How to Prevent Atrial Fibrillation – Part 2

Part 2

Carrying on from Part one of ‘how to prevent atrial fibrillation’, what causes this condition and other arrythmias in the first place?

Here we have it…

Dr David Snow
Dr David Snow

I want to relate a conversation two doctors had on the Doctor Health Radio hosted by Dr David Snow.  They were talking about the problems of AF and what can be done to alleviate the symptoms:

Dr Snow –  David Snow here with you talking today to Dr Steve Ryan about his book Beat Your A-Fib the essential guide to finding your cure.  Alright let’s talk about supplements, things like fish oil and magnesium, I know you have a part or section in your book about magnesium…..

Dr Steve Ryan
Dr Steve Ryan

Dr Ryan – David, almost everyone who has A-Fib is magnesium deficient, that’s a given. If you have A-Fib you should start taking supplements or eating more leafy greens and nuts. But one of the problems in the US is our diet is magnesium deficient because the soil has been depleted over the years, of magnesium.

Dr Snow – Not only that Dr Ryan but also all the dairy products that people eat,  dairy of course is very rich in calcium but it’s practically devoid of magnesium and so you need the balance of 2:1 Mg:Ca, most nutritionists agree.  So if you eat too much calcium you actually can produce deficiencies and imbalances of  magnesium in the body.

Dr Ryan – Yes and too much calcium can also produce A-Fib.

Dr Snow – Right and I want you to expand on that as well because I think that from a nutritional standpoint and that’s kinda my background of expertise, I think we’ve gone way overboard; the pendulum has swung way too far over to consuming too much calcium and everything is calcium fortified for goodness sake.  Let’s address the fact that calcium can aggravate, or you’re saying cause AFib?

Dr Andrew Natale
Dr Andrea Natale

Dr Ryan – Yes indeed, there’s been a study by a Dr Natale that calcium overload, he says, is the primary factor in A-Fib remodelling which means that when you have A-Fib your heart tends to stretch and get electrically screwy and it tends to change itself over the years.  He says that calcium is what drives that.

The study Dr Ryan is eluding to is by Dr. Andrea Natale, Executive Medical Director, Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, where he says and I quote: ‘calcium overload is the primary factor in A-Fib remodeling of the heart, i.e., structural changes to the heart, including enlargement of the atria and the development of atrial fibrosis’.

If only I knew then…

flecainideIf I knew then, what I know now, we would not have been using a serious drug like flecainide to control Brian’s arrhythmia.  Apart from the obvious side effects, I blame this drug in part for Brian’s death.  He took the poison for 16 years and gradually got worse from the side effects.  He had continual chest pain and in the end could not even walk his beloved dogs.  His quality of life was much impaired because of AF.  But nobody cared and no medic even bothered to look into the cause of his condition.  Doctors are only interested in prescribing drugs.  They know nothing of cure only of control and degeneration.  I don’t blame the medics, they are under the control of Big Pharma and that corrupt industry is who I blame along with the government bodies such as the FDA and NICE.

The CT (computerized tomography) scan below is of a 40 year old man with atrial fibrillation.  It shows a massive pericarditis constrictiva calcarea with a double-layered pericardial calcification, a huge interspacial mass and consecutive compression of the right ventricle.*

AF Calcification
Calcium’s ‘remodelling’ of the heart

Apart from all Brian’s  symptoms listed below, we had a diet rich in diary produce. We consumed many eggs.  Two eggs will give you around 100mg of Ca.  Eggs are good for you, but rich in Ca.  We ate yoghurts 2 or 3 times daily, we drank loads of milk and consumed cheese nearly every day.  Why are our medics, along with the food manufacturers, pushing Ca to such an extent that we are all becoming overloaded with Ca and by default, deficient in Mg?  (To remind you, a balance of 1:1 Ca:Mg is the aim). If Brian’s obvious Mg  deficiency and Ca overload had been detected years ago, he may be alive today and perhaps never contracted AF in the first place.  (It was summised that his death was caused by an arrythmia attack which stopped his heart ie. sudden cardiac arrest syndrome.)

IMHO

So what did Brian have… IMHO, a serious Mg deficiency and here are the clues, all of them, symptoms of Mg depletion:

  1. He had arrhythmia for many years before being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
  2. Brian suffered terrible migraines several times a month; they would last for days .
  3. He had bouts of kidney stones and had to be hospitalized for each attack.

    kidney stone
    Yellow arrow shows kidney stone

  4. He became fatigued quickly.
  5. Loud noises would really have an adverse affect on him.
  6. He often had indigestion and heart burn.
  7. He never slept well.
  8. He had pins and needles and numbness in his hands.
  9. He had Raynaud’s syndrome (as did his son).
  10. Twitches and tics on his face and particularly around the eyes plagued him. He was offered botox injections as a remedy but was warned that a common side effect was a permanently closed eyelid!  Suffice to say, he didn’t have the procedure.
  11. He had painful muscle spasms.
  12. Depression.
  13. Anxiety and nervousness.
  14. Back and neck pain.
  15. Restless leg syndrome.

serumThose doctors who do a magnesium blood test, only use the serum test in the UK and I think the US is the same.  This test is next to useless and could be the reason why those patients that are tested, nearly always come back within normal parameters.  You have to be near to death before a serum test will show any marked change from normal.  This is because the body has less than 1% of its Mg in the blood, the rest is found in the cells, tissues and bone.  Under stressful conditions though, the body actually pumps Mg from cells into the blood to keep levels stable, this despite any bodywide depletion.  This test has been done for donkey’s years and is antiquated and useless.**  The Exatest usingExatest a buccal cell smear taken from the cells on the plate under the tongue, is the best out there IMHO.  It is rarely used, probably because of its expense and the lack of desire to change the status quo.

What is wrong with our medical profession?  Why can’t they see the destruction that Mg deficiency causes?  Why aren’t we being given information and advice about Mg?  Everyone should know about this.  A reduction in Ca intake and a simple Mg supplement to replete his levels would likely have stopped all of Brian’s symptoms, the most serious of which seemed to be the AF which was the death of him.

I’ll tell you something, Big Pharma’s survival is dependent on your continuation of sickness.  A cure for a disease is not in their best interest!  Big Pharma’s worst nightmare would be an epidemic of good health!!

If you suffer from AF, please start taking a good quality Mg supplement.  I am not on any medication myself and so take Mg without consulting a doctor.  If you’re on medication then I have to say to you, consult your doctor.  Trouble is, I bet a pound to a penny he won’t have a clue what you’re on about.  Insist.  This is your health here not his.  Tell him you want to take Mg as you suspect you’re Mg deficient.  If he offers you a test, ask for a buccal cell test and see what he says.  He will only have a serum test available I suspect.  Do your homework and educate your doctor.  Good luck with that!!

Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation

Catheter AblationJust a final word about this procedure.  If you do suffer from AF then your doctor should have offered you this remedy.  It is far superior to lifelong drugs with serious side effects.  It has now been much finessed from when Brian’s friend had it done.  Also the prognosis of this technique is very favourable.  Dr Steve Ryan himself  had AF but he has had the catheter ablation procedure and it was completely successful.  Just a quick word from him – ‘You don’t have to live the rest of your life with A-Fib. It’s easily cured and you don’t have to take all these craxy meds. and anticoagulatants that are hard to live with and can cause microbleeds.  The emphasis in the media now is live with A-Fib, take your anticoagulants for the rest of your life, that’s wrong! That’s almost worse than the disease!  I read this tragic story from a doctor who cured someone of A-Fib then put them on a course of anticoagulants for 10 years and they developed microbleeds, they’re a vegetable.  I’m horrified that anyone would put someone on anticoagulants for 10 years, that’s crazy, that’s just mind-boggling’… You can hear the whole radio show on AF here.

Ches Power AuthorRefs: * Massive pericarditis constrictiva calcarea with compression of the right ventricle and consecutive pulmonary embolism . Thomas Butz, Hakan Yeni, Marc Van Bracht, Martin Christ, Gunnar Plehn, Sebastion Machnick, Axel Meissner, Hans-Joachim Trappe DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ejechocard/jen331 344-346 First published online: 23 January 2009

** Serum (Blood) Magnesium Test.  ‘Magnesium requirements and testing, The Magnesium Miracle’ by Dr Carolyn Dean M.D., N.D. – Page 218, 2014 revised and updated edition (originally published as The Miracle of Magnesium)

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How to Prevent Atrial Fibrillation Part 2
Article Name
How to Prevent Atrial Fibrillation Part 2
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Carrying on from Part one of 'how to prevent atrial fibrillation', what causes this condition and other arrythmias in the first place?
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magnesiumandhealth.com
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12 thoughts on “How to Prevent Atrial Fibrillation – Part 2

  1. “Ches”, I accidentally stumbled on your article because as of a year and a half ago, I started experiencing irregular heartbeat (possibly the beginnings of AFIB in its’ mildest form). I have now reached my 64th birthday. As of the past few days, I have experienced intermittent bouts of this I/H. However, I do remember that when it did happen in the past, I either took a moderate dose of quality Mg supplements or drank organic blackstrap molasses “tea” every day for weeks; blackstrap molasses (un-sulfured) is rich in Mg. After doing this protocol, the I/H disappeared. I am going to use this same protocol to deal with my newest bout. And especially so after reading your article(s). Thank You So Much!

    1. Hi there Robert and thanks for leaving your comment and sharing your story. It is interesting to note that my late husband was 64 when he started getting serious AFIB. After being checked at Hereford hospital here in the UK, he was put on Tambocor flecainide, which I suspect you read in my article. Please avoid this drug!

      There are many kinds of magnesium supplements. This article will explain how to make your own Mg Chloride supplement, which is cheaper than buying a good quality one such as ReMag. Mg Chloride is less likely to cause the laxative affect.

      Depending on your finances, you could obtain the best form which is liposomal. Now this is extremely expensive but it is a way of getting Mg into you without any digestive problems at all. Each sachet contains 1000mg of Mg. The liposomal I buy is Altrient by LivOn. You have to be careful because fraudsters are jumping on the band wagon with this one. LivOn do many different types of supplements and unfortunately the Mg is one of the most expensive. I myself regularly buy the liposomal vitamin C which I take most days to keep vitamin C levels up. Humans don’t make vitamin C unlike most animals. Consequently, many of us are deficient in C, which does not bode well if you get infected with a flu virus like COVID. Yes, it is just a flu virus!

      I can’t afford the liposomal Mg but have bought one box containing 30 sachets, just to try it. If money is no object, this is by far the best way to get a decent amount of Mg into you as it goes straight into the blood supply, missing the digestive system.

      One more thing, please monitor your intake of Calcium. Mg and Ca are antagonistic minerals and must be well balanced to keep Ca from settling in the soft tissues. Many AFIB patients have mitral valve calcification which is a good indication of general calcification throughout the body.

      You’re at the age when this could become a problem, take the supplement vitamin K2MK7. This along with your Mg, plenty of sunshine if you live in sunny climes (if not take a vitamin D3 spray). Then take stock of other deficiencies you have by doing your own research. Don’t forget medical schools do not teach about nutrients so most medics are devoid of knowledge in this area. IMHO, this is ridiculous because it is nutrients, vitamins and minerals which keep the body in good fettle, not pharmaceuticals drugs!

      Good luck and good health to you and yours. Please get back to me if you want more information.

  2. This article was very interesting and intriguing

    Many people are not aware of the different factors that can cause heart problems. But, this article does a great job of explaining everything.

    Emphasizing the importance of magnesium is great as well. Many people are unaware of what substances can benefit you heart.

    This article was very helpful. Thanks for the information.

    Kevin

  3. Thank you very much for your article which is both educative and informative. It’s my first time to hear about magnesium deficiency. However, it is comforting to know that it’s a treatable condition by taking some supplements. That reminds me of a friend of mine who was diagnosed to have Vitamin D deficiency. Do you think supplements can cure this?

    1. Hi Zegu and thanks for reading the article. Out of all the nutrients you should keep repleted in your body, Mg is IMHO the most important. It is necessary in every one of your trillion cells. It controls Calcium (Ca), of which most of us have too much in our bodies because of the modern diet and fortification of Ca by the food companies. Mg keeps Ca dissolved in the blood, without it, Ca will become a rogue and migrate to parts of your body it shouldn’t be and calcify and that includes arteries, kidneys, bladder, gall bladder, brain, joints, spine…

      As for Vitamin D, getting some sun on your body for at least 15 minutes a day, without sunscreen, is the best way to get your ‘sunshine vitamin’. If you’re short on sunshine, as we are here in the UK, you can take a good quality Vit D supplement and seafood is a good dietary source of Vit D. Good health to you, Ches

  4. This is a very interesting article. I did know that Magnesium was a good treatment for leg cramps but was unaware of the benefits for your heart. I know what Atrial Fibrillation is but am not sure of the cause. As the heart is a muscle I guess in layman’s terms it could be called a cramp in the heart or have I got that all wrong? I will definitely be taking Magnesium after reading this.

    1. Hi Margaret and thanks for reading the blog. Yes, the heart being a muscle, can spasm just as any other muscle in the body. As you’re of any age similar to me going by your pic., it is important to make sure you don’t take in too much Calcium (Ca), which older people, particularly women, are advised to do by medics, food companies, big pharma, tv adverts etc.. You will get enough Ca in your diet with one pint of milk a day which will give around 500-600mg of elemental Ca. Ca overload will give you Mg deficiency by default. Keeping your ratio of Ca:Mg at around 1:1 is a difficult task with our modern diet but is a ratio you should strive for. Too much Ca in the diet can cause havoc as without Mg to control it, it will migrate and calcify in tissue, any tissue. Mg keeps Ca dissolved in the blood. If you’re going to take a Mg supplement Best Magnesium Supplements To Take will give you an idea of the different ones available. IMHO Mg Chloride solution is the best with Mg Citrate powder (slightly laxative) a close second if you suffer with consitipation which is the blight of many of us as we get older. Good health to you, Ches

  5. Hi Ches
    The is probably one of the most important articles that I have read today.As it has the capability to better ones life or even save them!!

    I am 38years of age.I currently am not on any medication and as far as possible would like to keep it that way.

    I am a vegetarian and take supplements such as leaf greens and barley life.Both of these compounds contain Magnesium. In your opinion is this fine, or should I take a magnesium supplement?

    Thanks for this article, I will be sharing it with family and friends.
    Regards
    Roopesh

    1. Hi Roopesh and I’m pleased you are obviously in such good health. This is probably, in part, due to your healthy lifestyle and taking your health into your own hands. I do think that the majority of the population would benefit from a Mg supplement. We cannot get all we need from our food, particularly as the food industry insists of fortifying much of our foodstuff with Calcium which, by default, makes us Mg deficient. Check your Ca to Mg ratio and aim for 1:1. This is very difficult to achieve without Mg supplementation. Good health! Ches

  6. Hi Ches,
    Whether this is an article dedicated to health professionals, I found it very interesting and very valuable to satisfy my search about the depletion of magnesium in our body.
    To supplement magnesium deficiency are excellent products as you suggest in your site, but apart from these supplements are natural ways through some foods? if any, which you recommend?
    renan

    1. Hi Renan and thanks for reading the post. It is doubtful if we can get all the magnesium we need from our food. For a start, our soils have been depleted of magnesium and other nutrients, due to farming practices and secondly, we consume so much calcium, often without knowing it, that we cannot get enough magnesium to counteract or balance the calcium overdose. We need at least a ratio of 1:1 Ca:Mg and that is neigh on impossible just with diet. Even so, eating nuts, green veggie, 70%+ dark chocolate, wholegrains (not white bread), seafood will help, see Foods With High Magnesium Good heath to you always, Ches

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