Is magnesium supplementation important to heart health?
The heart is a very large muscle. Calcium causes muscles to contract, and magnesium causes them to relax. Magnesium is a natural calcium channel blocker (regulating the proper amount of calcium that the body needs) and is also a natural statin, which lowers bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol. Magnesium is a key supplement for heart health. From Andrea Rosanoff, PhD and co-author of The Magnesium Factor, as well as Directing Scholar for the Hawaii-based Center for Magnesium Education & Research: Hearts and blood vessels need magnesium to stay healthy. Yet, this vitally important nutrient is depleted from our soils and is inadequate in much of our processed foods and water supplies, just when our stressful lifestyles demand that we have more. The effects of a low intake of magnesium can be worsened by the high levels of fat, sugar, sodium (salt) and phosphate in our diets as well as, ironically, by the overuse of calcium supplements, which has become widespread due to our awa
