Guest guest Posted December 31, 2002 Report Share Posted December 31, 2002 Magnesium -- An Essential Nutrient JoAnn Guest Dec 11, 2002 16:45 PST " mrsjoguest " <jgu-; Fri Jul 26, 2002 3:50 pm Magnesium-An Essential Nutrient Magnesium Magnesium is a major mineral component in our bodies! It is absolutely essential for life and is required for every biological process, including the electrical stability of cells in the heart,the maintenance of membrane integrity, muscle contraction, nerve conduction, and the regulation of vascular tone- --all of which have direct bearing on the health of the heart muscle! Magnesium appears to regulate the " gate " through which calcium enters the cells to " switch on " vital functions such as the heartbeat. " It is vitally important that magnesium and calcium be in balance for the heart to beat regularly! Magnesium has been shown to improve different forms of irregular heartbeats and arrhythmias, including: *Rapid beating of the heart chambers *Fibrillation of the heart chamber *Irregular heartbeat originated in the smaller chambers of the heart situated above the main chambers. One of the causes of ischemic heart disease (heart attack) is that the coronary arteries fail to provide all of the oxygen the heart demands! The result is a *spasm* in the smooth muscles of the artery walls. Inadequate Magnesium has been related to greater susceptibility to muscle spasms. Thus, an increase in magnesium can be beneficial in heart disease to counteract vessel spasms. Calcium/Magnesium Imbalances This same principle applies to the overall heart muscle. Calcium is crucial for the heart muscle to work properly, BUT IF TOO MANY calcium IONS enter the heart cells because magnesium is in short supply, then the effect can be disruptive! ....including TOXIC,.... Killing forms of oxygen! Some researchers suggest that this may be the very root of heart-tissue DEATH, and thus, of myocardial infarction (heart attack). In fact,upon close examination of existant blood clots found in women's arteries, it was found that the offending blood clots were actually calcium deposits. Sheldon Hendler, M.D.,Ph.D., holds to this position, and also believes that the resulting magnesium-calcium imbalance may also be the main obstacle to overcome in helping the heart to heal after a heart attack. " Once calcium has the UPPER HAND, it is all the more difficult > for magnesium to promote the nucleic acid and protein synthesis necessary for the mending process in the heart muscle. Dr. Hendler says, " We do know that magnesium deficiency predisposes humans to potentially FATAL disruptions of normal cardiac rhythm (cardiac dysrhythmia). Investigators have successfully treated ventricular dysrhythmias with Magnesium! These disorders had NOT been improved by conventional DRUG therapy! " Heart attacks and Intravenous Magnesium Recent studies in the Lancet have shown that those that have ACUTE heart attacks have a much higher survival rate, or fewer life threatening dysrhythmia incidents, if magnesium is given to them right after the attack. I recently saw a very interesting program on the PBS in which a patient was rushed to an emergency room after a heart attack and a doctor immediately began to administer magnesium intravenously! This STOPPED the attack and prevented further damage to the heart, according to the experts on the program. This is important since 300,000 heart attack victims die before they reach the hospital! Stephen Gottlieb M.D., is quoted in " Emergency Medicine " as saying, " It is So safe and inexpensive that I can't think of a reason NOT to give it! " Are we missing something here? Also... some additional facts to ponder: Your body contains between 20 and 28 grams of magnesium. Half of this amount is found in the bones. The remainder activates hundreds of enzymes throughout the body and is CRITICAL for proper cell function! Magnesium plays an important role in maintaining the function of the nerves. It also stabilizes the enzymes that produce cellular energy, and this is involved in energy regulation and metabolism. It also plays a role in proper *insulin* production. Finally, this nutrient may prove useful in preventing certain complications of pregnancy, such as prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation. It has been estimated that as much as 60 percent of the U.S. population is at risk for magnesium deficiency. For instance, people using a number of drugs, including antiobiotics and diuretics may depleted magnesium. Oral contraceptives too, have been found to lower blood magnesium. Since low magnesium levels result in blood clots, this may help explain why there is a higher incidence of thrombosis (blood clots) among women on the pill In addition, magnesium may be too low in people with malabsorption syndromes or gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn's. We are also beginning to recognize that bulimics are at risk because of their prolonged diarrhea and/or vomiting. Stress has also been implicated in depleted magnesium levels which may account for the typical " Type > A " personality's increased risk for cardiovascular disease. One study suggested that stress may also be in part responsible for the lowered magnesium levels in women with premenstrual tension. The RDI for magnesium is 400 mgs for men and women, and 450 mgs for pregnant and lactating women. Magnesium works together synergistically with other nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D. The consensus is that the calcium to magnesium ratio should be about 2 to 1. Low magnesium levels appears to be associated with psychiatric problems. In a study of 165 boys, it was found that those with symptoms of depression, schizophrenia, and sleep disturbances had lower levels of magnesium in the blood than did boys without these disorders. In another study, it was found that the average magnesium levels of autistic children were also well below average. In fact, there is some evidence that autistic children may improve when given large doses of magnesium along with vitamin B6. Magnesium----along with sodium, potassium, and calcium ---appears to affect the muscle tone of the blood vessels, which may explain why magnesium supplementation has been shown to help control cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol. In adults, insufficient magnesium may be accompanied by a loss of sensation in the extremities and , if severe, -- tremors, convulsions, muscle contractions, confusion, delirium, and behavioural disturbances. One study found that psychiatric patients who had attempted suicide had lower magnesium levels than did nonsuicidal psychiatric patients and healthy individuals. Food Sources: Magnesium is widely distributed in foods. These foods with the highest magnesium content include seafoods, nuts, blackstrap molasses, soybeans, seeds, and wheat germ. Red and black grapes and wine are also excellent sources. Magnesium is also present in whole grains such as oatmeal and brown rice. Dark leafy greens and green beans are also good sources. Bear in mind, however, that the magnesium content of food varies considerably with the magnesium content of the soil in which the foods are grown. In addition, much of the magnesium in foods are lost during processing. For example milling removes 59 percent of the magnesium from whole wheat. Cooking in water also causes this mineral to leach out. One of magnesium's most important roles is that of helping the muscles to RELAX. When calcium flows into muscle tissue cells, the muscle CONTRACTS. When calcium leaves and magnesium replaces it, the muscle RELAXES! These functions are no doubt related to the association of magnesium deficiency with the occurance of muscle spasms, tremors and convulsions. Many professionals now successfully use magnesium malate supplements---a combination of magnesium and malic acid-in the treatment of fibromyalgia, a disorder charactierized by many tender knots in the muscles, and in the treatment of chronic fatigue, which may also involve muscle aches and pains. Like calcium and phosphorus, magnesium is required for strong, healthy bones and teeth. This mineral plays an important part in bone growth, and helps prevent tooth decay by holding calcium in tooth enamel. Understandably, poor magnesium intake has been implicated in disorders such as Osteoporosis. JoAnn Guest mrsjoguest Friendsforhea- DietaryTi- http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Botanicals.html http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html *theaimcompanies* -Wisdom of the past,Food of the future- " Health is not a Medical Issue " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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