Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that has gained an important role in health because of the trend for increasingly strict municipal water treatment, which extracts much of the magnesium in water, and the growing popularity of bottled water, which is virtually devoid of magnesium. Some experts in water treatment, in fact, have argued that water treatment, though it provides many needed functions in preserving healthy water for U.S. cities, is inadvertently responsible for tens of thousands of excess deaths from heart disease every year. Likewise, the use of bottled water and beverages allows us to drink substantial quantities of fluids without benefit of magnesium.
Many Americans are now pathologically deficient. Although magnesium blood levels are often checked on standard screening laboratory assessments, blood magnesium levels in the normal range do not ensure normal tissue levels. Normal blood magnesium levels can conceal clear-cut tissue magnesium deficiency. This has been demonstrated repeatedly in studies in which tissue magnesium levels have been compared to blood magnesium levels. Unfortunately, tissue magnesium measurements are not routinely available to us. Several studies have shown that as many of 70% of people admitted to hospitals are magnesium deficient, whether or not their blood levels were low. The majority of American adults do not even meet the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 420 mg Mg+ in men, 320 mg in (non-pregnant) women.
One critical consequence of low magnesium is metabolic syndrome, the constellation of lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities along with high blood pressure and resistance to insulin that leads to diabetes and fans the flames of plaque growth. It has been solidly established that low body magnesium heightens the likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome. Magnesium supplementation, conversely, can partially reverse these phenomena by increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin. (Remember: most diabetes is caused by resistance, or unresponsiveness, to insulin, not to insulin excess.)
Healthy foods rich in magnesium yet compatible with the Track Your Plaque program include raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans), whole vegetables (especially spinach), soy products, and wheat germ. Because of the widespread deficiency in magnesium in American adults, we advise that a magnesium supplement be included in your supplement choices. A supplement that provides 400-500 mg of Mg+ will meet the magnesium demands of virtually anyone and correct low levels over several weeks. Note that the quantity of elemental Mg+ will differ, depending on the form of magnesium you use (magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate, magnesium sulfate, magnesium chloride, etc.) Check the label which should list the amount of elemental magnesium provided by each tablet. Space your doses apart, as too much all at once is certain to cause loose stools. There are some data suggesting that the citrate and chloride forms may be absorbed more effectively.
People who take diuretics, diabetics, and those with low potassium or calcium may be particularly prone to low magnesium due to excessive losses in the urine. People with chronic diarrhea, inflammatory diseases like ulcerative colitis, Crohn's, or malabsorption may lose excessive quantities of magnesium from their bowels. Magnesium supplementation is especially important if you fall into any of these special groups. Be certain to discuss magnesium supplementation with your doctor.
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