Magnificent Magnesium: Your Essential Key to a Healthy Heart & More

by Dennis Goodman MD, Morley M. Robbins

Despite the development of many “breakthrough” drugs designed to combat its effects, heart disease remains the number-one killer of Americans. Is there a simpler solution? The answer is yes. For many years, scientists and medical researchers have known about a common mineral that can effectively prevent or remedy many cardiovascular conditions. And unlike the pharmaceuticals usually prescribed, this supplement has no dangerous side effects. In this book, world-renowned cardiologist Dr. Dennis Goodman shines a spotlight on magnesium, the mineral that can maximize your heart health. The author first establishes a firm foundation for understanding heart disease, detailing its many forms and providing a brief overview of its fundamental mechanisms. Next, he examines the important role magnesium plays in many life processes and explores how a deficiency of this substance can lead to many of our nation's most common health conditions, including cardiovascular disease. The author then details magnesium’s astounding benefits, not only for heart disease, but for other health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, osteoporosis, and insomnia. Finally, this knowledge is put to work, as Dr. Goodman offers clear guidelines on how to select and use magnesium supplements to greatest effect. Many drugs are designed to relieve the symptoms of heart disease, but none of them eliminates the root cause of the problem. In Magnificent Magnesium , you will discover how a simple all-natural mineral can improve the function of your heart and help you regain control of your health.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2013

Reviews

[Kaylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was skeptical, but this is actually all factual and verifiable (see below). I was also glad to find that the author isn't presenting Mg as a miracle cure; it's true that it is a vital mineral and a lot of people are not getting enough through diet alone, but instead of just saying "take supplements!" he recommends following a healthy diet, exercise, avoid smoking and all that...and then, if you think you might be one of the many people who is deficient in Mg, go to your doctor and get a RBC-Mg blood test (which is more accurate than the more common serum test) and then work with your doctor to get the right amount of Mg for your needs. A pop-science book that actually gives rational medical advice? Amazing!

I came across this book by accident, and the self-help-type cover made me skeptical, but I could immediately verify two of the five claims on the cover - I already knew that Mg is good for muscle cramps and calcium absorption - so I thought it might be worth a look.

The author is an MD, and FACC. Impressive, but credentials are no guarantee that the information will be reliable. In any kind of non-fiction book, and *especially* anything to do with health, the first thing to look at, to decide if it's even worth reading, is: Does it have a good bibliography / does it have citations to back up its claims? This one does. Which is *still* no guarantee (always verify the validity of any cited studies!) but it's a good sign.

It might also be worth mentioning that I have taken courses on human physiology at Duke University. I didn't go far enough to get any kind of degree, but I know some things about how the human body works, and I know how to find factual information about the things I don't know. With that in mind...

This book makes a couple of claims that form the basis for the entire rest of the book. 1. Magnesium regulates and controls hormone production. When the body is flooded with cortisol and other stress hormones, magnesium is quickly expanded in an effort to bring the levels down to normal. The longer you endure stress, the more Mg your body uses up. 2. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is what enables most of the body's metabolic processes, but in order to do that, ATP first must be activated by magnesium. Which means we need adequate levels of Mg to run all these vital processes.

The second claim is something I already knew to be a fact, and the one about stress was easy to verify. (I already knew that Mg regulates hormones, but didn't know that stress can deplete it to such a great extent.) So, if stress depletes our stores of Mg, then it makes sense that a lot of people are deficient in Mg, especially since this is not something doctors routinely screen for. And since Mg is necessary to keep our metabolic processes running, a magnesium deficiency leads to all kinds of problems, as detailed in the book. I won't go into any more detail here, but if anyone wants to know more, this book is a reliable source on the topic. I can confidently recommend it.

[Erika · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have low magnesium levels, so I picked up this book to learn more about it. It reads like a textbook and I just ended up skimming it. I had no idea how important magnesium was to our health. Stress is the primary cause of magnesium deficiency. Magnesium deficiency also causes energy loss and a host of many other health problems.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative,,,,,,liked the magnesium miracle better....

[Marcus Goncalves · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author, a world renowned cardiologist, brings attention to magnesium, an essential mineral that has the potential to optimize your cardiac well-being, laying the groundwork for comprehending cardiovascular conditions. It delves into its diverse manifestations and offers a concise introduction to its underlying mechanisms.

[Mammu · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy-to-read book about why our bodies need magnesium and why most people are deficient in this mineral.

[Francesca Ricciardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible information on this wonderful nutrient.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book explains in great detail how your heart, sleep, weight and mood are affected by magnesium.