X-Message-Number: 31392
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:48:53 -0800 (PST)
From:
Subject: The top underrated supplement is...
[For years Vitamin D was a highly underrated inexpensive
supplement. Despite excellent results from clinical studies, Vitamin D
remained largely ignored, until relatively recently. Are there any other
underrated yet inexpensive supplements? I decided to do a search and try
to find out. In humans, my pick for the top underrated supplement enhanced
endothelial function (11067788), REVERSED! carotid intima media thickness
(IMT)(18568412), and induced a significant improvement in exercise
tolerance, exercise-induced chest pain, and quality of life
(12615252) and in the bargain decreased urinary oxalate
(2299712). Excellent results like these exceed those obtained by
prescription drugs such as statins. What is the name of this miracle
supplement? It is magnesium citrate.]
Circulation. 2000 Nov 7;102(19):2353-8.
Oral magnesium therapy improves endothelial function in patients with coronary
artery disease.
Shechter M, Sharir M, Labrador MJ, Forrester J, Silver B, Bairey Merz CN.
Preventive & Rehabilitative Cardiac Center and the Atherosclerosis Research
Center, Cedars-Sinai Burns and Allen Research Institute, Department of Medicine,
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
BACKGROUND: Magnesium blocks many of the physiological actions of calcium.
Nevertheless, the impact of magnesium supplementation on endothelial function
and exercise tolerance in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients has not
been assessed. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial, 50 stable CAD patients (41 men and 9 women, mean+/-SD
age 67+/-11 years, age range 42 to 82 years) were randomized to receive either
magnesium (n=25) (30 mmol/d Magnosolv-Granulat; Asta Medica Company, Inc) or
placebo (n=25) for 6 months. Before and after 6 months, endothelium-dependent
brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and endothelium-independent
NTG-mediated vasodilation were assessed with high-resolution (10-MHz)
ultrasound. Exercise stress testing was performed with use of the Bruce
protocol. Intracellular magnesium concentrations ([Mg(2+)](i)) were assessed
from sublingual cells through x-ray dispersion (EXA) (normal mean+/-SD values
37. 9+/-4.0 mEq/L). The magnesium therapy significantly increased
postintervention ([Mg(2+)](i) versus placebo (36.2+/-5.0 versus 32.7+/-2.7
mEq/L, P<0.02). There was a significant correlation in the total population
between baseline [Mg(2+)](i) and baseline FMD (r=0. 48, P<0.01). The magnesium
intervention resulted in a significant improvement in postintervention FMD
(15.5+/-12.0%, P=0.02 compared with baseline), which was not evident with
placebo (4.4+/-2.5%, P=0.78 compared with baseline). There was better exercise
tolerance (9.3+/-2.0 versus 7.3+/-3.1 minutes, P=0.05) and less ischemic
ST-segment changes (4 versus 10 patients, P=0.05) in the magnesium versus
placebo groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Oral magnesium therapy in CAD
patients is associated with significant improvement in brachial artery
endothelial function and exercise tolerance, suggesting a potential mechanism by
which magnesium could beneficially alter outcomes in CAD patients.
PMID: 11067788
Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2005 Dec;12(6):596-600.
Int Urol Nephrol. 2008;40(4):1075-82. Epub 2008 Jun 21.
Magnesium supplementation helps to improve carotid intima media thickness in
patients on hemodialysis.
Turgut F, Kanbay M, Metin MR, Uz E, Akcay A, Covic A. Department of Internal
Medicine, Section of Nephrology, Fatih University School of Medicine, Hosdere
cad no:145, Y. Ayranci, 06540, Ankara, Turkey.
BACKGROUND: The atherosclerotic process progresses more dynamically in
hemodialysis (HD) patients than in the general population. In HD patients,
lower magnesium levels were reported to be associated with increased
atherosclerosis of the common carotid artery. We tested the hypotheses that
magnesium supplementation helps to improve carotid intima media thickness
(IMT) in HD patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 47 patients on HD were
included in the study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: group
A (Mg group), in which patients were given magnesium citrate orally at a
dosage of 610 mg every other day for 2 months and group B (control group), in
which patients received only calcium acetate therapy as a phosphate binder. At
baseline and 2 months later, all patients underwent a carotid artery
ultrasound scan to measure carotid IMT. RESULTS: At the end of 2 months, mean
serum calcium, phosphorus, and calcium x phosphorus product were not changed
in both groups. As expected, mean serum Mg level significantly increased in
the Mg group at the end of 2 months. In addition, serum parathyroid hormone
(PTH) level significantly decreased in the Mg group at the end of 2 months (P
= 0.003). Baseline carotid IMT was similar between the groups. Bilateral
carotid IMT was significantly improved in patients treated with magnesium
citrate compared to initial values (P = 0.001 for left, P = 0.002 for right).
CONCLUSION: Based on the present data, magnesium may play an important
protective role in the progression of atherosclerosis in patients on dialysis.
Further studies are needed to assess more accurately the role of magnesium in
atherosclerotic regression in dialysis patients.
PMID: 18568412
Am J Cardiol. 2003 Mar 1;91(5):517-21.
Effects of oral magnesium therapy on exercise tolerance, exercise-induced chest
pain, and quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease.
Shechter M, Bairey Merz CN, Stuehlinger HG, Slany J, Pachinger O, Rabinowitz B.
The Heart Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Previous studies have demonstrated that magnesium supplementation improves
endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However,
the impact on clinical outcomes, such as exercise-induced chest pain, exercise
tolerance, and quality of life, has not been established. In a multicenter,
multinational, prospective, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled
trial, 187 patients with CAD (151 men, 36 women; mean +/- SD age 63 +/- 10
years, range 42 to 83) were randomized to receive either oral magnesium 15 mmol
twice daily (Magnosolv-Granulat, total magnesium 365 mg provided as magnesium
citrate) (n = 94) or placebo (n = 93) for 6 months. Symptom-limited exercise
testing (Bruce protocol) and responses given on quality-of-life questionnaires
were the outcomes measured. Magnesium therapy significantly increased
intracellular magnesium levels ([Mg]i) in a substudy of 106 patients at 6 months
compared with placebo (35.5 +/- 3.7 vs 32.6 +/- 2.9 mEq/L, p = 0.0151).
Magnesium treatment significantly increased exercise duration time compared with
placebo (8.7 +/- 2.1 vs 7.8 +/- 2.9 minutes, p = 0.0075), and lessened
exercise-induced chest pain (8% vs 21%, p = 0.0237). Quality-of-life parameters
significantly improved in the magnesium group. These findings suggest that oral
magnesium supplementation in patients with CAD for 6 months results in a
significant improvement in exercise tolerance, exercise-induced chest pain, and
quality of life, suggesting a potential mechanism whereby magnesium could
beneficially alter outcomes in patients with CAD.
PMID: 12615252
[BTW: Don't buy magnesium oxide.]
Snip: "Mg oxide supplementation resulted in no differences compared to placebo"
Magnes Res. 2003 Sep;16(3):183-91.
Mg citrate found more bioavailable than other Mg preparations in a randomised,
double-blind study.
Walker AF, Marakis G, Christie S, Byng M. Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition,
School of Food Biosciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading,
UK.
Published data on the bioavailability of various Mg preparations is too
fragmented and scanty to inform proper choice of Mg preparation for clinical
studies. In this study, the relative bioavailability of three preparations of Mg
(amino-acid chelate, citrate and oxide) were compared at a daily dose of 300 mg
of elemental Mg in 46 healthy individuals. The study was a randomised,
double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel intervention, of 60 days duration.
Urine, blood and saliva samples were taken at baseline, 24 h after the first Mg
supplement was taken ('acute' supplementation) and after 60 days of daily Mg
consumption ('chronic' supplementation). Results showed that supplementation of
the organic forms of Mg (citrate and amino-acid chelate) showed greater
absorption (P = 0.033) at 60 days than MgO, as assessed by the 24-h urinary Mg
excretion. Mg citrate led to the greatest mean serum Mg concentration compared
with other treatments following both acute (P = 0.026) and chronic (P = 0.006)
supplementation. Furthermore, although mean erythrocyte Mg concentration showed
no differences among groups, chronic Mg citrate supplementation resulted in the
greatest (P = 0.027) mean salivary Mg concentration compared with all other
treatments. Mg oxide supplementation resulted in no differences compared to
placebo. We conclude that a daily supplementation with Mg citrate shows superior
bioavailability after 60 days of treatment when compared with other treatments
studied.
PMID: 14596323
[Take magnesium citrate with meals for maximum bioavailability.]
J Urol. 1990 Feb;143(2):248-51.
Effect of magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide on the crystallization of
calcium salts in urine: changes produced by food-magnesium interaction.
Lindberg J, Harvey J, Pak CY. Southwestern Medical School, University of Texas
Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.
The effect of magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide on urinary biochemistry
and on the crystallization of calcium salts was examined in 7 normal subjects
and 4 patients with recurrent calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis. When magnesium
citrate or magnesium oxide was administered on an empty stomach (10 mEq. 4
times per day or 486 mg. magnesium per day for 2 weeks) urinary magnesium
increased by only 77 to 79 mg. per day and urinary citrate increased by 98 to
142 mg. per day. However, urinary calcium increased by 21 to 25 mg. per day.
No significant changes were noted in urinary saturation of calcium oxalate or
brushite or in the limit of metastability (formation product) of these salts.
However, when magnesium salts were provided with meals there were more
prominent increases in urinary magnesium (by 92 to 96 mg. per day) and in
citrate (by 218 to 226 mg. per day). Moreover, urinary oxalate decreased.
Owing to these changes the urinary saturation of calcium oxalate decreased and
the formation product increased. If magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide are
to be used in the management of recurrent calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis,
they should be administered with meals.
PMID: 2299712
[In rats, to no great surprise magnesium citrate was much more effective than
magnesium oxide in preventing the formation of kidney stones.]
J Urol. 1990 Aug;144(2 Pt 1):385-9.
Effects of magnesium salts in preventing experimental oxalate urolithiasis in
rats.
Ogawa Y, Yamaguchi K, Morozumi M. Department of Urology, Juntendo University
School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Magnesium oxide, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium sulfate, magnesium trisilicate,
and magnesium citrate were added to a calcium-oxalate lithogenic diet in order
to determine their effects in preventing lithogenesis. Male Wistar-strain rats
which had been fed the glycolic-acid diet developed marked urinary calculi
within four weeks. Rats in the magnesium-hydroxide, magnesium-citrate, and
magnesium-trisilicate groups, however, had almost no stones in the urinary
system. Rats in the magnesium-oxide and magnesium-sulfate groups showed
significantly less effect than those in the former three groups. During the
experimental period, the 24-hour urinary oxalate excretion and concentration
were higher in the glycolic-acid group than in the other groups. The urinary
citrate excretion and concentration were the highest in the magnesium-hydroxide
and magnesium-citrate groups and higher in the magnesium-trisilicate and
magnesium-oxide groups than in the magnesium-sulfate and glycolic-acid groups.
Similar trends were observed in the urinary magnesium excretion and in its
concentration. The urinary calcium excretion and concentration were higher in
the experimental groups than in the glycolic-acid group. The urinary
calcium/magnesium ratio remained mostly unchanged. Therefore, it can be
concluded that alkaline magnesium salts increase the urinary calcium and
magnesium concentrations, without changing the calcium/magnesium ratio, and
inhibit urinary calculi formation, most likely by increasing the urinary citrate
concentration.
PMID: 2374212
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