Magnesium for blood pressure

In Australia around 4.5-5 million people have high blood pressure, a reading over 140/90. Of these, between 3 and 3.5 million cases are “uncontrolled” or unmanaged. The problem is that uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke by damaging and weakening your brain\’s blood vessels, causing them to narrow, rupture or leak. High blood pressure can also cause blood clots to form in the arteries leading to your brain, blocking blood flow and potentially causing a stroke. It can also cause damage to your kidneys and increases your risk of heart attack but the good news is that according to a new study magnesium may be able to help.

The study involved analysing data from 34 clinical trials involving more than 2,000 people. The results showed that people who consumed an average of 368mg of magnesium every day for a period of three months showed reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (of an average 2 and 1.78 respectively).

Raised magnesium levels were also associated with improvements in blood flow and “blood flow” is a factor that has been recognised as a key element in lowering blood pressure.

The good news is that the amount of magnesium being talked about here can be easily achieved through diet. So increasing your intake of leafy green vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains will be going a long way toward keeping your pressure down.