Tip 295: Take Magnesium to Lower Blood Pressure: The Long Ignored Answer
3/1/2012 9:05 AM
Take magnesium to lower blood pressure and you’ll also improve insulin sensitivity and have a better cholesterol profile. Magnesium is a favorite topic for the Poliquin readership, and it plays a critical and long ignored role in blood pressure health. A new review in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that getting adequate magnesium can decrease blood pressure readings to the same degree as eating a very low salt diet or performing an exercise program.
The new review looked at 22 research trials that included 1173 participants, some of which had high blood pressure or insulin resistance and some that were healthy. Results showed that the greater the magnesium dose taken, the greater the drop in blood pressure. The studies that were analyzed ranged from 3 to 24 weeks long and used a magnesium dose that ranged from 120 mg/day to 970 mg/day. Across all studies, systolic blood pressure dropped by an average of 3 to 4 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure dropped by an average of 2 to 3 mm Hg, both substantial decreases.
The average decrease in blood pressure from taking magnesium is greater than that found to be significant in another trial that compared the effects of different antihypertensive drugs called The Antihypertensive And Lipid-Lowering Treatment To Prevent Heart Attack Trial. That trial considered a drop in systolic blood pressure between 0.8 and 2 mm Hg to be clinically significant for reducing the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Researchers suggest that magnesium can decrease blood pressure because it acts as a calcium antagonist on smooth muscle tone, causing vasorelaxation. Magnesium has an all around relaxing effect on the body, calming the nervous system. Ensuring you get adequate magnesium can help you sleep. During exercise, magnesium is involved in allowing the muscle to relax after contraction, and we know that anyone performing regular exercise, especially strength training, needs extra magnesium.
T he most notable drop in blood pressure came from taking a dose of 370 mg/day of magnesium citrate. Researchers note that the average daily intake of magnesium in the Western world has declined from about 500 mg/day in the 1900s to closer to 175 mg/day. The U.S. government recommends an intake of 320 mg/day for women and 420 mg/day for men, both of which are low compared to what most alternative medical specialists would consider an adequate dose—generally in the range of 500 mg/day of magnesium from a high quality source such as magnesium glycinate, citrate, or taurate, among others.
References:
Kaas, L., Weekes, J., et al. Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Blood Pressure: A Meta-analysis. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2012. Published Ahead of Print.
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