June 3, 2009
Magnesium may benefit blood pressure in hypertensives
Supplemental magnesium may reduce blood pressure people with high blood pressure, but seemingly normal magnesium levels, says a new study from Korea.
On the other hand, the supplements had no effect on the blood pressure measurements of normo-tensive individuals, according to findings published online in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases.
“These findings suggest that magnesium supplementation may help prevent the progression of hypertension in normo-magnesemic non-diabetic overweight people with higher BP, although mechanisms of counter-regulation preventing further BP increase remain to be elucidated,” wrote the researchers from Pusan National University.
The study adds to findings from epidemiological studies which reported that more magnesium, potassium and calcium may reduce the risk of hypertension in certain populations.
High blood pressure (hypertension),defined as having a systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) greater than 140 and 90 mmHg, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) - a disease that causes almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe, and reported to cost the EU economy an estimated €169bn ($202bn) per year.
Study details
Since very little is known about how magnesium may effect insulin sensitivity and blood pressure in healthy individuals, the researchers recruited 155 people to take part in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomised trial. The subjects, who had an average BMI of 23 kg/m2, were randomly assigned to receive either daily supplements of 300 mg of elemental magnesium in the magnesium oxide form or placebo for 12 weeks.
At the end of the study, no significant differences were observed between the magnesium or placebo groups. However, when the researchers looked specifically at hypertensives, significant decreases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were observed in the magnesium group (17.1 and 3.4 mmHg, respectively), compared to placebo (6.7 and 0.8 mmHg, respectively).
“Most of epidemiologic studies have shown an inverse association between magnesium intake and fasting insulin concentration or the incidence of type 2 diabetes although associations for magnesium-rich diets in these studies may reflect other beneficial dietary components such as fibers in foods that are high in magnesium,” wrote the researchers. “Thus, magnesium supplements could be an alternative tool for the prevention of type-2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.”
Magnesium and diabetes
A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies by researchers at Stockholm's Karolinska Institutet, reported that for every 100 milligram increase in magnesium intake, the risk of developing type-2 diabetes decreased by 15 per cent.
Writing in the Journal of Internal Medicine Susanna Larsson and Alicia Wolk concluded that while it is too early to recommend magnesium supplements for type-2 diabetes prevention, increased consumption of magnesium-rich food "seems prudent."
Source: Nutraingredients.com
Author: Steven Daniells
Source: http://www.nutraingredients.com/
Comments:
Heart disease, cancer and stroke are known leading causes of deaths in developed countries however, according to a recent Lancet study about 54 percent of strokes and 47 percent of heart disease cases were attributed to high blood pressure and approximately 80 percent of hypertension-related deaths occur in developing countries as well. Currently there are more than 50 brands of anti-hypertensive medications on the market, yet hypertension is now turning out to be one of the world’s biggest killers along with diabetes. Both these diseases are called silent killers, as they tend to worsen multiple systems in the body including the cardiovascular system. This study is one more proof in addressing the importance of nutrients to address hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Conventional medicine has not been able to target the root cause of the development of these chronic diseases; instead the drugs tend to rely only on temporary reduction of symptoms.
It is important to recognize that chronic deficiency of essential nutrients is the root cause of the development of high blood pressure, diabetes and many other cardiovascular diseases as well as cancer. According to Dr. Rath's research, chronic deficiency of specific nutrients can contribute to loss of elasticity in the blood vessel walls thus increasing the blood pressure. Although magnesium is an important nutrient to maintain normal blood pressure, Dr. Rath has proven that the action of magnesium can be significantly enhanced when it is combined with other essential nutrients - especially the amino acids arginine, proline, lysine, as well as Vitamin C, and others. Dr. Rath has clinically proven that a synergistic combination of these nutrients among others, work together to maintain and regulate the blood pressure within normal limits and should be used in the right proportions and ratio. Please read more about Dr. Rath's novel nutrient synergy method and the results of clinical trials on www.drrathresearch.org
|
|
