Preface
All too often, the public is besieged by reports that a particular supplement holds the secret to a longer, healthier life. Exciting new information is released, spurring a surge of interest and, of course, a rise in supplement sales. As claims about the nutrient circulate, people are exposed to some truth, some hype, and, often, a good deal of wishful thinking. The pity is that while the media focuses on a short-lived trend, some very important nutrients are often overlooked—to the detriment of everyone’s health.
Consider the following: Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States today. Each year, we spend billions of dollars on medical tests, operations, hospital stays, rehab centers, equipment, and drugs—all to help prevent or remedy heart disease—yet with very little to show for our investments. Heart disease accounts for direct and indirect costs of more than $190.3 billion each year, and the American Heart Association forecasts that these costs will increase by a minimum of 200 percent over the next twenty years.
Billions more go to the satellite industries that have developed to cater to our health epidemics—producing everything from bestselling diet books to weight loss centers to lines of “heart-healthy” foods—and making promises that they can prevent or reverse these conditions. The media is flooded with ads and television shows that tell us that if we don’t do something, we are bound to become statistics—the victims of our own inaction. Yet there is something we can do to offset the outrageous expenditures and unnecessary procedures; in fact, there’s something we can take even now in order to help prevent these life-threatening health conditions from developing in the first place. The answer is simple, inexpensive, and effective—magnesium.
As a heart specialist, I feel that the treasures held within magnesium have yet to be embraced by the medical community. The more studies I read confirming the vital roles magnesium plays in the body, the more clearly I realized that too few people know how critical magnesium is to good health.
Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element on Earth and the eleventh most common element in the human body. It has been studied by medical researchers for over a hundred years, and while it has always been considered a reasonably important mineral, it is, in fact, essential to the proper functioning of the body. This master mineral is a necessary ingredient for approximately three hundred and fifty enzyme systems, thus playing a role in the majority of your body’s metabolic processes. Surprisingly, however, upwards of 80 percent of Americans are deficient in this nutrient.
Why is magnesium deficiency worth our attention? First and foremost, without the proper levels of magnesium in the body, we are subject to heart attacks—the number one killer of Americans—as well as a variety of other heart-related disorders. Second, many other serious health problems are associated with magnesium deficiency, including type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, muscle cramps, fatigue, depression, migraines, and insomnia.
At this point, you may be wondering, “If magnesium is this important, why haven’t I heard about it before?” While there are many reasons as to why magnesium has been overlooked for so long, I strongly believe that magnesium’s time is now. Once you have read this book, you will understand the difference magnesium can make in your life. The goal of Magnificent Magnesium is to contribute to wider public knowledge about the value of this mineral—knowledge that you will be able to apply the moment you turn the book’s last page.
This book is designed to present an understanding of magnesium with a sharp focus on its role in heart health and several other aspects of physical well-being. Chapter 1 takes an unflinching look at the heart disease epidemic that claimed nearly 800,000 American lives in 2010, with stroke killing over 129,000 people that same year. It examines the most common forms of heart disease and details their causes, risk factors, symptoms, diagnoses, and typical treatment methods, so that you will be able to recognize and potentially prevent these devastating conditions.
In Chapter 2, you will be introduced to magnesium and its many roles in supporting and maintaining your body’s vital functions. You will also learn the reason that magnesium deficiency is so common in the United States today: stress. Stress comes in many forms—psychological, physical, and environmental. The important thing to understand is that all of these forms of stress contribute to the extensive depletion of magnesium from our bodies and food sources.
Chapter 3 sets the foundation for understanding heart disease, providing an overview of the cardiovascular system. By learning how your heart and blood vessels work under normal circumstances, you will be able to understand what happens when something goes wrong—as with the heart conditions discussed in Chapter 1.This knowledge base also allows you to see how magnesium can help your body, from the cellular level on up.
In Chapter 4, you will take a closer look at the way the medical community currently views and treats heart disease. The chapter also introduces an emerging model for understanding heart disease—and preventing it. The starved heart model of heart disease asserts that without an optimal supply of magnesium, the heart begins to break down at every level, leading to energy starvation, dysfunction, and eventually cardiovascular disease. Accordingly, to reverse or protect against cardiovascular disease, it is essential to maintain good magnesium levels and excellent magnesium stores.
Chapter 5 demonstrates that the benefits of magnesium extend far beyond their applications for cardiovascular disease. Many of the United States’ other major health conditions are caused or exacerbated by magnesium deficiency. This chapter lays out the research, showing that you can help improve, protect against, and even prevent these diseases by simply increasing your intake of magnesium.
Finally, in Chapter 6, all this information is put to work, providing you with a practical guide to integrating magnesium into your life. You will be shown how to determine the amount of magnesium you need to obtain and maintain optimal wellness, taking into account your current magnesium status and the amount you burn through on a day-to-day basis. You will also be provided with information on the best sources for getting this vital nutrient, so that you will never be without.
By the time you finish reading Magnificent Magnesium, you will be equipped with the knowledge you need to understand the origins of heart disease—and, potentially, to prevent it from ever developing. But while reading this book is a significant first step, it is far more important that you actually use the tools contained within to take charge of your health. Be proactive; only you can change your life!
