One of The Key Minerals Recommended For Maintaining Cardiovascular Health, Increased Intakes of Magnesium May Reduce the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) in Men, But the Evidence Is Lacking for Women, Says a New Review.
The essential mineral Magnesium is readily recognized in more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, and toxicity issues being rare “oral magnesium supplementation is recommended”, conclude researchers from Brigham Young University in this month’s issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
“At this time, research is inadequate to prove that oral magnesium intake decreases the future risk of CHD development; but, in the meantime, maintaining a high normal serum magnesium level has been shown to have very few side-effects and is clearly beneficial after the diagnosis of CHD to prevent further complications of heart disease,”
Dietary sources of Magnesium include green, leafy vegetables, meats, starches, grains and nuts, and milk. Earlier dietary surveys show that a large portion of adults does not meet the RDA forMagnesium (320 mg minimum per day for women and 420 mg minimum per day for men).
Magnesium has been highlighted as an important to watch for 2010, especially the key cardiovascular benefits of the mineral.
The new report, World Nutraceutical Ingredients, included Magnesium as one of the minerals with fastest growth, along with calcium. Other fact growing ingredients included soy proteins and isoflavones, psyllium and resistant maltodextrin fibers, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, and carotenoids.
Review Details
The Utah-based scientists searched the literature and found six randomized control clinical trials (RCT) and prospective studies that met their specific criteria. Magnesium doses used in the studies ranged from 130 to 800 milligrams of magnesium per day.
None of the studies reported any adverse effects from magnesium supplementation.
Beyond The Heart Health Benefits
Looking objectively, the researchers also noted that “magnesium may be helpful for other disease states”, including a reduction in the risk of stroke, improved skeletal growth and development, and a reduced risk of pre-eclampsia in women.
“Because magnesium is relatively safe, affordable, and vital for many functions in the body, oral magnesium supplementation is recommended,” they wrote. “Overall, studies suggest that additional research is needed to better explain the association between blood magnesium levels, dietary magnesium intake, and the risk of CHD development,” they concluded.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners December 2009, “Oral magnesium supplementation in adults with coronary heart disease or coronary heart disease risk”