Magnesium may help those with cardiovascular disease
Researchers found trial participants with the highest average intakes of magnesium had a 59% reduction in cardiovascular mortality
A large Spanish study of people who are at high risk of cardiovascular disease found that the participants who ingested the most magnesium were 34% less likely to die from any cause, compared with the participants who had the lowest magnesium intakes.
The study, which was published in The Journal of Nutrition, included 7216 men and women, aged 55 to 80, who participated in the PREDIMED (Prevencion con Dieta Mediterranea) randomised clinical trial.
Participants were assigned to either a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with virgin olive oil or a low-fat diet that followed American Heart Association guidelines.
During a median follow-up time of 4.8 years, researchers found that 323 of the participants died, including 81 from cardiovascular events and 130 from cancer. There were also 277 cardiovascular events reported.
Researchers found that the third of the group with the highest average intakes of magnesium (422mg a day) had a 59% reduction in cardiovascular mortality, 37% reduction in cancer mortality and a 34% reduction in all-cause mortality, compared with the lowest third of the group, which had an average intake of 312mg of magnesium daily.