Source for Alternative Medical Advice
DEFICIENCY & SUDDEN DEATH
Written and Researched
by Ronald J. Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O.
athletic 20 year man is playing basketball and suddenly collapses on the court
On a hot
July day, a young and vibrant college football player suddenly makes a great
tackle and never gets up.. only to be pronounced dead 5 minutes later.
School track runner dies after finishing second in a race.
sad truth is 1 out of 50,000 young adults will fall victim to Sudden Death.
Most sudden deaths
have been linked to a thickened, enlarged heart called hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy (HCM), or by a condition that disturbs the rhythm of the heart
called an arrhythmia.
When one sweats, a
significant amount of magnesium is lost. Magnesium
is the most under-recognized electrolyte disorder in the U.S. Dr. Mildred
Seelig, one of the country's leading authorities on magnesium suggests that
80%-90% of the population is deficient is magnesium
It is beyond the
extent of this article why the public is being denied the truth of the
seriousness of magnesium deficiency and sudden death. The amount of medical
research could fill a book, but it is unfortunately being ignored.
According to Micheal
A. Brodsky M.D., associate professor of medicine at the University of Medicine
and the director of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Service at the University of
California.. mineral imbalances
interfere with the heart's normal nerve function.
While most athletes
have been conditioned to drink a potassium rich drink after sweating.. very few
have been educated on the dangers of a magnesium deficiency. Dr. Brodsky states
that arrhythmia therapy should focus on replenishing two key minerals: potassium
Almost all physicians
have known for some time just how vital potassium is for normal heartbeat.
Magnesium is an entirely different story, however. According to Carla Sueta
M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine and cardiology at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine "apparently, many
doctors still don't realize how important a role this mineral can play in some
heart patients. In fact, most never check the magnesium level. She has
shown through her research that magnesium reduced the incidence of several types
of ventricular arrhythmia by 53 to 76 percent.
deficiency can be induced by the very drugs meant to help heart problems.
Some types of diuretics (water pills) cause the body to excrete both magnesium
and potassium, as does digitalis. And magnesium deficiency is often at the
bottom of what's called refractory potassium deficiency. The amount of magnesium
in the body determines the amount of a particular enzyme that determines the
amount of potassium in the body," he explains. So if you are
magnesium-deficient, you may in turn be potassium-deficient, and no amount of
potassium is going to correct this unless you are also getting enough magnesium.
Best Test To Determine Your Level of Magnesium
most physicians rarely check this important mineral, the few that do usually
rely on test called Serum Magnesium. Unfortunately, this test only measures
approximately 1% of the magnesium in your body.. a poor test at best. The "Gold
Standard" and the most accurate test is the RBC Minerals or more commonly
called Elemental Analysis in Packed Erythrocytes. This test examines the
levels of eight minerals and seven toxic heavy metals. The erythrocyte is the
red blood cell that floats in our serum to carry oxygen to our cells. The
minerals this test analyzes from inside the red blood cell includes magnesium,
manganese, molybdenum, potassium, selenium, vanadium and zinc. Another test
which has proven to be extremely valuable in detecting magnesium deficiencies is
called the Urine Magnesium Loading Test. In this test, the patient collects a
24-hour urine sample and the total magnesium is measured. The patient is then
given a dose Magnesium Chloride 18% and another 24-hour urine specimen is
collected. The magnesium is again measured. If the body retains more than a
certain amount of magnesium, then it is concluded that the body is magnesium
Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency
most common symptoms include back and
neck pain, muscle spasms, anxiety, panic disorders, Raynaud's spastic vessels,
arrhythmia, fatigue, eye twitches, vertigo, migraines.
Sources of Magnesium
best way of insuring enough magnesium is to eat a variety of whole foods,
including whole grains, nuts, seeds and
vegetables, preferably food grown on naturally composted soil. The green
color of green vegetables is due to chlorophyll, which is a molecule that
contains magnesium. Avoid refined
processed foods, especially white sugar and white flour products, as most
magnesium is removed from them.
you are suffering with a heart problem and have not had your magnesium checked,
then I want to urge you to have your physician order the two tests listed above.
Unless you have proof that your magnesium is within normal levels, I want you to
realize that you are playing with your health!
MJ, Magnesium deficiency and sudden death (editorial), AM Heart J 1992 Aug;
Res 1994 Jun;7(2):145-53
Dan, M.D. and Keren, Andre, M.D., "Suppression of Ventricular Arrhythmias
by Magnesium", The American Journal of Cardiology, June 1,
Electrolyte Metab 1993;19(4-5):323-36
Peter K. and Aronson, Ronald S., "The Role of Magnesium in Cardiac
Arrhythmias", Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, May/June
Biophys Acta 1993 Oct 20;1182(3):329-32
Biophys Acta 1994 Jan 11;1225(2):158-64
Briefings: Clinical News You Can Put Into Your Practice Now. Ventricular
Arrhythmias and Magnesium", Patient Care, October 15, 1990;16-20
9:Magnes Res 1993
Epidemiology Medicine, p.54-98
Wasser Boden Lufthyg 1993;88:474-90
12:Am J Cardiol 1992
13:Fiziol Zh SSSR Im I
M Sechenova 1992 Jul;78(7):71-7
© 2001 Ronald J. Grisanti
NOTICE: This information is provided for educational
purposes. Any medical procedures, dietary changes, or nutritional supplements
discussed herein should only be undertaken on the advice of a qualified
Ronald J. Grisanti, D.C.,
The Grisanti Center of Integrative Medicine
4200 East North Street, Suite 14 • Greenville, SC 29615
(864) 292-0226 • FAX: (864) 268-7022