Magnesium prevents calcium buildup in cholesterol plaque in arteries, which leads to clogged arteries. Magnesium levels are inversely associated with cardiovascular disease risk.
Magnesium supplementation can inhibit atherosclerotic plaque formation in animals on high-fat diets. More recent human studies have revealed strong associations between low magnesium levels and higher heart disease risks. This demonstrates that magnesium can be a powerful protective measure to maintain heart health.
Magnesium acts as a natural calcium channel blocker and has been suggested to modulate vasomotor tone and peripheral blood flow. Preclinical studies demonstrated a protective role of magnesium on vascular calcification,8, 9 which may in turn lead to reduced arterial stiffening.
Research shows that magnesium deficiency, or restricted magnesium intake, increases irregular heartbeats known as arrhythmias. In a review published in May 2019 in Cardiology Research and Practice, researchers found that a low level of magnesium in the blood may increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Low magnesium levels usually don't cause symptoms. However, chronically low levels can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis. Too much magnesium from foods isn't a concern for healthy adults.
People with diabetes, intestinal disease, heart disease or kidney disease should not take magnesium before speaking with their health care provider. Overdose. Signs of a magnesium overdose can include nausea, diarrhea, low blood pressure, muscle weakness, and fatigue. At very high doses, magnesium can be fatal.
The benefits of magnesium supplementation in healthy individuals aren't clear, but Dr. Nassar says that taking a magnesium supplement every day likely isn't unsafe for most people. Just be sure you're not taking too much magnesium. The maximum dietary allowance for most adults is around 400 mg or less.
Which magnesium is best for heart health? If heart health is the goal, you'll actually want a few different forms of magnesium in your supplement! Magnesium citrate is the form of magnesium that your body absorbs with the most ease. Magnesium oxide has a higher level of elemental magnesium in it.
Early signs of excessive magnesium intake can include low blood pressure, facial flushing, depression, urine retention, and fatigue. Eventually, if untreated, these symptoms can worsen and include muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, and even, in very rare cases, cardiac arrest.
Results. Patients that received magnesium had a lower mean heart rate (85 BPM versus 96 BPM, P<0.05) 24 hours after onset of the episode.
Optimal Vitamin K2 intake is crucial to avoid the calcium plaque buildup of atherosclerosis, thus keeping the risk and rate of calcification as low as possible.
“Magnesium is an electrolyte that helps to regulate your heart rate,” says cardiologist Tamanna Singh, MD. “When you have a deficiency of electrolytes, it can make your heart speed up.” We talked with Dr. Singh about the role of magnesium in your heart health and how you can get more magnesium in your diet.
Can magnesium help clogged arteries? Research has drawn a direct link between atherosclerosis and magnesium levels. As discussed above, “Magnesium prevents calcium buildup in cholesterol plaque in arteries, which leads to clogged arteries.”
There are no quick fixes for melting away plaque, but people can make key lifestyle changes to stop more of it accumulating and to improve their heart health. In serious cases, medical procedures or surgery can help to remove blockages from within the arteries.
The key is lowering LDL and making lifestyle changes.
"Making plaque disappear is not possible, but we can shrink and stabilize it," says cardiologist Dr. Christopher Cannon, a Harvard Medical School professor. Plaque forms when cholesterol (above, in yellow) lodges in the wall of the artery.
Symptoms of magnesium toxicity, which usually develop after serum concentrations exceed 1.74–2.61 mmol/L, can include hypotension, nausea, vomiting, facial flushing, retention of urine, ileus, depression, and lethargy before progressing to muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, extreme hypotension, irregular heartbeat, ...
Magnesium for sleep
Some studies have found that magnesium supplements can: Make it easier to fall asleep. Improve sleep quality. Reduce symptoms of restless legs syndrome, which can interfere with a good night's sleep.
Severe hypermagnesemia (levels greater than 12 mg/dL) can lead to cardiovascular complications (hypotension, and arrhythmias) and neurological disorder (confusion and lethargy). Higher values of serum magnesium (exceeding 15 mg/dL) can induce cardiorespiratory arrest and coma.
Niacin, or Vitamin B3, is the best agent known to raise blood levels of HDL, which helps remove cholesterol deposits from the artery walls.
Bleeding disorders: Magnesium seem to slow blood clotting. In theory, taking magnesium might increase the risk of bleeding or bruising in people with bleeding disorders.
Folic acid is a B vitamin. Folic acid has been proven to lower homocysteine levels, which can harden arteries. You can get plenty of folic acids through foods like spinach, asparagus, and whole grains.
In general, magnesium seems to have minimal side effects, and taking low doses is unlikely to cause much harm. According to the Institute of Medicine, healthy adults can safely take up to 350 milligrams of supplemental magnesium daily. Anything at or below that level is unlikely to cause any adverse health effects.
Never begin taking, suddenly discontinue, or change the dosage of any medication without your doctor's recommendation. Severe interactions with magnesium supplement include: baloxavir marboxil.