Heart Health and Magnesium: Studies Suggest Link

By: Jean Johnson for Body1

We all know we should eat right, but the days can slip by so easily without making the necessary changes. Magnesium is one important mineral that is often lacking in the American diet.

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Recommended Dietary Allowances for Magnesium for Adults Males: 400 mg/day under age 30 and 420 mg/day thereafter Females: 310 mg/day under age 30 and 320 thereafter Pregnant women: 350 mg/day under 30 and 360 mg/day thereafter Lactating women: 310 mg/day under 30 and 320 mg/day thereafter RDA for Children Ages 1-3: 80 mg/day Ages 4-8: 130 mg/day Ages 9-13: 240 mg/day Ages 14-18: 410 mg/day for males and 360 mg/day for females

“Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body,” states the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), a branch of the National Institutes of Health. Among a number of things, the ODS credits magnesium for helping promote normal blood pressure and keeping the heart rhythm regular.

“There is increased interest in the role of magnesium in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes,” the federal government office adds. However, data from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination survey “suggest that substantial numbers of adults in the US fail to consume recommended amounts of magnesium.” Further, a U.S. Department of Agriculture survey showed that 75 percent of Americans do not ingest enough magnesium.

While the ODS notes that symptoms of magnesium deficiency are rarely seen in the United States, “there is concern about the prevalence of suboptimal magnesium stores in the body. For many people, dietary intake may not be high enough to promote an optimal magnesium status, which may be protective against disorders such as cardiovascular disease and immune function.”

The Studies

The results of several observational studies on small numbers of participants were published in medical journals between 1998 and 2003 with what the ODS calls “encouraging” conclusions in terms of cardiovascular health.

One, for example, looked at the effect of magnesium on “exercise-tolerance and exercise-induced chest pain” in 187 people and found that both situations were significantly improved by magnesium supplementation. Another study of 50 patients with stable coronary disease reached similar conclusions. Finally, researchers looked at 42 coronary patients who were taking aspirin to decrease their chances of developing blood clots. They found that supplementing with 400 mg of magnesium enhanced the effects of the aspirin, providing additional anti-clotting protection.

Quinoa: “The Gold of the Incas”

The ODS recommends “eating a variety of whole grains, legumes, and vegetables (especially dark-green, leafy vegetables) every day to get the recommended intake of magnesium and maintain normal storage levels of this mineral.”

Many Americans still find it challenging to get enough of these nutrient-dense carbohydrates into their daily diets. Quinoa, pronounced keen-wa, is an ancient seed from Latin America that can be cooked like any grain. Containing complete protein with all nine essential amino acids, quinoa is a very good source of magnesium and has the added benefit of cooking in 10 to 15 minutes.

Quinoa has the added attraction of being newly re-discovered in 1980s by people in Colorado. Highly prized by the Incas for giving people the energy they needed to traverse long distances, quinoa was targeted by the Spanish. Conquistadors forbid the Indians to grow it, and over the centuries it was all but forgotten.

While you can steam quinoa just as you might brown rice or millet, toasting the grain first ratchets up the taste factor and turns this grain into a dish the fans come back for. To get the best tips on preparing quinoa, we spoke with Garrett Berdan, a chef and registered dietician located in Portland, Oregon.

“In order to optimize the potential in quinoa, I like to toast the dry grains first. It’s a good step to bring out the nutty flavor,” said Berdan. “So just put a sauté pan over medium-high heat without any oil. Once the pan is warm, add the dry quinoa grains and stir them around until they are slightly browned and aromatic. It only takes three to four minutes and you really want to watch it the whole time, as you don’t want to over toast and burn them.

“From there it’s important to rinse the quinoa because it has a protective material on the outside. It’s a component that is a little bitter so after the toasting, just put in the grains in a fine mesh sieve. Then rinse under cold water and set aside to drain.”

Are you with Berdan so far? We hope so. We tried the toasting and rinsing, and it really isn’t that complicated. That said, if your venture into the world of whole grains is just beginning and toasting seems like huge hurdle, just skip it. It’s quite possible to simply steam quinoa, and you’ll wind up with an entirely adequate carbohydrate that’s packed with power. You can just rinse the untoasted grains before you steam them or even skip that step as well, since from our experience, the bitterness Berdan speaks of is not terribly pronounced.

The main thing, of course, is to try quinoa – to boost your magnesium levels and your heart health. So be creative and have confidence. The tips here are merely suggestions; forge ahead to your own rhythm if you like. Another tip from Berdan is to use something akin to court bullion to add flavor to your cooking water.

“While the rinsed grains are draining, heat some water or flavorful cooking liquid such as vegetable or chicken broth – whatever you have on hand,” he said. “If you don’t have anything all prepared, you can just heat your water with a half an onion, a carrot, and some celery in big chunks. Also a pinch of red pepper flakes and a clove of garlic just crushed. That way it will be easy to remove the large pieces of vegetables once the quinoa is done.”

Quinoa doesn’t need much liquid to soften, so you’ll want to err on the conservative side: around a 1:1 ratio between grains and liquid. The problem with getting too much broth in the pan is the tendency to drain the excess. This practice, though, results in less nutrition for our bodies and more for the kitchen pipes.

It doesn’t take much practice to learn how to turn out fluffy quinoa with all its nutrients intact. Once you’ve got this technique down, Berdan suggests perking the dish up with all manner of goodies.

“We already boosted the flavor with toasting and an interesting liquid,” he said. “Now we’ll maximize the quinoa by adding things like diced roasted red pepper, chopped fresh tarragon, toasted pine nuts, and some minced or sliver shallots. Then some extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, and a bit of flavorful feta crumbled across the top. With flavorful cheeses it doesn’t take much.”

Sound good? We think so too, but should you not have – or want to afford – the specific ingredients Berdan uses, it’s perfectly acceptable to mix and match. Pine nuts, for example, can become walnuts or any other nut, even the humble peanut. It’s the same with the shallots. They are wonderfully mild, but onions will still work fine. And on the roasted red peppers, carrots would fill the bill.

The idea is to think in terms of a range of foodstuffs on which you can draw. That way you can use everyday things for weeknight suppers and save Berdan’s nice perks for company dinners. Either way, you’re caring for your health in very fine style with a great whole grain.

Last updated: 09-Jul-07