Magnesium reduces stroke
Magnesium, the forth most abundant mineral in the body is linked to better blood pressure. In the study, researchers reviewed every magnesium and stroke study from 1966 through September, 2011 covering 241,378 participants and 6,477 cases of stroke.
Researchers found a direct link: for every 100 mg increase in magnesium per day, there was a 9 percent decrease in the chances of having an ischemic stroke, where blood supply to the brain is blocked.
Discussing their findings, doctors suggested people should eat more magnesium-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains, and that further study may move the U.S. to begin recommending magnesium supplements to reduce chances of stroke. The current recommended dietary allowance for magnesium for adult men is 420 mg per day, and for adult women, 320 mg per day.
Magnesium reduces colorectal cancers
In this review, doctors analyzed eight magnesium and cancer studies involving 338,979 participants. Overall, compared to those who got the least, people who consumed the highest daily average amount of magnesium were 11 percent less likely to develop any form of colorectal cancer.
There was a direct link: for every 50 mg increase in magnesium per day, there was an average 6 percent decline in the chances for colorectal cancer, colon, or rectal cancers. Six of the studies adjusted for how much calcium was in the diet and in those studies, participants who got the most magnesium were 19 percent less likely to develop colon or rectal cancer compared to those who got the least magnesium.
Reference: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; 2012, Vol. 95, No. 2, 362-6
From the March 2013 newsletter
