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Can magnesium help your heart? A 喵咪社区 dietitian says it can 鈥� and it鈥檚 in more foods than you might think.

In the heart-healthy hall of fame, nutrients like fiber, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids crowd the spotlight. But the humble mineral magnesium deserves a place in the winner鈥檚 circle, too.

Why? According to Jong Kwan (Kevin) Park, RDN, a clinical dietitian with 喵咪社区 who also practices at , it comes down to the heart鈥檚 trusty 鈥渓ub-dub鈥� rhythm.

Magnesium and the heart

Magnesium is a mineral that鈥檚 essential to enzymatic reactions and biochemical processes happening throughout the body. It affects everything from nerve function and blood pressure to blood sugar management and more.

It also affects your heartbeat.

As Park explains, 鈥淭he heart is a muscle that needs to contract and relax to pump blood. There鈥檚 a structure in the heart called the AV node, or atrioventricular node, which is a cluster of cells that allow electrical impulses to travel and regulate heartbeat. Magnesium, because of its positive electrical charge, participates in that process and helps keep the heart in consistent rhythm and prevent irregularities.鈥�

How much magnesium do we need to stay healthy?

Because magnesium is a key player in the heart鈥檚 timekeeper, low levels can lead to an irregular heartbeat 鈥� also known as an arrhythmia 鈥� heart palpitations and yet more serious complications.

Thus the USDA and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) set the (RDA) at 400 to 420 mg of magnesium per day for adult males aged 19 to 51, and 310 to 320 mg daily for females of the same age.

Unfortunately, Park points to showing that roughly half of Americans 鈥� 48%, in fact 鈥� don鈥檛 meet this recommendation.

Dietary sources of magnesium

Given such widespread deficiency, you might think that magnesium is hard to come by. 鈥淏ut,鈥� Park says, 鈥渁s long as you鈥檙e eating a well-rounded, nutrient-dense diet, it will actually provide a substantial amount of magnesium.鈥�

Bananas, avocados, leafy green vegetables, tofu, legumes, dark chocolate, nuts, seeds and then some 鈥� all are healthy, whole-food dietary sources of magnesium. Make sure to include some in meals each day and you鈥檝e scored an easy heart-health win.

When to take a magnesium supplement

But there are some instances in which supplementation can help.

鈥淚f a healthy adult is consuming whole and nutrient-dense meals, you shouldn鈥檛 need a magnesium supplement,鈥� Park says. 鈥淏ut consulting a health care professional can give you a clearer idea of whether or not you have a deficiency.鈥�

And for a heart-health problem like an arrhythmia or rapid heartbeat, he continues, 鈥淢agnesium supplements could be beneficial.鈥� Here again, a health care professional can help you decide if your condition warrants supplementation.

What type of magnesium supplement is best?

If you do decide to supplement, choosing amongst all the magnesium products on shelves can feel daunting. But Park has a few tips to help narrow the options.

• First check the product鈥檚 dose and find one that helps you meet the recommended intake your health care provider advises. And don鈥檛 go overboard: Too much magnesium can cause diarrhea and may even worsen the heart problems you鈥檙e trying to address, Park says.
• 鈥淟ook for a trusted brand that鈥檚 transparent about its ingredients and manufacturing,鈥� he adds. And if you can find a product that鈥檚 third-party tested for potency and purity, even better.
• Consider the magnesium form. Some are easier to absorb, use and tolerate than others 鈥� such as magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate, which Park says are of the most common forms available and are known to be gentler on the stomach. Magnesium malate is similarly tolerable, and the latter is the form that occurs naturally in many foods, Park adds.

But why not start with foods? 鈥淎s a dietitian,鈥� Park says, 鈥淚鈥檓 certainly going to advocate for meeting your magnesium requirements through a nutrient-dense, well-rounded diet. But if your health care professional recommends supplementation as beneficial or even required, I鈥檒l push for that, as well.鈥�

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Kimberly J. Decker

Kimberly J. Decker is a freelance writer for 喵咪社区.

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