[Fwd: [MagnesiumForLife] Migraines, Sleeplessness, Heart Attacks - Magnesium?]

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[MagnesiumForLife] Migraines, Sleeplessness, Heart Attacks -

Magnesium?

Date:

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 10:23:09 EDT

From:

surpriseshan2@...

Reply-To:

MagnesiumForLife

To:

mcs-canada

Migraines,

Sleeplessness, Heart Attacks - Magnesium?

http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=10874

Forrest H. Nielsen

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral element in the human

body, following calcium, sodium and potassium. Magnesium enables

many biochemical reactions necessary for life. However, much

attention has been directed recently towards another role of this

element: The movement of electrically charged ions of calcium and

potassium as well as organic molecules across nerve cell membranes to

transmit a signal.

These roles are important for nerve conduction, muscle contraction,

blood vessel relaxation and tensing and thus blood pressure, and a

normal heart beat. Epidemiological findings and supplementation

trials show that people's magnesium status is associated with the

severity and frequency of migraine headaches, some forms of heart

attacks, high blood pressure, sleep disorders and mood disturbances.

Carefully controlled human studies at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition

Research Center (GFHNRC) and elsewhere are being done to conclusively

show that inadequate magnesium intake can result in these maladies.

For instance, in studies on women past menopause at the GFHNRC, we

found that a low magnesium diet resulted in heart rhythm changes,

which were halted by a diet providing about 300 mg of magnesium daily.

In a much more severe form, some of these changes in heart rhythm or

beat can result in heart muscle contractions that do not move blood

throughout the body and lead to death. So magnesium is definitely

needed for a healthy heart.

The same studies also showed that a diet inadequate in magnesium

caused changes in brain waves--electrical activity in the brain--when

women were at rest. Other researchers have found in both human and

animal studies that magnesium deficiency results in sleep

disturbances, such as agitated sleep and frequent periods of

awakenings. This has been related to changes in electrical activity

in the brain. It looks like magnesium is important for a good

night sleep.

Studies show that about half of migraine headache sufferers have a

low amount of ionized magnesium in the blood, which suggests a low

magnesium status. And magnesium supplementation reduces the

number and duration of migraines, including menstrual migraines, in

some people. The findings suggest that too little magnesium can

worsen the suffering from migraine headaches.

The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences

recently provided new recommended intakes for magnesium. The Dietary

Reference Intake, or DRI, is the new term for Recommended Dietary

Allowance (RDA). For magnesium, the DRI is 400 milligrams per day for

men aged 19 to 30 years, and 420 milligrams per day for males over age

30. The DRI is 310 milligrams per day for women aged 19 to 30 years and

320 milligrams per day for women over age 30.

Dietary surveys show that the diet of many Americans does not

consistently provide the DRI for magnesium. Older people are especially

prone to consuming a diet inadequate in magnesium. Good sources of

magnesium are leafy vegetables, nuts, skim milk and whole grains.

Last

Modified: 10/27/2005

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Ilanit

Ms Ilanit Tof

B.A. (Psychophysiology/Psychology)

Advanced Diploma Healing with Wholefoods

PhD Holistic Nutrition (candidate)

Little Tree Oriental Healing Arts

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