Magnesium Associated with Reduced Blood Pressure

A new meta-analysis study funded by Indiana University Health-Indiana University School of Medicine Strategic Research Initiative revealed that magnesium intake could modestly lower blood pressure.

The study, published in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension, suggests that taking 300mg of magnesium daily for a month can elevate the magnesium levels in the blood and improve blood flow, reducing blood pressure.

"With its relative safety and low cost, magnesium supplements could be considered as an option for lowering blood pressure in high-risk persons or hypertension patients," said Yiqing Song, M.D., Sc.D., associate professor in the department of epidemiology at the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at Indiana University and lead author of the study, in a statement.

For the study, the researchers collected and analyzed data from 34 clinical trials involving a total of 2,028 participants. Participants in the study have a daily dosage of magnesium ranging from 240 to 960 mg, with 82 percent of them consuming equal of higher than the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance for adults, which is 310 - 320 mg/day for women and 400 - 420 mg/day for men.

The researchers discovered that participants who were receiving a median of 368mg of magnesium a day for an average of three months have an overall reduction of 2.00 mm Hg and 1.72 mm Hg in their systolic and diastolic blood pressure respectively. Also, researchers found out that taking 300mg of magnesium a day for just a month can elevate the magnesium levels in the blood to reduce blood pressure.

Kris-Etherton, a distinguished professor of nutrition at the University of Pennsylvania, commented that it is not necessary to take magnesium supplements to elevate magnesium levels in the blood.

"This study underscores the importance of consuming a healthy diet that provides the recommended amount of magnesium as a strategy for helping to control blood pressure," Etherton explained in a press release. "Importantly, this amount of magnesium (368 mg/day) can be obtained from a healthy diet that is consistent with AHA dietary recommendations."

Magnesium can be found in whole grains, beans, nuts and green leafy vegetables.