If you have high blood pressure, you may be recommended certain supplements to help control it. You will obviously be advised to change your lifestyle by eating healthier and doing exercise regularly, among other changes. One thing that is usually recommended is getting enough magnesium. Magnesium is a key mineral that helps regulate blood pressure, and it in addition helps regulate blood sugar and supports optimal muscle and nerve function.
Magnesium Lowers Blood Pressure
Magnesium helps lower blood pressure in many ways. It helps:
• Ease blood vessels.
• Naturally block calcium channel.
• Raises nitric oxide levels.
• Subsides endothelial dysfunction, that is an imbalance between relaxing and contracting factors in blood vessels.
Many older adults are a little deficient in magnesium. Since age is a risk factor for high blood pressure, magnesium deficiency is partly responsible for worsening blood pressure issues as people get older. So, elderly people can decide to buy blood pressure supplement such as magnesium after consulting with a doctor.
Overdosing on Magnesium
You should not try overdosing. Your body will naturally get rid of excess magnesium. However, your body may not be able to keep up if you are taking a supplement. Excess magnesium can trigger symptoms such as nausea, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea.
The maximum dose of supplemental magnesium your body can tolerate is 350 mg/day for adults. You should, hence, consult with your doctor first before taking a supplement. This is most advisable if you take antacids or laxatives for stomach issues. These medicines have magnesium, so adding a supplement on top can immediately put you into the overdose territory.
Consistent intake of excessive magnesium can cause magnesium toxicity, which may lead to fatal complications like hypotension, respiratory paralysis, and cardiac arrest. However, it is almost impossible to overdose on magnesium from natural food sources. Try to avoid magnesium supplements if you suffer from chronic kidney disease, since this can affect magnesium excretion and lead to its build up in your body.
Amount Of Magnesium You Need
Studies on supplementing magnesium levels point out that 300 mg/day is enough to affect blood pressure noticeably. However, there is a strong indication that increasing dose of magnesium above normal levels is not suggestible. The positive impact of magnesium supplementation is mainly because you are eradicating a deficiency. If you already have sufficient magnesium levels, supplementing with magnesium doesn’t help at all.
Certain people are potentially at risk for magnesium deficiency. For people in the following groups, magnesium supplementation may be essential:
• Older adults, as there is a lower magnesium absorption as one ages.
• People who are chronic alcoholics.
• People who suffer from gastrointestinal diseases that reduce the intake of nutrients, like Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and regional enteritis.
• People suffering from restrictive food intake disorder, which is occasionally associated with autism .
• People suffering from type 2 diabetes.
Before deciding to buy blood pressure supplement, however, talk to your doctor or your nutritionist.
Alcoholism leads to poor dietary intake, gastrointestinal problems and renal dysfunction, and various issues that can lower magnesium absorption or increase excretion. So, if you are an alcoholic, it is advisable that you take magnesium supplements.
The Nutshell
It is good to ask the advice of your doctor regarding what type of magnesium supplements you should take for your specific condition.
