Your body needs magnesium to convert fats and carbohydrates into energy, synthesize DNA and proteins, and aid in the production of carbohydrates and lipids. Magnesium also appears to be important for maintaining a healthy blood pressure range, though the Linus Pauling Institutes notes that magnesium is often present in foods that also have fiber and potassium, making it difficult to discern which of these nutrients is affecting blood pressure.
What Is Magnesium?
Magnesium is an essential nutrient, which means that your body cannot create it on its own and you must obtain it through dietary means in order to maintain a healthy level of it. If you're a healthy adult, you have about 25 g of magnesium in your body, with most of it, about 60 percent found in your bones. Another 27 percent is in your muscles, a factor that might come into play in influencing blood pressure.
Does Magnesium Affect Blood Pressure?
There have been large epidemiological studies aimed at determining the relationship between magnesium and hypertension, according to the Linus Pauling Institute, but the complexity of determining which precise nutrient is responsible for decreases in blood pressure makes conclusive findings difficult to determine. More study is needed, but it appears that low levels of magnesium in your blood may slightly elevate blood pressure.
DASH Diets and Magnesium
The American Heart Association has created an eating plan called DASH, for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, which is aimed at reducing blood pressure and high levels of unhealthy cholesterol. In addition to those outcomes, the diet has been shown to decrease the 10-year risk of heart attack. Part of DASH's purpose is to correct the low levels of magnesium in the average American diet.
Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium is readily available in a wide variety of foods, and if you're eating a healthy balanced diet, it's unlike your magnesium intake is lacking. More frequently, magnesium deficiencies result from underlying medical conditions, such as malabsorption syndromes that can prevent you from absorbing enough magnesium or renal disorders that cause an inordinate amount of magnesium to be lost in the urine. Your ability to absorb and utilize magnesium may decrease as you age, making you more vulnerable to deficiency.
Sources of Magnesium
Magnesium is present in chlorophyll, the substance that makes plants green. As a result, you can derive plenty of magnesium from a diet is rich in leafy green vegetables, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Whole grains and nuts are also good sources of magnesium.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute; Magnesium; Jane Higdon; April 2003
- MedlinePlus; Magnesium in Diet; March 2009
- American Heart Association; Dash Eating Plan Lowers Long-Term Heart Attack Risk, Especially Among African-Americans; Steven T. Chen, et al.; August 2010
- Unversity of Maryland Medical Center; Magnesium; June 2009
