Focus on Magnesium

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Focus on Magnesium JoAnn Guest Jun 24, 2005 20:41 PDT

 

 

Introduction

 

Magnesium is second only to potassium in terms of concentration within

the individual cells of the body. The functions of magnesium primarily

revolve around its ability to " activate " many enzymes.

 

Magnesium deficiency is extremely common in Americans, particularly in

the geriatric population and in women during the premenstrual period.

 

Deficiency is often secondary to factors that reduce absorption or

increase secretion of magnesium such as:

high calcium intake, alcohol, surgery, diuretics, liver disease, kidney

disease, and oral contraceptive use.

 

Signs and symptoms of magnesium deficiency can include fatigue,

irritability, weakness, heart disturbances, mental confusion, muscle

cramps, loss of appetite, insomnia, and a predisposition to stress.

 

Magnesium Supplementation in Cardiovascular Disease

 

Magnesium supplementation has been shown to be an extremely effective

therapy or adjunctive measure in many common conditions especially

cardiovascular disease.

Magnesium is absolutely essential in the proper " functioning " of the

heart.

 

Magnesium's role in preventing heart disease

and strokes is generally well-accepted. In addition, there is a

substantial body of knowledge demonstrating that magnesium

supplementation is effective in treating a wide range of cardiovascular

diseases.

 

For example, magnesium was first shown to be of value in the treatment

of cardiac arrhythmias in 1935.

 

More than seventy years later, there are now numerous double-blind

studies showing magnesium to be of benefit for

many types of arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation, ventricular

premature contractions, ventricular tachycardia, and severe ventricular

arrhythmias.

 

Magnesium supplementation has also been shown to be helpful in angina

due to either a spasm of the coronary artery or atherosclerosis. The

beneficial effects of magnesium in angina relate to its ability improve

" energy production " within the heart; " dilate " the coronary arteries

resulting in improved " delivery " of oxygen to the heart; reduce

peripheral vascular resistance resulting in reduced demand on the heart;

inhibit platelets from " aggregating " and forming blood clots; and

improve " heart rate " .

 

Magnesium supplementation is also critical in congestive heart failure

(CHF). Studies have shown that CHF patients with normal levels of

magnesium significantly live longer than those with lower magnesium

levels.

 

Many of the conventional drugs for CHF and high blood pressure

(diuretics, beta-blockers, calcium channel-blockers, etc.) deplete body

magnesium stores.

 

Magnesium supplementation generally produces a modest

impact in lowering high blood pressure (i.e., less than 10 mm Hg for

both the systolic and diastolic).

 

Other Conditions Benefited by Magnesium Supplementation

 

Because of magnesium’s critical role in many body processes, it is not

surprising that research has demonstrated magnesium supplementation to

benefit many other conditions.

For example, since magnesium promotes relaxation of the bronchial smooth

muscles, magnesium supplementation is a well-proven and clinically

accepted measure to halt an acute asthma

attack (via intravenous administration) as well as acute flare-ups of

COPD.

 

Magnesium is known to play a central role in the secretion and action of

insulin.

 

Several studies in patients with diabetes or impaired glucose

tolerance have shown magnesium to be of significant value. Magnesium

supplementation (usually 400 to 500 mg per day) improves insulin

response and action, glucose tolerance, and the fluidity of the red

blood cell membrane.

 

In addition, magnesium levels are usually low in diabetics and lowest in

those with severe retinopathy.

 

Diabetics appear to have higher magnesium " requirements " .

 

An underlying magnesium deficiency can result in chronic fatigue and

symptoms similar to the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

 

Low red blood cell magnesium levels, a more accurate measure of

magnesium status than routine blood analysis, have been found in many

patients with chronic fatigue and CFS.

 

Double-blind studies in people with CFS have shown

magnesium supplementation significantly improved " energy levels " , better

emotional state, and less pain. Magnesium supplementation has also been

shown to produce tremendous improvements in the number and severity of

tender points in patients with fibromyalgia.

 

Magnesium increases the solubility of calcium in the urine.

 

Supplementing magnesium to the diet has demonstrated significant effect

in preventing recurrences of kidney stones. However, when used in

conjunction with vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) an even greater effect is

noted.

 

Magnesium supplementation is very important in preventing headaches.

 

There is now considerable evidence that low magnesium levels trigger

both migraine and tension headaches. In individuals with chronic

headaches that have low magnesium levels, magnesium supplementation has

been shown to produce excellent results in double-blind studies.

 

Magnesium needs increase during pregnancy. Magnesium deficiency during

pregnancy has been linked to preeclampsia (a serious condition of

pregnancy associated with elevations in blood pressure, fluid retention,

 

and loss of protein in the urine), preterm delivery, and fetal growth

retardation.

 

In contrast, supplementing the diet of pregnant women with

additional oral magnesium has been shown to significantly decrease the

incidence of these complications.

 

Magnesium deficiency has also been suggested as a causative factor in

premenstrual syndrome.

 

While magnesium has been shown to be effective on its own, even better

results may be achieved by combining it with

vitamin B6.

 

Available Forms:

 

Magnesium is available in several different forms. Absorption studies

indicate that magnesium is easily absorbed orally, especially when it is

 

bound to amino acids, aspartate, citrate, or malate.

 

Inorganic forms of magnesium such as magnesium chloride, oxide, or

carbonate are less well absorbed and are more likely to cause diarrhea

at higher dosages.

 

Usual Dosage:

 

Many nutritional experts feel the ideal intake for magnesium should be

based on body weight (6 mg/2.2 pounds body weight). For a 110-pound

person the recommendation would be 300 mg, for a 154-pound person 420

mg, and for a 200-pound person 540 mg.

 

Cautions and Warnings:

 

If you suffer from a serious kidney disorder or are on hemodialysis, do

not take magnesium supplements unless directed to do so by a physician.

People with severe heart disease (such as high-grade atrio-ventricular

block) should not take magnesium (or potassium) unless under the direct

advice of a physician.

 

Possible Side Effects:

 

In general, magnesium is very well tolerated. Magnesium supplementation

can sometimes cause a looser stool, particularly magnesium sulfate

(Epsom salts), hyroxide, or chloride.

 

Drug Interactions:

 

There are many drugs that appear to adversely effect magnesium status.

Most notable are many diuretics, insulin, and digitalis.

 

Nutrient Interactions:

 

There is extensive interaction between magnesium and calcium, potassium,

and other minerals.

High dosages of other minerals will reduce the intake of magnesium and

vice versa.

 

A " high calcium " intake and a high intake of dairy foods " fortified "

with vitamin D results in " decreased " magnesium " absorption " .

 

Vitamin B6 works together with magnesium in many enzyme systems.

 

Key References:

 

Gums JG. Magnesium in cardiovascular and other disorders. Am J Health

Syst Pharm. 2004;61:1569-76.

Touyz RM. Magnesium in clinical medicine. Front Biosci. 2004;9:1278-93.

Fox C, Ramsoomair D, Carter C. Magnesium: its proven and potential

clinical significance. South Med J. 2001;94(12):1195-201.

Saris NE, Mervaala E, Karppanen H, Khawaja JA, Lewenstam A. Magnesium.

An update on physiological, clinical and analytical aspects. Clin Chim

Acta. 2000;294(1-2):1-26.

Jee SH, Miller ER 3rd, Guallar E, et al. The effect of magnesium

supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized

clinical trials. Am J Hypertens. 2002;15:691-6.

Alter HJ, Koepsell TD, Hilty WM. Intravenous magnesium as an adjuvant in

 

acute bronchospasm: a meta-analysis. Ann Emerg Med. 2000;36(3):191-7.

Barbagallo M, Dominguez LJ, Galioto A, et al. Role of magnesium in

insulin action, diabetes and cardio-metabolic syndrome X. Mol Aspects

Med. 2003;24(1-3):39-52.

Manuel y Keenoy B, Moorkens G, Vertommen J, et al. Magnesium status and

parameters of the oxidant-antioxidant balance in patients with chronic

fatigue: effects of supplementation with magnesium. J Am Coll Nutr.

2000;19(3):374-82.

Howard JM, Davies S, Hunnisett A. Magnesium and chronic fatigue

syndrome. Lancet 1992;340:426.

Cox IM, Campbell MJ, Dowson D. Red blood cell magnesium and chronic

fatigue syndrome. Lancet 1991;337:757–60.

Russell IJ, Michalek JE, Flechas JD, Abraham GE. Treatment of

fibromyalgia syndrome with Super Malic: a randomized, double blind,

placebo controlled, crossover pilot study. J Rheumatol.

1995;22(5):953-8.

Schwille PO, Schmiedl A, Herrmann U, et al. Magnesium, citrate,

magnesium citrate and magnesium-alkali citrate as modulators of calcium

oxalate crystallization in urine: observations in patients with

recurrent idiopathic calcium urolithiasis. Urol Res. 1999;27(2):117-26.

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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 12:22 pm

Post subject: Coenzyme Q 10: It's Ubiquity Foretells Its Usefulness

 

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Coenzyme Q 10: It's Ubiquity Foretells Its Usefulness

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http://www.nowfoods.com/?action=itemdetail & item_id=20001

 

Coenzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinone, is found nearly everywhere and

its ubiquity is a testament to its value in the body.

 

Coenzyme Q is distributed in all cell membranes but is concentrated

mostly in the mitochondria where it is involved in the oxidation

reduction reactions that produce energy.

 

CoQ10’s ubiquitous nature has enabled it to be useful in helping treat

an assortment of diseases.

 

Concerning cancer patients, CoQ10 supplementation significantly

increases the levels of IgG, an immune system protein that may lead to

increase immune system strength (3).

 

CoQ10 has also been used as an adjunctive therapy in treating heart

failure, angina, and high blood pressure.

 

Finally, CoQ10 has even shown efficacy in helping treat

neurodegenerative diseases, from Huntington’s disease to Parkinson’s

disease.

 

Trials in Parkinson’s disease showed CoQ10 in amounts of 1200 mg per day

to be well tolerated.

 

Concerning supplementation, some experts believe that, to see a

noticeable change in the blood, 100 mg/day is needed.

The normal amount of CoQ10 in the blood is 1 microgram/mL, with an

increase to 2 µg/mL to be therapeutic (2).

 

References:

 

1. Beal MF. Coenzyme Q10 as a possible treatment for neurodegenerative

diseases. Free Radical Research 2002; 36(4): 455-60

 

2. Crane FL. Biochemical functions of coenzyme Q10. Journal of the

American College of Nutrition 2001; 20(6): 591-8. Review

 

3. Folkers K. Survival of cancer patients on therapy with coenzyme Q10.

Biochemical and Biophysical Research and Communications 1993; 192(1):

241-5

 

4. Watts TL. Coenzyme Q10 and periodontal treatment: is there any

beneficial effect? British Dental Journal 1995; 178(6): 209-13

 

5. Tran MT. Role of coenzyme Q10 in chronic heart failure, angina, and

hypertension. Pharmacotherapy 2001; 21(7): 797-806

 

Submitted by Greg Arnold, January 5, 2004, Abstracted from “CoQ10” in

Total Health Magazine, Volume 25, Number 3

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Medical Abstract Title:

Usefulness of Coenzyme Q10 in Clinical Cardiology:

A Long-term Study

www.enzy.com

===============================================

Author:

Langsjoen H, Langsjoen P, Langsjoen P, Willis R, Folkers K

 

Source:

Molec Aspects Med. 1994; 15:S165-S175.

 

Abstract:

 

Over an eight year period (1985-1993), we treated 424 patients with

various forms of cardiovascular disease by adding coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

to their medical regimens. Doses of CoQ10 ranged from 75 to 600 mg/day

by mouth (average 242 mg). Treatment was primarily guided by the

patient's clinical response.

 

In many instances, CoQ10 levels were employed with the aim of producing

a whole blood level greater than or equal to 2.0 µg/ml (average 2.92

µg/ml, n=297). Patients were followed for an average of 17.8 months,

with a total accumulation of 632 patient years. Eleven patients were

omitted from this study: 10 due to non-compliance and one who

experienced nausea. Eighteen deaths occurred during the study period

with 10 attributable to cardiac causes.

 

Patients were divided into six diagnostic categories: ischemic

cardiomyopathy (ICM), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), primary diastolic

dysfunction (PDD), hypertension (HTN), mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and

valvular heart disease (VHD).

 

For the entire group and for each diagnostic category, we evaluated

clinical response according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA)

functional scale, and found significant improvement.

 

Of 424 patients, 58 per cent improved by one NYHA class, 28% by two

classes and 1.2% by three classes.

 

A statistically significant improvement in myocardial function was

documented using the following echocardiographic parameters:

left ventricular wall thickness,

mitral valve inflow slope and fractional shortening.

 

Before treatment with CoQ10, most patients were taking from one to five

cardiac medications. During this study, overall medication requirements

dropped considerably: 43% stopped between one and three drugs.

 

No apparent side effects from CoQ10 treatment were noted other than a

single case of transient nausea.

 

In conclusion, CoQ10 is a safe and effective adjunctive treatment for a

broad range of cardiovascular diseases, producing gratifying clinical

responses while easing the medical and financial burden of multidrug

therapy.

_________________

 

References

 

Hans R. Larsen, MSc ChE. Coenzyme Q10: The Wonder Nutrient.

International Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Vol.

16, No 2, February 1998, pp. 11-12.

 

Littarru, Gian Paolo, et al. Clinical aspects of coenzyme Q: Improvement

 

of cellular bioenergetics or antioxidant protection? In Handbook of

Antioxidants, eds. Enrique Cadenas and Lester Packer, NY, Marcel Dekker,

 

 

Inc., 1996, pp. 203-39

PETER H. LANGSJOEN, M.D., F.A.C.C. INTRODUCTION TO COENZYME Q10

Murray, Michael T. Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements, Rocklin, CA,

 

 

Prima Publishing, 1996, pp. 296-308

Research on coenzyme Q10 in clinical medicine and in immunomodulation.

Drugs Exp Clin Res (SWITZERLAND) 1985, 11 ( p539-45

Kendler BS. Recent nutritional approaches to the prevention and therapy

of cardiovascular disease. Prog Cardiovasc Nurs 1997 Summer;12(3):3-23

Kendler BS. Nutritional strategies in cardiovascular disease control: an

 

 

update on vitamins and conditionally essential nutrients. Prog

Cardiovasc Nurs 1999 Autumn;14(4):124-9

Greenberg, Steven and Frishman, William H. Co-enzyme Q10: A new drug for

 

 

cardiovascular disease. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Vol. 30, 1990,

 

 

pp. 596-608

Hanaki, Yoshihiro, et al. Ratio of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol

to ubiquinone as a coronary risk factor. New England Journal of

Medicine, Vol. 325, September 12, 1991, pp. 814-15

Baggio, E., et al. Italian multicenter study on the safety and efficacy

of coenzyme Q10 as adjunctive therapy in heart failure. Molec. Aspects

Med., Vol. 15 (suppl), 1994, pp. S287-94

Oda, T. Coenzyme Q10 therapy on the cardiac dysfunction in patients with

 

 

mitral valve prolapse. Dose vs effect and dose vs serum level of

coenzyme Q10. In Biomedical and Clinical Aspects of Coenzyme Q, Vol. 5,

eds. Folkers, K. and Yamamura, Y., Amsterdam, Elsevier, 1986, pp. 269-80

 

 

Langsjoen, P., et al. Treatment of essential hypertension with coenzyme

Q10. Molec. Aspects Med., Vol. 15 (suppl), 1994, pp. S265-72

McCarty MF. Coenzyme Q versus hypertension: does CoQ decrease

endothelial superoxide generation? Med Hypotheses 1999 Oct;53(4):300-4

Vanfraechem, J.H.P. and Folkers, K. Coenzyme Q10 and physical

performance. In Biomedical and Clinical Aspects of Coenzyme Q, Vol. 3,

eds. Folkers, K. and Yamamura, Y., Amsterdam, Elsevier, 1981, pp. 235-

41

Folkers, K., et al. The activities of coenzyme Q10 and vitamin B6 for

immune responses. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications,

Vol. 193, May 28, 1993, pp. 88-92

Littarru, G.P., et al. Deficiency of coenzyme Q10 in gingival tissue

from patients with periodontal disease. Proceedings of the National

Academy of Sciences USA, Vol. 68, 1971, p. 2332

Lockwood, K., et al. Partial and complete regression of breast cancer in

 

 

patients in relation to dosage of coenzyme Q10. Biochemical and

Biophysical Research Communications, Vol. 199, 1994, pp. 1504-08

Werbach MR. Nutritional strategies for treating chronic fatigue

syndrome. Altern Med Rev 2000 Apr;5(2):93-108

Mindell, Earl. Earl Mindell's Vitamin Bible, NY, Warner Books, 1991, p.

289

=======================

 

JoAnn Guest

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