When trying to regulate your heart, in addition to eating right, exercising and getting enough sleep, you may want to consider how much, or how little, magnesium you’re taking.

Magnesium is an essential mineral. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institute of Health, magnesium is necessary in more than three hundred biochemical reactions in the body, including keeping the heart rhythm steady and helping normalize blood pressure.

So what can you take to ensure you have enough magnesium in your diet? Magnesium is found in:

• Leafy green vegetables
• Whole grains
• Nuts

It is relatively easy to ensure that your magnesium level is where it needs to be, mainly just by eating a healthy diet. If you and your doctor think that you need more magnesium to help regulate your heart, then there are plenty of supplements available.

It is not easy to overdose on magnesium, though it is possible. For this reason, especially if you’re looking at magnesium to help regulate your heart, it is vital that you consult your doctor about taking magnesium supplements, even if you are following dosage suggestions.

One last note: According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, older individuals may have low levels of magnesium due to age and/or medications they may be taking. If you are worried about your heart, bring all this information to your doctor and the two of you can decide if supplementation is right for you.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 19th, 2007 at 3:16 pm and is filed under Health & Wellness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.