In this post, ‘early signs – heart disease’ I really want to drive it home to everyone, why most heart disease occurs. If you already have heart disease, or any kind of cardiovascular condition, then you can help to alleviate it. If you don’t have heart disease, don’t get complacent because there’s a high possibility you already have the early signs. In fact, there’s a high possibility that most of our children have the beginnings of cardiovascular disease.
Am I being melodramatic?
No certainly not. I’m being realistic and I want you to sit up and take notice for the sake of you and your family’s future health. Answer these questions and think about it:
Does your child have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).- Are you or your child suffering from tics, twitches or excessive blinking.
- What about full blown Tourette’s (TS).
- How about Epilepsy or epileptic conditions.
- Do you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
- Has your child got Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
- Do you or your child suffer from Depression, Anxiety or Panic Attacks.
- Do you or or child suffer with headaches.
Everyone, including our children, needs Magnesium
If you or your children suffer from any of the above or any other neurological, emotional, behavoural or mental conditions, then you are likely to be Magnesium (Mg) deficient. In fact it is now estimated that at least 80% of the population of the US do not consume enough Mg. The consequences of this shortfall could be catastrophic. These conditions can herald a future of health problems and life threatening conditions such as cardiovascular disease for you and your children. Act now and protect you and your family’s health.
Why all these modern conditions?
So here we are in the 21st Century, 80% of the population of the US with Europe and the rest of the world not far behind, all deficient in a vital but mostly unknown mineral called Magnesium. Also, we have all these relatively new conditions popping up throughout the world like ADHD, ODD, TS, OCD and ASD. How many of these conditions existed in the 1900s when our intake of Mg was known to be around 500mg per day?
Our soils are now magnesium poor
Now, in this modern age all our soils are 
depleted of vitamins and minerals and particularly Mg. So much junk food is available, very little of which will have any Mg. All these new medical conditions have slowly been increasing over the years, while our intake of Mg has dropped to an average of 175-225mg per day.
So what has Mg deficiency to do with these conditions?
Well, everything actually. This mineral is one of the most vital for the human body (and for all other animals and plants). If you don’t have enough in your body, your system will start to break down. One of the first symptoms will be fatigue, physical and mental. Why is this? Unless Mg is present to activate our energy process through a substance known as adenosine triphosphate or ATP, our bodies cannot function.
Mg-ATP
ATP is the energy currency in our cells’ energy factories (mitochondria). Put simply, ATP is essential for life and Mg is the mineral nutrient that brings life to ATP. When scientists discuss ATP they are almost invariably referring to the activated form of ATP known as Mg-ATP. For convenience, the Mg prefix is often dropped which is a pity because it just serves to hide the importance of this mineral. The correct notation for this magnesium-bound compound is Mg-ATP.
But what has Mg deficiency got to do with heart disease?
Again, everything. At the last count, an average man of 150lbs has 37.2 trillion cells, each one needing Mg. The incidence of heart disease has been rising at an alarming rate, at the same time intakes of magnesium have been declining. Mg deficency will lead to many disruptions within the body that will threaten virtually every bodily system. If Mg is not present in enough quantites to activate ATP, then energy production will be compromised. The heart will be starved of its energy and problems will ensue. The human heart cycles around 6kgs of ATP per day!! Without Mg to activate this enzymatic process, the necessary energy will not be produced and this specialised muscle, the heart, will slowly start to deteriorate.
So why aren’t we told about this by our medics?
Unfortunately, Mg is a vital nutrient mineral that is mostly overlooked and/or ignored by the medical profession. This disregard and failure to correctly diagnose a Mg deficiency, will result in potentially life threatening health problems within the cardiovascular range of diseases. This is apart from the misery it can cause to those with the above conditions such as Tourette’s and Epilepsy. Not recognising a Mg deficiency gives rise to mis-diagnosis which is then treated with serious and unnecessary pharmaceutical drugs, administered to patients who often don’t even need them.
And then there’s electrolyte imbalance!
As well as the necessity of Mg for producing our energy needs, Mg is essential for 
controlling the Calcium (Ca) in our bodies. At the cellular level, Mg controls the ‘gates’ which open and close admission of Ca into our cells. Too much Ca in our cells can be devastating and can cause cell death. This continual control, means Mg needs to be in plentiful supply to efficiently regulate the movement of Ca in and out of our cells as well as ensuring Ca is laid down in our bones and teeth. Generally, Mg and Potassium (K) reside within our cells and Ca and Sodium (Na) reside outside of our cells. Out of these 4 vital electrolytes, Mg is the key player. Without it, none of the other electrolytes will work efficiently. Even if you are replete in K for instance, it will not be available to the body without enough Mg being present.
Without Mg, Ca migrates and calcifies!
Ca should be dissolved in our blood and laid down in our bones and teeth. It shouldn’t be able to migrate to our soft tissue and calcify which is exactly what it does if Mg is not there to control it. Excess Ca can activate and over excite our sympathetic nervous system (SNS). This controls our automatic and unconscious functions. Two important SNS functions are the “fight-or-flight” response and the inflammatory process.
Excess Ca is dangerous
Excess Ca will over-stimulate these procedures causing an inflammatory deluge. This over response leads to chronic inflammation and at the same time increases levels of stress hormones. Any kind of stress is the primary depleter of Mg, leading to an electrolyte imbalance. The inflammatory process produces plaque, excess Ca in the blood thickens and calcifies. The hardened plaque narrows the arteries, resulting in cardiovascular diseases such as arrhythmia, angina, heart attack etc..
Why aren’t we prescribed Mg supplements?
It’s a mystery to me, especially as your heart specialist knows about this problem. Have you heard of a CC scan. Do you know what it stands for? It stands for a ‘Coronary Calcium Scan’. The Mayo Clinic describes it as follows: “A heart scan, also known as a coronary calcium scan, is a specialized X-ray test that provides pictures of your heart that can enable your doctor to detect and measure calcium-containing plaque in the arteries.” The image shows severe calcification of the left anterior descending coronary artery (red arrow), the portion of the circumflex coronary artery within the imaging plane (white arrow) and the aortic root around the origin of the left main coronary artery (yellow arrow).
Why have we not been educated?
You may now be wondering why is it that your cardiologist knows that Ca can migrate and calcify in the arteries and heart and why does he not give advice to you, his patient, on how to avoid this calcification. Why are we not being told to lay off the Ca and supplement with Mg? Why not use preventative measures rather than wait until we’re so sick that nothing can be done other than heart surgery and drugs? Why are we not told in our younger years, what we need to do to protect our hearts? Why do we have to put up with this misery when there is a simple answer to much of the cardiovascular diseases that we suffer today? This inexpensive vital mineral would save millions of lives and save us millions of dollars? What’s going on? Has it anything to do with Big Pharma and profits?
Mg controls stress
With a plentiful supply of Mg, this inflammatory response and nutrient deprived stress would not occur. Ca would be completely dissolved in the blood so there would be no Ca deposits. Any inflammatory response would go through its process and heal any damage instead of spiraling out of control. ATP production would be at optimum levels which will keep the heart and cardiovascular system and you, energised and healthy.
Protect yourselves.
The reason I cited those childhood diseases at the start of this post was to convince you that a Mg deficiency can start from the womb (preeclampsia, gestational diabetes). If your child or you, show symptoms of Mg deficiency, do something about it. Mg is a completely harmless but vital mineral nutrient that is necessary for all life. Don’t let your child become slowly deficient. Don’t ply your child (or yourself) with excessive Ca. We get plenty of Ca in our modern diet with the food manufacturers fortifying many of our foods 
with it. A normal wholesome diet, will provides plenty of Ca. Mg is the nutrient in short supply, so be aware and watch out for symptoms before they get a hold. Make sure your diet contains Mg rich foods. Supplement with good quality Mg such as ReMag, Ionic Mg or Mg Citrate powder.
Magnesium will change your life and protect you and your loved ones from a plethora of diseases. Check out Mg deficiency symptoms.
“Most modern heart disease is caused by magnesium deficiency.”
Dr Mildred S. Seelig.
“Without enough magnesium, cells simply don’t work.”
Dr Lawrence M. Resnick
“There is a solution to our health woes, a tragically underutilized remedy that has been with us for decades: magnesium.”
Dr Dennis Goodman
“Living without adequate levels of magnesium is like trying to operate a machine with the power off.”
Dr Christiane Northrup
“It is shocking, frankly, how little people know, how little doctors know, about this vital mineral (magnesium).”
Dr Jay S. Cohen
“Magnesium is the most important mineral to man and all living things”.
Dr Jerry Aikawa
“Research has overwhelmingly demonstrated the critical relationship between low levels of magnesium and cardiovascular disease.”
Dr Julian Whitaker
and a PubMed Hypotheses:
“It is highly regrettable that the deficiency of such an inexpensive low toxicity nutrient results in diseases that cause incalculable suffering and expense throughout the world.“¹
1. The multifaceted and widespread pathology of magnesium deficiency Johnson S1. Med Hypotheses. 2001 Feb;56(2):163-70. PMID: 11425281 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
Spread the word!
This is truly enlightening. I know that all the vitamins and minerals play their part in maintaining good health but I never knew that magnesium played such an important role. It seems that when there are simple solutions or cures for some of our common and deadly diseases, there are some powers that somehow suppress the information.
Thanks so much for the information you have shared in your post. I am definitely going to start paying attention to my magnesium intake.
Thanks Freddie for reading the article and I am gratified that you have gained something from the information. The fact that the general public know so little about this mineral is because our medics are not taught about nutrition at medical school. The pharmaceutical companies certainly don’t want you to know either. That would compromise their drug sales. Be aware that magnesium is an – anti-statin, an anti-depressant, controls cholesterol, controls blood pressure, controls energy production to name but a few. This mineral is absolutely vital for optimum health. I always advise everyone to be their own medic and do their own research. Good health to you and yours. Ches
It’s crazy all the benefits that magnesium has and how it can protect our hearts. I like the fact that many fruits and vegetables have magnesium. I eat a lot of them already so this lets me know I am getting my daily requirement of magnesium. i used to be a vegan… haha man the nutrients I was getting was insane. I felt great almost every day. Hah was just getting bored of the taste
Hi Wil, Thanks for your comments and input. Yes, veggies particularly and fruits are great, as is most seafood and if you like seaweed that’s ideal. Organic is best but I know it’s too expensive for many people. Even so, buying organic when you can, is really worth it. There should be no pesticides, fungicides or unnatural fertilizers. Remember one thing though, many foods higher in magnesium are also rich in calcium, for example nuts, seeds and green vegetables. Please make sure you’re not overdoing the calcium. Strive for a 1:1 ratio, then both these vital minerals will work at their best and calcium will not be laid down in soft tissues where it doesn’t belong. Good health to you and yours. Ches
This is truly amazing. I feel like this hits home for a lot of people. We either know someone or are some one that deals with some of these issues. If these issues can be reversed or at least helped, a lot of people would be in so much better shape.
Hi Genevieve and thanks for your comment and input. Ches
I was a little afraid to read your article as heart disease runs in my family. However, I’ve been doing some research as to my lack of energy and insomnia. I also seem short-winded and have a feeling in my stomach that something is there. So I came upon your article and enjoyed it, along with other articles on your site. I am sold on a magnesium supplement. I’m not sure if it will help the short-winded feeling or the feeling in my stomach, but I NEED ENERGY and I WANT TO SLEEP hahahaha. Should I give some to my cats? 🙂
Hi Robin, funnily enough, you will find that the veterinary practioners have more knowledge about Mg deficiency than our medics. All animals and plants need Mg to be healthy and survive, your cat included! Ever heard of grass tetany?
There is no need for you to suffer heart disease and if it runs in the family it could be more to do with family habits rather than genetics. Young families usually eat the same foods and have the same lifestyles and paradigms are laid down in a family environment. These habits are then taken with you when you leave and you then pass them on to your family. That’s my humble opinion anyway. It would be very unlucky if heart disease was a genetic problem in your family.
As for your ‘short-winded’ feeling, see if the Mg supplement helps. Don’t take cheap supplements like Mg oxide. See my side panel for examples of good quality oral supplements. You should feel a difference within a week if not less. Otherwise, see your medic and at the same time, do your own research on your symptoms. Don’t just leave it up to the doctor, you know how you feel, he doesn’t. I’m sure you will be sleeping better within a day or two! Ches
Hi Ches,
You have really explained the relationship between the electrolytes so very well in this excellent post.
It is so unbelievable to me after being a health practitioner for many years just how undertreated Mg deficiency really is when it is so instrumental to our health!
Other factors such as increased sugary food intake and caffeine only serve to deplete our magnesium stores further while the modern farming practices deplete the soil.
I started noticing some of the more classic signs of magnesium deficiency such as cramping and sleep disorders and took action immediately using magnesium supplements daily, and my symptoms disappeared.
Thanks for an informative article,
Kris
Hi Kris, It’s good to know that the message is slowly getting around about Magnesium (Mg). It is a pity though, that the medical profession are not more au fait with the problems of not having enough Mg in the body. You’re so right about junk food and caffeine and of course our farming practices put the tin lid on it!
Well done you, for recognising those symptoms and taking your health into your own hands. I only wish more of the public were as aware. Thanks for your positive comments and keep healthy and happy. Ches
It’s scary as you mentioned, that our kids could be living with early signs of cardiovascular disease. Just makes you think, of how times have changed and the kind of world that we are living in now!
The amazing benefits that Mg offers is NOT fully appreciated and understood by our community.I am really glad that you have taken to educate folks about this through your site.
I am a pharmacist by profession and stress almost on a daily basis to patients that Mg should be taken. I have even told him about it correlation with heart disease.Sometimes, its left up to them to want to make a change.
I will definitely share this article on the revelant social media and spread this message to as many folks as I can.
Keep up the awesome work, enjoyed the read a lot.
Regards
Roopesh
Hi Roopesh, Its good to know that you are au fait with the merits of Mg. It seems that so many people, including medics, dismiss its importance as being minor. Those doctors that actually do test for Mg, nearly always come back with a result within standard criteria. This is mainly because the test they use ie. the blood serum test, is next to useless at identifying a Mg deficiency. I am at the moment doing a post about Mg testing.
My husband is also familiar with pharmaceuticals and biochemistry as he worked in the industry. He takes a daily Mg supplement because he says “I don’t want a stroke”. Two of his three brothers have had strokes.
Thank you for your kind and encouraging comments and for spreading the word. Coming from a pharmacist, it will surely carry more weight. Ches
It’s crazy how much one can learn in the matter of minutes. I very much enjoyed what I read. Being a younger adult, I can personally tell you that I have never even thought about let alone stressed about heart disease and failures at my age. I can promise you that I will never forget this information on this one post. Definitely an eye opener that I believe everyone should be aware of! You did a fantastic job with the structure of your site, and had very strong, important facts and opinions to back it up! I thank you for the time you put into this post because I know it will benefit people who are unaware of the importance of magnesium and the human body! Keep up the good work
Thanks
-Daniel
Hi Daniel and I’m so pleased you found the post informative and something for you to be aware of for your future health. I hope you’re right that people will benefit and take notice of this important health information. It is a pity that the population as a whole does not know about magnesium. I think health, vitamins and minerals should be taught at school so we can all have the knowledge to keep ourselves healthy. Thanks so much for your positive comments. Ches
All I can say is WOW! This article has really opened my eyes and possibly answered some questions I’ve been having for many many years. I’ve had fatigue for 19 years. I could never seem to shake it! And the only time I felt better was when I started taking some supplements. I really need to start taking them again because they were very helpful.
This is very good news for not only me but for my whole family because now I know what I can ask the doctor to check and to make sure that we get our daily intake of 500 mg of Magnesium per day. How much should a toddler get?
Thanks again!
Liz
Hello Liz and thank you for reading the article. Please check your supplements don’t have calcium. We get plenty in our modern diet. I would be very surprised if you doctor even knows about the benefits of Mg unless he is a naturopath. Most MDs are not taught about nutrition only about drugs and controlling a condition with them.
If he offers you a Mg deficiency test, ask for the RBC (red blood cell) test which is more accurate than the blood serum test which is next to useless. Only about 1% of the body’s blood resides here and the body keeps this at a constant level, whether you are deficient or not. The serum test will usually give a false positive ie. will say you are not deficient when you are.
For a toddler of say from 1-3 years, 80mg per day is just about adequate. A little more would be better. You’ll know if the dose is right because an overdose results in loose stools. This is a good indicator as the body just excretes what it doesn’t need for the day. Everyone requires different RDAs. Split doses and up them slowly and you will soon learn what your ideal level is. If you’re having a stressful time, up your intake. Stress is the biggest depleter of Mg. My level is 600mg per day depending on what I’ve eaten. If I have a lentil soup for instance (Mg rich), I will lower my dose for that day. Good health to you and your family and let us know how you get on. Ches
It’s true that most people are magnesium deficient. I know because i did a bunch of research on it a few years ago when i developed sore neck that lasted for over a year. I finally figured out that I was lacking ample magnesium.
Your article is a rich resource of information. It’s a bit difficult to read, so may i suggest making smaller paragraphs for ease. Nice job!
Hi Jackie and it’s good to hear that you know all about this vital mineral. Please spread the word! I will take on board about the paras. I must admit I do go on a bit, but I’m passionate about magnesium and want everyone to know what it can do to keep us healthy. Thanks for the positive comments and good health to you and yours. Ches
It’s so scary reading about these things. My family has all kinds of health problems like heart attacks, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, kidney failure and even cancer.
I’ll be sure to look for more foods that are rich in magnesium. Recently, I have been reducing the amount of fast food that I consume as well. I only eat them like once every 6 months. Thanks for this informative article!
Hi Farhan and thanks for reading the article. I’m sorry to hear your family is suffering from various illnesses. Be sure to tell them about magnesium as it will help. It is necessary for each of our 37 plus trillion cells and without it we cannot be in good health. Reducing junk food and sodas is a good move. Eat wholesome foods and try to include Foods With High Magnesium to enjoy. Please note that your relative who has kidney failure, will not be able to take a Mg supplement without consulting their physician. Ches
I had no idea that Mg deficiency could cause such problems! I have a 9 year old daughter who has a tick, anxiety and some OCD. I will certainly look into this more to see if I can increase her Magnesium. Is it possible for these early symptoms to be reversed if we increase her Mg? Is there any child friendly supplements for this? How much of a daily dose would you recommend?
Hi Amber and thanks for your comments on this post. Your daughter will definitely benefit from a Mg supplement if you cannot find enough Foods With High Magnesium that she likes. Make sure she isn’t having excess calcium which will cause a Mg deficiency by default! Mg Chloride drops or Mg Citrate powder would be ideal. The Citrate would be suitable if she has constipation which is quite common in youngsters. Try to quit the junk food and sodas which will exacerbate the condition. Remember, Mg is natural for the body and the only problem would be loose stools with an overdose. Putting Mg Chloride drops into drinking water is a good idea. It has a salty bitter taste which she may notice if you put in too much.
The RDA for a 9 year old is 240mg per day and most experts consider this to be too low. Just try it. Introduce it slowly and see the difference in her mood and her tics. You will be surprised! Good quality supplements can be found on the sidebar of this site. Dr Carolyn Dean does a good Mg Chloride called ReMag but it is expensive. By the way, you can use Mg Chloride topically.
If you are in the UK I can send you a sample of Mg Chloride solution or Mg Citrate Powder. Please let us know how you get on. Ches