Magnesium Health Watch

This Alternative Health Journal article mentioned a study at the University of Kentucky Medical Center showing that eating magnesium-rich foods as part of your diet can reduce the probability of gallstones in those who have a family history of this condition.

“The Kentucky researchers found that not getting enough magnesium can increase your triglycerides and lower HDL or good cholesterol. It adds up to compromising health on many fronts. They studied more than 42,000 men over a decade. Other studies have confirmed the potency of dietary magnesium.

There is a simple solution: Eat more plant-based foods to up your intake of fiber.”

Magnesium Foods Prevent Gallstones, Hypertension, Memory Loss by Bob Condor – Alternative Health Blog – Alternative Health Journal.

This amazing study reported that male smokers can reduce their stroke risk by increasing the amounts of magnesium-rich foods they eat.  Magnesium has been shown to reduce blood pressure, and this may correlate with its ability to reduce the risk of stroke.  Moral of the story?  Eat your magnesium!

The article states:

“Finnish men who smoked more than five cigarettes a day were enrolled in the study after providing complete dietary information, and included 26,566 participants, aged 50 to 69 years The average follow up time was 13.6 years. The men who consumed at least 589 mg/day of dietary magnesium daily were found to have a significantly lower risk of ischemic stroke than those who consumed the average amount of 373 mg/day.”

Magnesium Rich Foods Cuts Risk of Stroke in Male Smokers by 15% | LIVESTRONG.COM.

Magnesium, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K are particularly important for bone health.  Eating smart can often get you the vitamins and minerals you need.

For example, enjoying some lowfat yogurt can get up to half of a day’s calcium.

Vitamin D can be a tricky one, as it’s not present in many foods, though many are vitamin d fortified.

A handful of almonds can take care of 1/4 of your daily magnesium needs.

Enhance your diet with soybeans and leafy greens, and you’ll be well on your way to the right magnesium levels.

Here Cooking light presents the foods that best supply these vitamins.  On calcium and tofu:

“A great non-dairy source of calcium is tofu. Just one-half cup of firm tofu fortified with calcium has about 20 percent of the daily recommendation for calcium. (Not every tofu is made this way, so look for labels that declare it’s a good source of calcium.) Tofu is also a good source of protein and a wonderful addition to any stir-fry.”

All Photos – Calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin K are key nutrients for healthy bones. Our RD shows you good food sources. – Photos – CookingLight.com.

If you’re an athlete, you may already be considering how vitamins and minerals affect your performance.  However, magnesium is often overlooked, despite being an important part of muscle contraction and relaxation, as well as metabolism.

One study found that as a result of magnesium depletion, people’s metabolism became less efficient.  Participant’s oxygen consumption increased, as did heart rate.  This starts to establish a connection between dietary magnesium and athletic performance.

“Even athletes, who might be expected to take greater care with their diets, are not immune from magnesium deficiency; for example, studies carried out in 1986/87 revealed that gymnasts, footballers and basketball players were consuming only around 70% of the RDA(14), while female runners fared even worse, with reported intakes as low as 59% of the RDA(15). Given magnesium’s vital role in energy production, two key questions emerge:

1. Can these all-too-common sub-optimum dietary magnesium intakes impair athletic performance?
2. Could extra magnesium intake, over and above RDA levels, enhance performance?

Bodybuilding.com – Magnesium: Why Magnesium Matters To Athletes! – Andrew Hamilton.

It’s easy to get ample magnesium from your diet if you know what to look for.  Foods like beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, whole grains and leafy greens are incredibly nutritious and packed with magnesium.

This article lists several great, magnesium-rich vegetarian recipes.   Here’s one to get you started:

Mediterranean Tomato, Lentil and Spinach Soup

Serve this hearty vegetarian soup with crusty whole wheat bread for a complete meal. I like the sharp and slightly salty addition of freshly grated good Parmesan cheese, but omit it if serving to vegans.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp (5 mL) dried basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each dried oregano and thyme leaves
• Pinch each dried rosemary leaves, crumbled, and pepper
• 3 cups (750 mL) vegetable stock
• 1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced tomatoes, including juice
• 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) lentils, drained and rinsed
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 3 cups (750 mL) fresh baby spinach leaves
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in seasonings, vegetable stock, tomatoes, lentils and lemon juice.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach leaves until wilted, about 30 seconds. Serve with Parmesan, if desired.

Makes 8 cups (2 L), 4 servings.

More Information
Tomato Tip: If you have canned whole tomatoes rather than diced, an easy way to cut them up is using kitchen shears. Pour tomato liquid into soup (to avoid messy overflow) and cut tomatoes in the can.

Nutritional information
Per Serving: 280 cal, 20 g protein, 6 g fat, 42 g carb, 10 g fibre, 1265 mg sodium. Excellent source vit A, vit C, folate, niacin, thiamin, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc. Very high source dietary fibre. Calories : 280

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