Magnesium Is An Important Cardiovascular Mineral

Magnesium is a metallic element that is essential to the body’s biochemistry, and is an important cardiovascular mineral. Although over half of the total magnesium content of the body is contained in bone, the rest is found in the cells of the body including the heart that contains about 20%. The amount of magnesium in the body that remains in the intercellular fluids is very low.

Although magnesium is needed for a number of important functions within the body, including the production of energy from food, and its conveyance to the muscle cells that use it, it has a particularly important effect on excitation and relaxation. Muscle cells get their energy from a compound known as adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. In the presence of calcium the ATP forms adenosine diphosphate (ADP) plus phosphorus and contracts the muscle fiber. Magnesium acts on this to reform ATP and relax the muscle.

If there is a shortage of magnesium, the muscle, and hence your body, becomes increasingly stressed until magnesium is made available to release the stress by forming more ATP. That can be provided by the consumption high magnesium foods, such as bananas and spinach, or by means of a magnesium supplement. This is a technical explanation of how calcium and magnesium are necessary to make muscles work and relax. Muscle cramp occurs if there is insufficient magnesium to overcome the effect of calcium to contract the muscles, and will not be cured until magnesium is provided to the blood.

This is also true of the heart muscle, and magnesium is believed by many to be essential for proper operation of the pumping action of the heart. Drugs used to reduce blood pressure are what are known as calcium blockers, and they block this contraction effect that calcium has on the heart muscles. Magnesium has the same effect and is thought to be a natural treatment for some forms of high blood pressure. Sodium also interferes with the relaxing action of the magnesium.

Since the heart works by means of stimulation of the fibers of the heart muscles through the release of potassium by ATP to form ADP, and then the relaxation of these same heart muscle fibers by the action of magnesium to reform ATP, then it is obvious that without magnesium the heart muscle will spasm and never relax without a good supply of magnesium.

Good sources of magnesium are dark leafy vegetables, seeds and legumes such as peas and beans. Some nuts (cashews and almonds are good sources), whole grains and some fruits such as bananas and avocados. Since the body naturally eliminates excess magnesium, an overdose is unlikely so supplementation can safely be taken without ill effects. However, it is not common for somebody to be affected by a magnesium deficiency. Tap water from ‘hard’ water districts can be rich in magnesium, more so than soft water, but should be relied on to resolve cardiac problems caused by a lack of magnesium.

Deficiency is possible in alcoholics or people recovering from serious burns or surgery. Crohn’s Disease and other disorders of the bowel can cause a magnesium deficiency, and magnesium can be lost in the urine through hyperglycemia caused by badly managed diabetes. Some cancer treatments can also cause a deficiency in magnesium, specifically ant-neoplastic medication. The same is true of diuretics and some antibiotics.

These deficiency sources may or may not give rise to problems with muscle function to the extent that they threaten life. Should they do, however, the deficiency must be made up as a matter of emergency since the inability of muscle fibers to relax can be fatal in the wrong circumstances. These circumstances are usually when the most important muscle in your body is affected: the heart.

The symptoms of magnesium deficiency are muscle cramps, twitches, tension, neck pains, headaches caused by muscle tension and stress. In fact anything that can be caused by an inability of a muscle to relax after firing. Another is tightness of the chest, and constipation is yet another, caused by a lack of relaxation of the peristaltic muscles that move the waste through the colon. Milk of magnesia is effective in treating constipation by introducing the magnesium necessary to allow relaxation of the bowel muscles, and hence the resumption of the peristaltic rippling motion of the intestines and colon. Other effects are menstrual cramps, urinary spasms and a particular sensitivity to loud noise due to tension of the muscles deep within the ear. Even an aversion to bright lights is not uncommon.

More severe deficiencies can affect the central nervous system, and cause anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and hyperactivity. As the deficiency becomes more critical it can cause numbness, tingling and severe heart problems. It is believed that even though severe magnesium deficiency is very rare, the average person does not contain the optimum levels of magnesium within their body, which results in cardiac problems and inadequacies in the immune system.

Although magnesium tablets can be used as a supplement, this can cause diarrhea, and if a deficiency is suspected, a physician should be consulted for the recommended treatment. Patients with kidney disease should not be given magnesium supplements without medical advice, since kidneys that are not properly functioning cannot excrete excess magnesium properly.

There is also evidence that a lack of magnesium can contribute to hypertension, or high blood pressure, and foods high in magnesium seem to reduce the risk. However,, there are other components of these foods that might also be effective in controlling hypertension. Bananas and avocados also contain dietary fiber and potassium.

Although magnesium is an important cardiovascular mineral that allows the relaxation of muscle fibers, a deficiency is rare except in unusual circumstances, and supplementation can generally be taken without risk of an overdose except in the case of a patient with kidney problems. If a magnesium deficiency is suspected, medical advice should be taken before resorting to a supplement since the symptoms could be indicative of other conditions.

By: Darrell Miller

Article Source: http://www.directorys.uniquearticles.info

More information on Magnesium and related minerals can be found at vitanetonline.com/ Stop in and browse a large selection of vitamins and minerals.

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