New Magnesium Information Center & HelpLine Aids Public and Physicians
New
York NY, 23 April 2002
Most
people -- including many physicians -- have no idea how vital magnesium
is to the body's well-being. But now they can learn.
Mildred
S. Seelig, MD, Barbara S. Levine, PhD, and Lawrence M. Resnick,
MD, of the Magnesium Advisory Board, today announced the activation
of the Magnesium Information Center and HelpLine (1-800-508-8059)
and website (www.execpc.com/~magnesum/).
Available
Monday through Friday from 9 am-5 pm Eastern Time to answer questions
from both patients and physicians about magnesium's role in good
health, the HelpLine is run by the Magnesium Information Center,
which is part of the New York Weill Cornell Medical Center. The
Magnesium Information Center is overseen by the Magnesium Advisory
Board.
"Magnesium
is essential for keeping everything in the body working well: cells,
muscles, nerves, organs, bones," says Dr. Levine, Co-Director of
the Human Nutrition Program at the Rockefeller University, New York
City. "And this mineral plays a critical part in the control of
several chronic diseases."
Dr.
Resnick, professor of medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell
University, adds: "With the Magnesium Information HelpLine and the
Magnesium Information Center Web site, people now have access to
valuable and easy-to-understand information, and physicians can
quickly obtain the more technical data they need. Both groups will
be well served."
How
much do we need?
The
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), now known as the Dietary Reference
Intake (DRI), for magnesium varies according to age, sex, and in
the case of females, whether a woman is pregnant. A diet rich in
fruits, vegetables (spinach, in particular), and whole grains can
meet the DRI, but surveys have found that most adult Americans don't
follow these guidelines. In fact, during the twentieth century,
the per capita dietary intake of magnesium decreased by 50%.
A
diet deficient in magnesium can have very serious consequences,
as shown by the link between magnesium and the following chronic
illnesses:
- Cardiovascular
disease
-
Magnesium
deficiency in the diet causes metabolic changes that contribute
to heart attacks and strokes, and cardiovascular disease is
the number one cause of death in the US.
- Hypertension
-
The
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial, which
tested three different diets to determine their effect on blood
pressure, found that a high-magnesium diet significantly lowered
high blood pressure in all groups.
- Diabetes
-
People
with diabetes must maintain adequate levels of magnesium because
the mineral affects the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates.
It also influences the release and activity of insulin, which
controls blood glucose levels. (People with diabetes can experience
glucose levels that are too high or too low, potentially causing
kidney, nerve, and eye damage.) Recent studies show a sharp
increase in Type II diabetes (non-insulin-dependent diabetes
mellitus or NIDDM) among US children, with the mean age at diagnosis
being 12 to 14 years of age. Generally obesity, strong family
history of the disease, and signs of insulin resistance are
factors.
- Heart
rhythms
-
Approximately
1% of people under 60, and 5% to 10% over 65, experience heartbeats
of more than 100 times per minute (the norm is 60 to 100). Magnesium,
in conjunction with potassium, helps control rapid and irregular
heartbeats.
- Congestive
heart failure
-
Correcting
low levels of magnesium and potassium may help prevent the sudden
death associated with this disease. Congestive heart failure
occurs when the heart fails to propel blood forward normally.
As a result, lungs become congested and circulation throughout
the body is poor.
- Other
health issues
-
A
magnesium deficiency may play a part in migraine headaches.
In addition, among women, lack of magnesium may be involved
with premenstrual difficulties and the onset of postmenopausal
osteoporosis. During pregnancy, adequate levels of magnesium
help prevent premature contractions and help delay preterm births
and at-risk low birth weight babies. Low magnesium intake has
also been shown to contribute to eclampsia and convulsions occurring
in pregnant women with preeclampsia, which is high blood pressure
due to pregnancy.
When
diet fails to supply adequate magnesium, oral supplements have been
shown to ease the symptoms of disease.
For
more information about magnesium, contact:
Magnesium
Information Center
New York Weill Cornell Medical Center
525 East 68th Street, Box 38
New York, NY 10021
1-800-508-8059
www.execpc.com/~magnesum/
Source
Magnesium
Advisory Board, via PR Newswire.
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