A few months ago, I said the first nutrient you should take for lowering your cholesterol is magnesium. Now there is evidence that magnesium will do a lot more for your heart than just lower your cholesterol.
I’ve repeatedly mentioned in these pages that your cholesterol numbers mean very little. Whats far more important is what your body does with cholesterol. If your overall cholesterol is high, but your HDL is high as well, your body is likely handling the high cholesterol very effectively.
So if you want to accurately evaluate your heart health, you have to look much deeper than cholesterol. One of the best markers for determining your vascular health is C-reactive protein, or CRP. CRP is a marker of inflammation.
According to a recent study, the best way to reduce your chances of having a heart attack is to have your LDL cholesterol below 70 mg/dL and CRP below 2 mg/dL. A rise in either marker will cause an equivalent rise in risk. Dr. Paul Ridker presented these findings at the annual scientific session of the American Heart Association.
But the best news about Dr. Ridkers study was that he determined the best way to lower your risk factor is not by taking drugs. Its best done through smoking cessation, exercise, and diet.
While I would agree that these are vital to your heart health, there is even more you can do to lower your CRP levels. I am very pleased with the CRP-lowering ability of the spice turmeric and it is powerful anti-inflammatory ingredient curcumin. You can also lower your inflammation with foods such as ginger, garlic, onion, ginkgo, green tea, and proteolytic enzymes such as bromelain.
However, there is something that works even better – magnesium.
Dr. Dana King led a team of researchers who followed 5,021 adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. The team found that 75% of the adult population studied consumed less than 309 mg of magnesium per day. That is nearly 100 mg below the paltry RDA of 400 mg. Those with low magnesium intake had a significant elevation of CRP. That is huge news!
Dr. King noted that most Americans consume magnesium far below the RDA, and that CRP is a marker for ischemic (lack of blood supply) heart disease. It is possible that increasing dietary magnesium can reduce heart disease risk substantially, she said.
Shes absolutely correct, but I think it is still an understatement. Magnesium is the spark plug for hundreds, if not thousands of enzymes in your body. A deficiency of magnesium reduces everything from energy production to immunity.
Magnesium is your primary calcium channel blocker. Your cells crave magnesium, which, if sufficient, can keep unwanted calcium from entering your cells. If calcium enters your tissues, it causes tissue calcification and energy-chain poisoning. Magnesium dilates your blood vessels, protecting you from hypertension. Its been used successfully in mitigating the damage of acute heart attacks. And now deficiency is linked to higher CRP!
Action to Take: (1) Have your cardiac CRP levels measured. If elevated, it may be a sign that you are low in magnesium. Magnesium is not routinely measured. Even if it is, usually it is measured as serum magnesium, which is the mineral outside of your cells. Serum magnesium may be normal while your intracellular magnesium is low. With Dr. Kings findings that 75% of the population consumes less than the RDA, I now believe that red blood cell magnesium should be part and parcel of every lab risk panel.
(2) Take plenty of supplemental magnesium. Its very inexpensive. Unfortunately, taking magnesium from your local drugstore wont help much if you are deficient. Low magnesium levels make it harder for your intestines to absorb the mineral. So injections are preferred by integrative physicians to quickly bring up levels. Two grams of magnesium sulfate injected intramuscularly twice a week has brought relief of fibromyalgia (inflammation) and hypertension to many patients. But you need to see a doctor for that. There is another way, though.
(3) One of my mentors and former NIH researcher Russell Jaffee, MD has a suggestion. A supplement called choline citrate, when taken with water and magnesium, can form small particles called micelles around the magnesium. The micelles can be absorbed fast and without effort by your stomach. Dr. Jaffee suggests that you first take magnesium (200 mg as glycinate, ascorbate, or citrate), followed by one teaspoon of choline citrate in four ounces of water.
You can find magnesium at any health food store and choline citrate is available from Farmacopia (800-896-1484). The latter will form micelles around the magnesium and quickly and effortlessly usher the needed mineral into your body.
In the meantime, know that your high CRP could be linked with low magnesium. You should have both checked and consider the wonderful new information provided in these pages for your benefit! Magnesium is found in abundance in many vegetable foods. So make sure you eat plenty of vegetables.
Family Practice News, December 13, 2004.