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The Effects of Magnesium on the Heart

Magnesium is essential for a healthy heart. All of the organs in your body, especially the heart, along with your muscles and kidneys, need the mineral magnesium. Together with helping the heart maintain its vigor, it also helps to structure your teeth and bones; plays a role in energy production; activates enzymes; aids in electrolyte balance, muscle function, central nervous system function, oxygen uptake and glucose metabolism; and helps to regulate calcium, zinc, copper, potassium, vitamin D and many other nutrients. Inadequate levels of magnesium can tremendously affect the heart, manifesting itself into heart disease and heart attacks, and contributing to extra heartbeats.

  1. The Heart and Magnesium

    • The heart needs a sufficient amount of magnesium to continue beating. Without it, the heart can actually stop beating, causing a heart attack. Furthermore, an adequate amount of magnesium is extremely important for maintaining a healthy heart. It can help to sustain a normal heart rhythm. It is also given to certain individuals to reduce their chances of developing atrial fibrillation and cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats), and to patients suffering from congestive heart failure. Early signs of degeneration within the heart as they relate to proper magnesium levels can usually present as changes in the heart rate (beats), angina and passing out after very heavy physical exercise or sport-related activities. If this is the case, make note of these occurrences and contact your doctor as soon as possible.

    Food and Magnesium

    • You can receive magnesium from the food you eat. Foods highly rich in this mineral include tofu, black strap molasses, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits (especially bananas), vegetables, herbs (sage, basil, fennel, cumin, marjoram, dill weed and savory), seaweed and leafy greens. Eating this way is easier said than done. Because of this, most people don’t get as much magnesium from their diet as they should.

    Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

    • Many people suffer from magnesium deficiency whether known or unknown. Common symptoms related to a deficiency in magnesium include headaches, migraines, fatigue, muscle cramps and spasms, sleep disorders, low energy, backaches, heart disorders, kidney stones, osteoporosis, insomnia, high blood pressure, depression, attention deficit disorder, seizures and arthritis. If the magnesium level is low, the body will begin to get off balance, and many other nutrients and minerals cannot function correctly when this happens.

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