Chronic inflammation—not cholesterol—is the cause of heart disease. Many doctors and research scientists now believe that most chronic diseases may have the same root cause: inflammation. Chronic low-grade inflammation has been linked to heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and even cancer.
In a study published in the Lancet,1 the world’s leading general medical journal, researchers concluded that inflammation inside arterial walls could explain why many people with normal or even ideal cholesterol levels suffer heart attacks or strokes, while others with very high cholesterol never develop heart disease.
“Cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease,” says Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, magnesium expert and author of The Magnesium Miracle, “and the decades-long attempt to treat this condition with statin drugs has failed, because the true cause is inflammation.”
“There are clear indications that inflammation explains why plaque builds up in the arteries in patients with atherosclerosis,” says Philip Schauer, MD, director of the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. “Chronic inflammation also plays a direct role in diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, asthma and other conditions.”
These conclusions support the findings of an earlier breakthrough study entitled “Magnesium and the Inflammatory Response…”2 According to Dr. Dean, “This study shows that at the cellular level, magnesium reduces inflammation. In the animal model used, magnesium deficiency is created when an inflammatory condition is produced. Increasing magnesium intake decreases the inflammation.”
In a more recent study [June 2017] , therapeutic levels of magnesium supplementation are shown to have a positive anti-inflammatory effect in the body:
Dr. Dean adds, “With magnesium being actively required by 600–700 enzyme systems in the human body, internal functions that reduce inflammation with the help of magnesium are being newly discovered every year. For example, magnesium has been found to be a natural calcium channel blocker, which is crucial because calcium in excess is one of the most pro-inflammatory substances in the body. This is why I recommend a 1:1 balance of calcium with magnesium, while also taking into account the amount of calcium people get in their daily diets.”
Dr. Dean concludes, “Chronic, low-grade inflammation—sustained by excessive belly fat, a poor diet including processed foods and sugars, a magnesium deficiency (over 75 percent of Americans fail to meet their minimum daily requirement of magnesium), lack of exercise, smoking, and gum disease—may explain why lifestyle-related diseases have reached epidemic proportions in Western countries, while remaining relatively scarce in the developing world. The many studies2, 3, 4 acknowledging the value of magnesium in the prevention of heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome make knowing about this mineral vitally important.”
Remember, the valuable information, suggestions, and insights about your health choices can always be discussed with your doctor, should you choose to do so.
Speak to Lorraine today about ReMag or purchase online at the Liveblood store under the Neogenesis Section.
- 1. “The Interleukin-6 Receptor as a Target for Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease: a Mendelian Randomisation Analysis.” Lancet 379, no. 9822 (March 31, 2012): 1214–24.
- Mazur, Andrzej, Jeanette A. M. Maier, Edmond Rock, Elyett Gueux, Wojciech Nowacki,
Yves Rayssiguier. “Magnesium and the Inflammatory Response: Potential Physiopathological
Implications.” Archives of Biochemistry & Biophysics 458, no. 1 (February 1, 2007): 48–56.
- Reffelmann, T., T. Ittermann, M. Dorr, H. Volzke, M. Reinthaler, A. Petersmann, S. B. Felix. “Low Serum Magnesium Concentrations Predict Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality.” Atherosclerosis
219, no. 1 (November 2011): 280–84. doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis. 2011.05.038.
- Hruby, A., J. B. Meigs, C. J. O’Donnell, P. F. Jacques, N. M. McKeown. “Higher Magnesium Intake Reduces Risk of Impaired Glucose and Insulin Metabolism, and Progression from Prediabetes to Diabetes in Middle-Aged Americans.” Diabetes Care (October 2, 2013).