How does magnesium deficiency affect your heart?

Magnesium deficiency can affect the heart. Graphics: Thien Nhan

Magnesium deficiency can affect the heart

According to Dr. Vineet Bhatia, Director - Interventional Cardiology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj in India, magnesium deficiency can negatively affect the heart by impairing the function of cardiac Na-K-ATPase, an enzyme that plays a key role in the active transport of sodium and potassium ions across the cell membrane of cardiac muscle cells.

However, when magnesium levels are low, Na-K-ATPase activity is reduced, leading to electrolyte imbalances in heart cells, increasing sodium and calcium and decreasing magnesium and potassium. According to Dr. Vineet Bhatia, this disruption can impair the heart's ability to maintain regular rhythm and contractility, leading to complications such as arrhythmia or even heart failure.

Recognize early symptoms of magnesium deficiency

Some common symptoms of magnesium deficiency include:

- Nausea

- Constipation

- Headache

- Leg cramps at night

- Numbness or tingling in the legs or arms

- Physical weakness

How to improve magnesium levels in the body

According to Dr. Subhash Chandra, Chairman and HOD-Cardiology and Structural Heart Diseases, BLK-Max Speciality Hospital, India, the recommended daily intake of magnesium is 420 mg for men and 320 mg for women in adults.

For those who are deficient in magnesium, here are some natural sources of the mineral:

- Banana

- Spinach

- Yogurt

- Black beans

- Soy products such as tofu or soy milk

- Green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale

- Avocado

- Chia seeds or pumpkin seeds

Source: https://laodong.vn/suc-khoe/thieu-magie-se-anh-huong-den-tim-cua-ban-nhu-the-nao-1355081.ldo