Magnesium May Help Maintain The Alkaline Design of the Body and Prevent Body Stones

A diet rich in magnesium appears to reduce
the risk developing painful gallstones,
according to findings from a US study.

Consumption of magnesium has been declining
over the years, due in part to the overprocessing
of foods, Dr. Chung-Jyi Tsai and associates note
in their report in the American Journal of
Gastroenterology.

Magnesium deficiency is known to raise
triglyceride levels and decrease HDL ("good")
cholesterol levels in the blood, both of which
may increase the risk of developing gallstones.

According to Dr. Robert O. Young, a research
scientist at the pH Miracle Living Center,
"magnesium is a major alkaline buffer of
dietary and metabolic acids, which can cause
brain stones, breast stones, liver stones
and gallbladder stones. When we increase
magnesium the body can better regulate
fluid pH, temperature and oxidative
reduction potential. It is also important
to understand that all stones, wherever they
may appear in the body are nothing more then
dietary and/or metabolic acids that have
been chelated or buffered with alkaline
mineral salts in protecting and preserving
the delicate alkaline design of the body."

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/pHourSalts.htm

To investigate, Tsai, from the University of
Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, and
colleagues analyzed data from 42,705 men,
between 40 and 75 years of age, who were
enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up
Study. The men were followed from 1986 to 2002.

The subjects were surveyed every 2 years to
assess the occurrence of new illnesses,
including gallbladder dis-ease. Magnesium
consumption was determined with a semiquantitative
food frequency questionnaire sent to the participants
every 4 years.

During follow-up, 2195 men were diagnosed with
acidic gallstones, the researchers found.

Compared with the lowest level of total magnesium
intake, the highest intake reduced the risk of
acidic galltones by 33 percent. The same risk
reduction was seen when considering just dietary
magnesium, when supplements were excluded.

"From many studies by this group and others, it
appears that a generally healthy dietary pattern,
with more plant-based foods, fiber, and increasing
complex carbohydrates, and now increasing magnesium
intake will decrease the risk of symptomatic
gallstones," Dr. Cynthia W. Ko, from the University
of Washington in Seattle, writes in an accompanying
editorial. "This 'healthy' alkaline dietary pattern
will also help in prevention of other chronic
dis-eases in addition to gallstones."

Resource:
American Journal of Gastroenterology, February 2008