Benefits of Magnesium and Potassium

Roby Mitchell | http://drfittinfo.com/health-benefits-magnesium-potassium/

Whether it’s high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high cholesterol, these are like warning lights on your car dash. They indicate an imbalance – too much of something or not enough. Low levels of magnesium and potassium are common causes of high blood pressure. It’s never because you’re deficient in some drug. Both mineral levels drop as we get older and thyroid levels go down. The energy created by the thyroid hormone is required to produce hydrochloric acid in your stomach. Hydrochloric acid is required to absorb a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Mineral deficiencies are surfeited by diets low in raw fruits and vegetables.

Potassium is relatively easy to replace. If you have high blood pressure, start drinking 8 Oz/day of coconut water or low sodium V8. Most any juice from fresh produce will do but don’t use high sugar juices like orange juice. No more than 10 grams of sugar/8 oz. serving. Adding more fresh or fresh frozen fruits/vegetables (Colorado peaches) also increases potassium. Prescription potassium pills contain only 99mg of potassium. Trash those. You get 400 mg from coconut water. Even more from low sodium V8 (cutting down on salt also important. Packaged/canned foods are high in salt). On the list of foods high in potassium, bananas don’t come in until around 900. Many better choices.

Magnesium is a bit harder to come by if you’re not following a BALi type eating plan. However, you can easily supplement with magnesium gel or a product called Calm. One tsp of magnesium gel applied to skin delivers around 1,000 mg of magnesium directly into your bloodstream through your skin. High amounts of magnesium taken orally can cause diarrhea. This is avoided by applying magnesium gel to your skin. The Calm magnesium powder is taken orally with water. Magnesium is also an excellent sleep aid and relieves: migraines, restless legs, leg cramps, and menstrual cramps.

Have your TSH and MCV checked. If thyroid and hydrochloric acid levels are low, part of the problem is you’re not absorbing vitamins and minerals well. It’s science but not rocket science.

Article below originally published at: http://health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/2016-07-13/magnesium-could-lower-your-blood-pressure
Health Buzz: Magnesium Could Lower Blood Pressure

Researchers analyzed data from 34 clinical trials, though these studies varied in depth.
By David Oliver , Associate Editor, Social Media | July 13, 2016, at 12:16 p.m.

Magnesium could moderately lower blood pressure, according to new research. (GETTY IMAGES)

Magnesium, a dietary mineral commonly found in whole grains, beans, nuts and green leafy vegetables, could moderately lower blood pressure, according to new research.

The study, published Monday in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension, analyzed data from 34 clinical trials involving 2,028 people.

The findings suggest an important – but subtle – link between magnesium consumption and lowered blood pressure: Ingesting 300 mg of magnesium each day for one month could both lower blood pressure and elevate blood magnesium levels, which are associated with blood flow improvement. Specifically, participants who took about 368 mg of magnesium daily for three months recused their systolic blood pressure (which is the top number in a reading) by 2 millimeters of mercury, and cut their diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) by 1.78 mm/Hg.

“With its relative safety and low cost, magnesium supplements could be considered as an option for lowering blood pressure in high-risk persons or hypertension patients,” Dr. Yiqing Song, lead author and associate professor in the department of epidemiology at the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at Indiana University, said in a news release.

Still, the researchers note inconsistencies in participant pools. Some studies included as few as 13 people, while others had high dropout rates.

The largest blood pressure reductions were seen in the higher quality studies that also had lower dropout rates. Looking at sub-groups in the studies showed magnesium might only aid those who already have a magnesium deficiency.

“This study underscores the importance of consuming a healthy diet that provides the recommended amount of magnesium as a strategy for helping to control blood pressure,” Penny Kris-Etherton, a distinguished professor of nutrition at Penn State University, said in the same news release. “Importantly, this amount of magnesium (368 mg/day) can be obtained from a healthy diet that is consistent with AHA dietary recommendations.”

Tags: high blood pressure, high blood pressure diet, Heart Health

Magnesium and potassium are the 2 major intracellular cations. The intracellular concentrations of these 2 ions appear to be closely correlated, but the existence of a relationship between the plasma concentrations of these ions has been controversial. A major function of potassium is to maintain the excitability of nerve and muscle tissue. Alterations in either the intracellular or extracellular potassium concentration affect membrane excitability by alterations in the resting membrane potential. The critical factor is not the actual potassium concentration in either compartment but rather the ratio of the intracellular to the extracellular concentration.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3732091