In less than a week, another global celebrity, Randy Travis, is challenged by “heart disease…”
What another supreme tragedy, and had it not been for one of our regular MAG-pie posters, I would never have known about it, nor fully understood how “Viral Cardiomyopathy” (VC) is related to Magnesium deficiency… Huh?… You’ve got to be pulling my leg!
C’mon, Magnesium Man, you’ve linked a lot of chronic conditions to low Mg status, but this seems waaaaay outside Maggie’s wheelhouse… And truth be known, that’s exactly what I thought — until today… And that’s why I love MAG FB group, as they are always challenging me to reach new levels of understanding about the impact of Mg deficiency in our daily lives, as well as in the illnesses that are an increasing part of our lives.
But before I delve into VC any deeper, let me take you on a slight bunny trail to highlight the importance of Mg and Mg-ATP to our blood, esp. our Red Blood Cells (RBCs).
(I’ll let you figure out above which are the “red” and which are the “white” blood cells, the latter of which will become far more important in just a minute…)
So, it turns out that RBCs are totally dependent on Maggie (Mg-ATP — the energy currency of the cell) for their unique donut-like (bi-concave) shape. In fact, it is this design that allows them to hold more Hemoglobin, which then allows them to hold more Oxygen, which we would all agree is important for life. And when the RBCs have plenty of Maggie, it also allows them to be more flexible, so that they can get into the nooks and crannies of our micro-capillaries — a very important dimension of their design and metabolic function. (I could write a book about just the aspects of RBCs that are Mg-dependent, but then you’d think me mad, or MAG or some such deserving appellation…)
OK, enough of that… So, what’s the Mg angle on Viral Cardiomyopathy?
Well, until today, I figured it was pretty remote. Until I read this key article. I was totally blown away, as it very clearly indicates the importance of Glutathione to the function of the White Blood Cells (WBCs), aka monocytes. Without activated Glutathione, WBCs cannot marshal an effective immune response. (Know anyone in your circle that’s dealing with any immune issues?…)
In any event, many savvy nutrition types know that Selenium is key for the proper activation of Glutathione. It turns out, the Master Anti-oxidant Chemical in our body will NOT work without that key mineral. But the part that most don’t know is that you cannot make the Glutathione molecule without Magnesium (Mg-ATP), and the Glutathione Detox Pathway (known as the GSH Pathway) MUST also be energized by Mg-ATP. What I did not know until today was how central Glutathione was to the function of the WBCs… (see picture below)
Now, while this article is “silent,” as virtually most scientific & clinical articles are, on Magnesium’s ubiquitous metabolic and regulatory role throughout our body, know that an “activated” WBC is just as dependent on Mg status as an “activated” RBC. And while I should have known that, or even suspected that, it wasn’t until I was digging deeper today into Randy Travis’ heart condition, “Viral Cardiomyopathy” that this nuance jumped out at me.
So what’s my theory? Randy Travis is an internationally-known celebrity operating in a highly competitive field called the “Music Industry.” My guess, it’s a pressure-cooker that few of us can imagine, complete with many “Stressors!” that regularly crank his Magnesium Burn Rate (MBR). Over time, he hit a threshold low for his Mg status, and as a result, his “Immune System” was unable to mobilize enough “Activated” WBCs that were insufficiently armed with Glutathione. As you certainly can imagine, one of the most “Stressed!” out dimensions of our body is our Hearts… Therefore, it’s an organ that is highly dependent on Mg, more so than you’ve been led to believe.
This Mg deficiency then made Randy more susceptible to a viral infection, given his likely weakened immune response. And with his likely “Stressed-out!” Mg status, which is rarely, if ever, measured with a Mag RBC blood test by conventional Cardiologists, his heart function became weaker and further compromised due to its inability to create adequate energy (spelled Mg-ATP inside our cells and especially inside heart muscle cells) to perform its 24/7 function of keeping his “electo-magnetic nuclear reactor” (aka, the Heart) working at optimal levels.
Now granted, that’s just a theory. And a disruptive one, at that. But given the fact that “heart disease” has been our Nation’s #1 cause of death — for the last 100 years — I think it’s time for some new answers.
After 3 years of meticulous research of more than a 1,000 scientific and clinical articles, I’ve come to a sterling conclusion: “heart disease” is little more than a dynamic manifestation of Magnesium deficiency. Could it really be that simple? Time will tell. But know that this “theory” has been the focus of scores of Mg-focused researchers, around the world, for the last 80+ years. So why hasn’t it caught on?
Occam’s Razor! (Magnesium’s waaaaay too simple, among other “unsavory” characteristics…)
To be continued…
A votre sante!
