Question: Does magnesium help with blood flow?

Dear Blaylock's Answer:

I cannot emphasize enough the beneficial effects of magnesium supplementation on the health of blood vessels. Magnesium plays a major role in the operation of the endothelial cells, which line vessels and allow for better blood flow.

Abnormally functioning endothelial cells are the earliest and most important change that occurs with atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) — hence raising stroke and heart attack risk. Magnesium reduces inflammation in blood vessels (the real cause of atherosclerosis), deters platelets from adhering to the walls of blood vessels, and reduces free-radical damage to body tissues.

It is important to understand that when a person has a heart attack or stroke, it is not because plaque has occluded the blood vessel; it is because a blood clot has stuck to the wall of the vessel and blocked the flow of blood.

By reducing the ability of platelets to stick to vessel walls, magnesium greatly reduces the chance of a blood clot forming. (In general, black people have very low magnesium levels, and despite having lower cholesterol than Caucasians, they have higher risks of strokes and heart attacks.)

I find it ironic and upsetting that most doctors prescribe the anti-clotting drug Plavix to protect against clotting. Plavix is associated with very severe side effects — some even fatal — and it is very expensive. It works no better than using magnesium, omega-3 oils, ginkgo biloba, or garlic extract, all of which have few side effects and are much less expensive.

One condition that has resisted treatment is progressive small vessel strokes involving cerebral arteries in the brain. In the beginning, one typically experiences few symptoms with this condition. But as more of these tiny blood vessels become blocked, a person can experience paralysis, loss of vision, or a gradual loss of mental function. Conventional treatments are hazardous, costly, and rarely work.

As mentioned above, magnesium improves blood flow in these tiny blood vessels, along with reducing inflammation and helping to prevent clotting. Other supplements that can reduce the conditions that lead to small vessel strokes include:

• Vitamin C (buffered forms)
• Curcumin
• Quercetin
• Ellagic acid
• Hesperidin
• Grape seed extract)
• White tea

It is also important to drink plenty of fluids, as this improves blood flow.