Minerals For The Treatment Of Atherosclerosis: Magnesium, Calcium, Silicon, Chromium

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Atherosclerosis (from the Greek athere - gruel and sklerosis - compaction) is a chronic disease resulting from lipid metabolism disorders, characterized by the formation of dense formations on the walls of arteries. This leads to the fact that the beds of the arteries become denser and narrower, and the organs receive less oxygen and nutrition.

Biologically active substances, primarily the mineral and vitamin composition of food, are of great importance for the prevention of atherosclerosis. Moreover, as vitamins require the presence of micro- and macroelements, the latter often act more effectively in combination with certain vitamins. Therefore, it is advisable to use them in combination.

Now many Russians are deficient in vitamins and minerals, in particular vitamins C, E, group B, iodine, selenium, magnesium and others. Chronic lack of vitamins and minerals is a serious danger in terms of the development of cardiovascular diseases and requires mandatory correction. This is achieved not by periodic courses, but by the constant intake of these substances into the body due to natural and enriched products (whole grain products, sprouts, fruits, nuts, natural juices, whole milk, etc.) and multivitamin preparations with mineral components. It should be noted that with various diseases, stresses, intoxication, the body's need for vitamins and minerals increases several times.

When considering minerals, they are divided into MACROelements - and MICROelements - as a rule, the content of macronutrients in the body is thousands of times greater than trace elements.

Macronutrients: potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine.

Trace elements: iron, copper, zinc, iodine, manganese, selenium, vanadium, chromium, boron …

Magnesium is a key element for the heart

One of the most important elements for the health of blood vessels and the heart is magnesium. It stimulates the formation of phospholipid - lecithin, and the more efficiently lecithin is formed, the less low-density cholesterol is formed in the blood. Magnesium relieves vasospasm and cramps, and also reduces blood pressure, soothes, relieves swelling, pain relieves.

There is a link between magnesium levels in the body and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. For example, people who drink hard water, which is high in magnesium, do not die as often as in other areas, from heart muscle diseases, heart attacks, do not suffer from high blood pressure, they have a lower blood cholesterol content.

A lot of magnesium is found in grains and vegetables (root vegetables), nuts and soybeans. Most of all, in wheat bran and seedlings (520 and 300 mg per 100 g, respectively). But since the consumption of these products in our diet is usually small, and the soil is depleted in magnesium, there is often a lack of this element in our body.

Alcohol, smoking, diabetes, stress also reduce magnesium levels. Against the background of permanent magnesium deficiency, the risk of atherosclerosis of the arteries of the heart, heart attacks and changes in heart rhythm increases.

It is very important that magnesium supplements can reduce or prevent the effects of calcium for the final formation of plaque on the walls of the arteries. Magnesium also enhances the effectiveness of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), which is important for the prevention of atherosclerosis.

For a faster effect take magnesium aspartate 250-500 mg per day or MAGNE-B6. Remember that calcium and magnesium work together in a ratio of about 2: 1, that is, for example, 600 mg of calcium needs 300 mg of magnesium. The daily intake of magnesium is 350 - 450 mg. There is practically no toxicity in magnesium.

Magnesium cooking

Introduce the following dishes into the diet:

Millet porridge with pumpkin. For cooking, you need: 100 g of millet, 200 g of peeled pumpkin, 200 ml of milk, a little butter.

Fish stuffed with buckwheat porridge. For cooking you need: 750 g of whole fish without a head, gutted through the gills, washed and dried, 100 g of buckwheat, 200 ml of boiling water, a little salt, 60 g of butter, chopped onion, 2 hard-boiled eggs, pepper, 1 tbsp … a spoonful of flour.

Calcium

Calcium deficiency can trigger atherosclerosis. Conversely, a diet high in calcium increases good cholesterol (high density lipoprotein) and lowers bad (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol. In addition, a lack of calcium can increase the likelihood of platelets clumping and the risk of blood clots in the arteries. But do not take, as already mentioned, calcium without magnesium and do not overdose this element.

Your calcium sources can be low-fat dairy products, seeds, and soy products. For example, 0.5 liters of low-fat milk is almost the daily requirement for calcium. If necessary, calcium chelate with magnesium chelate is prescribed (again, observing a 2: 1 ratio). "Biocalcium" can also be useful, which includes calcium from fresh bones of cattle, isolated as a result of enzymatic treatment (400 mg / pack.), Vitamins, trace elements and a number of other useful substances.

Thanks to the addition of vitamins and minerals, calcium is well absorbed. Although all essential vitamins are probably important for the effective action of calcium, vitamin D3 is especially needed. It helps the absorption of calcium from the intestines.

Many organic acids also help to assimilate calcium, for example citric acid, which is very abundant in lemons. Nutritionists know that calcium in the form of calcium citrate is perfectly absorbed. The daily calcium intake is 800-1000 mg, and the safe dose is 2500 mg.

Silicon makes blood vessels elastic

Silicon is especially important for blood vessels, where it is incorporated into elastin, a substance that determines the strength of blood vessels, their elasticity and permeability. With age and with many diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, the amount of silicon in the walls of blood vessels decreases and they become fragile, which contributes to the development of atherosclerosis.

Not only large, but also small vessels (capillaries) suffer from a lack of silicon: bruises suddenly appear on your body, which means that there is little silicon in the body, elastin has decreased or even disappeared, and the walls of the vessels have become thin and unprotected. No wonder they say that a person's age corresponds to the state of his blood vessels. It especially worsens with old age, when the silicon content in the walls of blood vessels decreases significantly.

Interestingly, the silicon content in the aorta can be reduced by a factor of ten in an atherosclerotic artery compared to a healthy one. Moreover, silicon additives can exhibit a noticeable anti-sclerotic effect. Thus, experiments on rabbits have shown that silicon supplements in the diet cleanse the aorta from sclerotic plaques and significantly reduce sclerosis.

The lack of silicon in the body may be due to its lack in food and, in part, in drinking water. The use of refined products contributes to the silicon deficit. So, only 20% of silicon, which was in wheat grains, remains in white flour. High calcium concentrations in drinking water (hard water) can also lead to a silicon deficiency.

The lack of silicon is not difficult to make up for. For this, silicon-containing additives are used. For example, a cheap and effective supplement is Jerusalem artichoke Concentrate. It contains up to 8 g of silicon per 100 g of dry weight.

There is also a lot of silicon in plants - silicon concentrators. Recognized champions for its content are rice (grains), Jerusalem artichoke and horsetail leaves. The amount of silicon in them reaches 1 g per 100 g of wet weight. And this despite the fact that its daily rate is 20-50 mg.

Given the high silicon content in the horsetail, it can be used to make tea and juice. The juice is especially useful, which is prepared from plants harvested early in the morning before the dew dries. Fresh horsetail juice is recommended for the treatment of atherosclerosis of the vessels of the brain and heart. Silicon contained in horsetail juice, together with vitamin C, increases the body's immunity, allowing you to actively resist the causative agent of tuberculosis and a number of other diseases.

Jerusalem artichoke tubers are very useful for atherosclerosis. In addition to silicon, they contain a lot of iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium. At the same time, Jerusalem artichoke contains vitamins B1 and B2, as well as vitamin C, several times more than in potatoes. Plant Jerusalem artichoke in your garden, it's very easy to grow. Horsetail is an even better silicon concentrator.

Chromium - a regulator of cholesterol synthesis

Chromium is a vital element that activates enzymes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates; participates in the synthesis of fatty acids, cholesterol and proteins. It increases insulin activity; people with high levels of chromium in the body are less susceptible to the occurrence of not only atherosclerosis, but also diabetes. Chromium promotes the resorption of atherosclerotic plaques, reduces the concentration of cholesterol on the walls of the aorta (the course should be at least 5 months), protects myocardial proteins from destruction, can increase the amount of good cholesterol and reduce the level of bad.

The main sources of chromium are brewer's yeast with chromium, fresh vegetables, and husked potatoes. A good chromium concentrator is the bloated lobelia plant (1.7 mg chromium per 100 g dry weight). Lobelia also concentrates other trace elements: iron - about 100 mg per 100 g of dry weight, zinc - about 9 mg and copper - 1.7 mg (the norm is 1.5-2 mg). The average daily dose of chromium for adults should be 50-200 mcg.

Many people are deficient in chromium these days. To reduce it, avoid sugar, soda, candy, refined white flour products, or dry cereals sweetened with sugar substitutes. With an excessive intake of sugar, the loss of chromium in the urine will increase, and the need for it will increase.

Consume more natural foods that are high in chromium. If necessary, you can take yeast with chromium - this is a natural good source of chromium, or chromium preparations, for example, "Chromvital", "Svetloform", "Biochrom", "Chromium Picolinate" or "Chromohel" in an amount of 200 mcg daily.

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Minerals for the treatment of atherosclerosis: iodine, selenium, zinc, copper