact, some leading researchers think a magnesium deficiency is the real cause of diabetes!

I’ve interviewed many of the world’s top experts on magnesium for the chapter, and they all say about the same thing:

A mineral you shouldn’t ignore. The mineral is of crucial importance to hundreds of enzymatic reactions in the body that support healthy brain cells, healthy nerves, healthy muscles, healthy blood sugar regulation, healthy bones, and much more. Without enough magnesium, you’re unhealthy.

Deficiency is common. Because most Americans eat a highly processed diet, stripped of magnesium, most Americans are deficient in the mineral. Estimates range from 50 to 70 percent. (Good sources of magnesium are leafy greens, whole grains, beans and nuts.)

Supplementing is smart. One doctor said she puts every new patient on 500 milligrams of magnesium daily—because her clinical experience tells her they all need it! And although there are many different types of magnesium on the market (magnesium citrate, magnesium oxide, magnesium taurate, etcetera), the doctors I talked said to just take magnesium and not worry about the form.

Bottom line:  1) Magnesium deficiency is common. 2) The health problems it causes are wide-ranging, including killers like heart disease and diabetes. 3) Supplementation is a smart strategy, and 500 milligrams a day is a good level.

 Yours for health and happiness,

Bill Gottlieb, CHC