Posted by Helen

Pennie Hayes wrote
> Can anyone tell me a bit more about magnesium deficiency and it's
> link with high blood pressure?

This is such a wonderful and undervalued mineral that it requires much more
than this already (too) long reply. I can let you have more!

The RDA for this mineral is around 300mg, with pregnant women and nursing
mothers requiring 450mg per day. Good sources are green veg., wholemeal
flour, milk, eggs, fish, pulses, shellfish, (pea)nuts, meat, cereals their
products.

A deficiency of magnesium is often accompanied by a lack of potassium. There
is a magnesium deficiency in the blood prior to a heart attack. There is a
definite link between magnesium deficiency and heart problems, and it has
been found that there is a reduced incidence of heart disease in areas with
hard water.

Hard water contains calcium and magnesium, and this may supplement the
dietary supply of these minerals.

Magnesium acts on the heart muscle and the whole circulatory system as it
PREVENTS AN INCREASE IN BLOOD PRESSURE. A deficiency of magnesium seems to
lead to muscle weakness and fatigue and possible development of cardiac
arrhythmia. A lack of the mineral is often seen in heart patients and also
increases the sensitivity of the heart to digoxin, a common cardiac remedy.
Additional magnesium can also reduce the risk of occurrence of myocardial
infarction, where a coronary artery becomes blocked, and it also reduces the
chances of a second infarction occurring later in life.

Studies on rats have proved a direct link between magnesium deficiences and
impaired immune defence against allergic reactions and cancer, particularly
lymphoma and leukaemia. A deficiency can also be seen in cases of allergy
and asthma - mineral supplements seem to reduce the levels of histamine in
the blood and allow the condition to improve.

People who take diuretics, antibiotics or heart medicines which interfere
with the normal metabolism of magnesium, and who consume excessive amounts
of alcohol are at risk of being deficient in the mineral.

In animal experiments supplements of magnesium were said to reduce high
blood pressure and limit the impact of arteriosclerosis in animals on a high
cholesterol diet.

I make no apology for the content of this reply, only for the length!
Helen
>

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