Or, Why Does Heart Disease Rise on April 15th?…
It’s a known fact that CPA’s (and I’m sure many of their clients…) have among the highest levels of Cholesterol during the epicenter of Tax Season (April 14-16). What most don’t know is that Cholesterol levels return to normal following this hyper-stressful period… So then Cholesterol is nothing more than a sign of “Stress?!?” Yup! That’s right!
You see, ALL Steroid “Stress!” Hormones are made from the Master Hormone, Pregnenalone. And ALL Pregnenalone is made from Cholesterol. Huh?… You mean, Cholesterol is REALLY important for my health? That’s exactly what I’m saying!… Well if that’s the case, then why does it rise?… Because there’s not enough Maggie (Magnesium) to activate two key enzymes: one to regulate the amount of Cholesterol being made, and the other to convert LDL to HDL (no that is NOT a typo…) You see, Mg is the key regulatory mineral that controls the production and type of Cholesterol being made. And when it’s missing, as it always is during times of “Hyper-Stress!” the body relies on Stress Hormones to deal with the crisis. Mg is the mineral that keeps on giving, but it hardly stops there when it comes to preventing “heart disease.”
Here’s a quick overview of some of the scientifically recorded benefits of Mg and Heart Health:
- Mg reduces Calcium overload in the Heart, which is quite damaging (White RE, et al, Science 1988)
- Mg dilates coronary arteries (Kimura T et al, Circulation, 1989; and Vigorito C et al, Am Jrl Cardiol, 1991)
- Mg reduces arterial resistance and lowers blood pressure (Rasmussen H et al, Clin Cardiol, 1988)
- Mg inhibits platelet aggregation (blood clots) (Adams JH et al, Thrombos Hemostas Jrl, 1979)
- Mg reduces sympathetic nervous system activity (Tackett RL, Pharmacology, 1986)
- Mg reduces the release of “Stress Hormones!” (James M et al, Magnesium Jrl, 1988; and Classen H-G, Magnesium Jrl, 1986)
- Mg reduces the size of “Stress Hormone”-induced Heart Cell Death (Vormann J et al, Drug Res, 1983)
For those keeping score, across the board, Maggie stops so-called “heart disease” in its tracks. How? By ensuring that energy keeps flowing to the heart muscle cells, especially during time of “Stress!” And when Mg’s not around to ensure that, a lot of very bad things happen in the heart, and all around our body, I might add.
It turns out that ALL forms of heart disease (I’m up to 20, btw…) result from ENERGY STARVATION. You see the heart is the most energy-demanding tissue in our body — bar none. It consumes more Mg-ATP (energy currency of the cells) per cell than any other other part/organ of the body, and does so 24/7. And when heart muscle cells can’t get enough energy, they slow down, and ultimately start to die. And when this happens often enough, entire parts of the heart muscle stop working, stop beating, stop allowing blood to flow, stop opening & closing properly… all for a lack of energy. Btw, this is NOT my theory, it was originally proposed by noted Harvard heart physiologist, Joanne S. Ingwall, PhD. (Ingwall JS et al, New England Jrl of Med; 1985). I didn’t believe this “starved heart” theory at first, either, until I started delving deeper and deeper into this critical Mg deficiency topic and its known effect on heart health.
It’s worth noting that sudden cardiac death is among the most feared events on this Planet. In fact, cardiac death is still the #1 cause of death in America, and has been for 100 years. Unchecked. Unphased. Unrelenting, despite a sea of cardiac drugs being administered. Heart disease still consumes 2,200 people/day in the U.S. (btw, that’s four 747’s crashing each, and every day…) A favor, please let those #’s sink in before reading on… (We all know someone who has become a part of that daily statistic, unfortunately…)
So how does this keep happening? Well, I slipped you the answer above… who caught it?!?… The “magic” formula for cellular energy is “Mg-ATP!” And when we’re under “Stress!” our Mg Burn Rate (MBR) accelerates, our Mg stores get depleted and ATP without Maggie simply doesn’t work! Fascinating, eh?… Is this further backed up in the scientific research (beyond what has been definitively proven above…)? I thought you’d never ask…
- Half of fatal heart attacks happen suddenly, without any advance warning. According to a recent Japanese study (T. Matsumoto et al, Biochem.Biophys.Res.Commun, 2010), sudden heart attacks (Arrhythmias) are caused from a deficiency of the MKK4 Kinase enzyme. The body cannot manufacture this key enzyme that ensures electrical rhythm for the heart without adequate Magnesium and Mg-ATP. Perhaps this is why at many marathon races, a runner (or several) dies suddenly — at the end — within a few miles or less of the finish line. Autopsies are needed to confirm this theory, but we believe the likely culprit is, once again, Magnesium deficiency.
- Recently, The Journal of Clinical Investigation reported on a study from the University of Iowa that found sudden cardiac deaths in mice linked to ‘sinus node dysfunction’ (SND). And SND happens as a result of increased oxidation (“rusting”) of heart muscle cells. Well, how do these key cells become rusted? When there is not enough Magnesium and Mg-ATP present in the heart to activate and energize key detox enzymes. (Swaminathan D, Anderson M et al, Jrl Clin Invest, 2011)
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The easiest explanation of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) is that there is an “electro-physiological” shock to the Heart, leading to a severe loss of Mg. Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the “electrical” side of this event, as noted in the two studies above, and SCD is the “physiological” side. When the heart muscle cells are unable to produce adequate Mg-ATP in the heart, mitochondria (the energy factories) lose their ability to make ATP, and then our heart muscle cells simply stop functioning and then die. (Peacock JM, Am Heart Jrl, 2010; and Selye H, Chemical Prevention of Cardiac Necrosis, 1958. )
So, it turns out that Magnesium and Mg-ATP are critical factors in heart health and proper heart energy production. And what’s a proven way to assess the status of Mg-ATP in our body? Measuring the Mg status of Red Blood Cells, aka the Mag RBC… (www.gotmag.org/how-to-restore-magnesium/) It turns out that the number, the shape and the flexibility of RBCs is a function of the amount of Mg-ATP that they are able to carry — who knew?!?… Another way of thinking about this is that the MagRBC is the body’s “dipstick” for energy metabolism: 1) it provides a reliable measure of the rate-limiting metabolic mineral: Magnesium; and 2) it assesses the status of the metabolic “garbage can,” Oxygen,” which is, in fact, carried by these very same RBCs via their Hemoglobin partner.
And now you know how, so-called, “heart disease” actually gets created, and how best to prevent it in a Mg-rich body.
In honor of one of the most “Stressful!” days in America, let’s celebrate by taking Mo’ Maggie!
A votre sante!
