Magnesium deficiency is a serious health issue with far-reaching effects. Not getting enough magnesium can affect your cardiovascular health in ways you may not have known.
According to Today’s Geriatric Medicine, it is common for doctors to focus on traditional risk factors when dealing with newly diagnosed heart disease patients. They typically advise patients to control dietary cholesterol and saturated fat, but research is proving this may be the wrong focus. In fact, a study that spanned nearly seven decades showed that magnesium deficiency contributed more to heart disease than high cholesterol or high levels of saturated fat.
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Dr. Carolyn Dean, author of The Miracle of Magnesium, tells Dr. Joseph Mercola, a well-known osteopathic doctor and wellness expert, that as many as 80 percent of Americans are believed to be deficient in magnesium. One of the biggest factors that contributes to magnesium deficiency is a diet high in processed foods with high sugar content. These fake foods all waste magnesium that may be present because a lot of magnesium is required to metabolize them.
Some prescription drugs, high stress levels, and an imbalanced gut flora can also contribute to magnesium deficiency, explains Mercola.
Everyday Health says diagnosing magnesium deficiency is a challenge because most magnesium in the body is found in the bones. Blood tests are not an accurate measure of available magnesium.
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Everyday Health asserts that magnesium is essential for heart health because it helps maintain a steady heartbeat and normal blood pressure. Healthy adults should maintain a level of 25 milligrams of magnesium in the body.
To supplement magnesium, you should aim for between 310 and 400 milligrams daily, depending on your age and gender. There is no harm in eating too much magnesium because the body will excrete what it doesn’t need. However, you can take too much magnesium in a supplement, warns Everyday Health, so it's important to talk to your doctor if you plan to start taking them.
To get enough magnesium through your diet, incorporate lots of leafy greens such as spinach. Other good sources include legumes, tofu, cashews, avocado, and whole grains. Eating just a half cup of roasted almonds provides 80 milligrams of magnesium.
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