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Magnesium lowers hypertension and blood sugar …controls liver damage, and aids sleep(2)

[This is the second part of the article published

yesterday, January 4, 2023 issue of the paper.]

An earlier study by Rodríguez-Morán et al,(2003) found that oral magnesium supplementation improved insulin sensitivity and reduced blood sugar levels in dia­betic patients with low magnesium levels. Finally, Kim et al.( 2010 ) found that the mineral could protect against diabetes. The study monitored 4,497 participants for 20 years and found that those with the highest intake were 47 percent less likely to develop diabetes.

MAGNESIUM, HEALTHY BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART HEALTH

DiNicolantonio et al.(2018) found that Subclinical magnesium deficiency increases the risk of diverse types of cardiovascular disease,” including coronary artery disease and hypertension.

Hence, our diet should be filled with magnesium-rich foods, and those foods high in potassium, to promote better heart health and normal blood pressure levels. Po­tassium is another electrolyte that supports heart and healthy blood pressure which should be com­bined with magnesium-rich foods. Potassium helps in circulation because it increases the excretion of sodium through the urine.

Hence, Guerrero-Romero and Rodríguez-Morán, (2008) found that supplementing with magne­sium reduced both systolic and dia­stolic blood pressure in adults with hypertension. Another study, by Zhang et al.( 2016) demonstrates that magnesium supplements can help lower high blood pressure lev­els, which may be a risk factor for heart disease. A subsequent review by Rosique-Esteban et al.( 2018) linked high magnesium intake to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. An earlier study by Verma and Garg, (2017) linked magnesium supplements to enhanced multiple risk factors for heart disease, including triglycer­ide, LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure levels, especially in people with magnesium deficiency. Though, other studies did not find any effect (Simental-Mendía et al. 2017).

CONTROLS INFLAMMATION

Several studies have found low levels of magnesium to higher inflammation levels. For instance, two studies (Nielsen, FH, 2014; Furman et al. 2020) found that both low magnesium consumption and low levels in the blood were linked with higher levels of mark­ers of low-grade chronic inflam­mation, which is believed to be due to increased release of cytokines and free radicals. In a similar study, Simental-Mendía et al.(2014) found that taking magnesium chloride was linked to decrease levels of inflammation in 62 adults with prediabetes. Another review, by Simental-Mendía et al.(2017) of 11 studies concluded that magnesium supplements decreased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, in people with chronic inflammation. Two other studies(Mazidi et al. 2018; Steward et al. 2019) report the same results demonstrating that magnesium supplements may reduce CRP and other markers of inflammation, such as interleukin-6. Finally, Zhel­tova et al.(2016)linked magnesium deficiency to increased oxidative stress, which is related to inflam­mation.

MAGNESIUM PREVENTS MIGRAINE

Recent studies have linked low magnesium levels to migraine( Dolati et al. 2020). Two studies( Chiu et al. 2016; Luckner et al. 2018) recommend that magnesium supplements could prevent and treat migraine headaches. For instance, Shahrami et al.( 2015) study found that giving 1 gram of magnesium gave relief from acute migraine attacks faster and more successfully than a common medi­cation. An earlier study for instance by Wang et al.(2003) examined the effects of magnesium supplemen­tation in 86 children with frequent migraines. Children received either a magnesium oxide supplement or a placebo for 16 weeks.

At the end of the study, those who took the supplement had significantly less headache frequen­cy and lower headache severity compared to the placebo group. Alternatively, it is best to eat magnesium-rich diets to decrease migraine symptoms (Teigen and Boes, 2014).

MAGNESIUM, PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS)

Parazzini et al.( 2017) recom­mend that magnesium supplements could improve PMS symptoms and others, such as menstrual cramps and migraine attacks. How it does this was examined by Tonick et al.(2016). They explained that magnesium levels fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle, which may worsen PMS symptoms in those who have a deficiency. As such, supplements may help reduce the severity of symptoms, includ­ing menstrual migraine attacks. An earlier study(Ebrahimi et al. 2012) found that taking 250 mg of magnesium per day decreased bloating, depression and anxiety in 126 women with PMS compared with a control group. Another older study(Fathizadeh et al. 2010) found that a magnesium and vitamin B6 combination was found to significantly decrease PMS symptoms compared to a control group. Finally, one study( Walker et al.1998) found that 200 milli­grams of magnesium daily could decrease the severity of several PMS symptoms, including weight gain, swelling, bloating, and breast tenderness.

MAGNESIUM, BONE HEALTH

National Institutes of Health notes that Magnesium is vital for preserving bone health and protecting against bone loss. The report found that 50–60% of the body’s magnesium is found in our bones. A recent study(Rondanelli et al. 2021) linked lower levels of this mineral with a higher risk of oste­oporosis, a condition that causes bones to become hard and weak. Another (Hori et al. 2021), a 3-year study in 358 people undergoing hemodialysis — a treatment to help remove waste and water from the blood — found that those who consumed the least magnesium had 3 times more fractures than those with the highest intake. Furthermore, a more recent study (Groenendijk et al. 2022) review 12 studies and associated high magnesium intake with increased bone mineral density in the hip and femoral neck, both areas that are susceptible to fracture. In an older study, Paunier( 1992) found that magnesium plays a vital role in the body’s metabolism of vitamin D. Vitamin D plays a role in calcium absorption into the bones and has an effect on other important vitamins and minerals that contribute to both health, in­cluding vitamin K and phosphorus.

MAGNESIUM, BETTER SLEEP

Magnesium supplements are used in Naturopathic practices as a natural remedy for sleep issues such as insomnia. This is because they regulate numerous neurotrans­mitters involved in sleep, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid( Boyle et al. 2017). An old study( Abbasi et al. 2012) found that participants who took magnesium supplements experienced reduced insomnia severity, increased sleep time, and decreased amount of time needed to fall asleep. Also, an earlier study (Rondanelli et al. 2011) found that a supplement containing a mix of magnesium, melatonin, and zinc improved sleep quality in residents at a long-term care facility.

A recent review(Mah and Pitre, 2021) of older adults with insom­nia found that magnesium supple­ments decreased the amount of time it took people to fall asleep by an average of 17 minutes. A more large recent study( Zhang et al. 2022) in almost 4,000 adults as­sociate more intake of this mineral with enhanced sleep quality and duration. It has been suggested to add valerian root (Price, Annie, 2022) and other natural insom­nia-busters and natural sleep aids like calcium, and essential oils to maximize results. Finally, one ear­lier study ( Cao et al. 2018) found higher magnesium intake in women with a reduced likelihood of falling asleep during the daytime.

To be continued

BY PROF. RAPHAEL NYARKOTEY OBU

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