12. CHOLESTEROL
In the first chapter showing the effect of magnesium in
preventing heart attacks, the work of several physicians was
mentioned. In one case, referring to an item from The Lancet, it was stated that
recent work has suggested that magnesium may be related to atherosclerosis . . . a high magnesium
diet has prevented the development of atherosclerosis in rats.
Atherosclerosis is considered to be caused mainly by too high
levels of cholesterol in the blood!
We quote from an article that appeared in the May 18, 1957,
issue of The Lancet: "In a recent publication from this
institute, Medical Proceedings
(1956, 2, 455, I. Bersohn and P. J. Oelsfse), it was shown that
in many cases of coronary heart
disease a dramatic clinical improvement followed parenteral [by
injection] administration of magnesium sulphate [Epsom
salts]."
One of the things that occurred was that abnormal cholesterol
patterns rapidly reverted to normal in many of the cases
studied.
The authors state that coronary
thrombosis (blood clots) is reported to be uncommon in
Africans. In Johannesburg the disease is very rare among the
Bantu. In one series of 352 postmortems of Bantus over 40, only
one death was found to be caused by a coronary thrombosis.
In another study, of 523 postmortems of non Europeans, there
was an incidence of 1.66 percent of coronary thrombosis in the
41-60 age group. This contrasts with a figure of 12.8 percent at
the Massachusetts General Hospital.
The authors state: "Serum cholesterol levels are lower in the
African native than in the European." But the cholesterol level
in the newborn Bantu is the same as in European babies. Something
happens after birth to give the Bantu the advantage, as far as
cholesterol is concerned. It probably is the diet and the active
physical life led by the natives.
In a study of 70 healthy South African Europeans, the
cholesterol level was 215. In the Bantus, of similar age and sex,
it was only 174.
"In view of our striking results with magnesium sulphate
therapy in coronary thrombosis, and the low cholesterol levels
and low incidence of coronary occlusion in the Bantu, we decided
to investigate the serum magnesium level in European and Bantu
groups, and to find out Whether it was correlated as was the
serum-cholesterol level . . . Serum-magnesium levels were
determined on 47 normal Europeans and 53 normal Bantu (all 25-75
years)." The results were 1.92 for the Europeans and 2.11 for the
Bantus. According to the investigators, this .19 advantage of the
Bantus' magnesium is highly significant.
More magnesium serum studies were made and the authors
summarized. "These results show (1) that the magnesium level is
significantly higher in the non-European than in the European,
and (2) that a definite correlation exists between
serum-magnesium and the serum-cholesterol levels. Where the
serum-cholesterol content is low the magnesium content is
significantly increased . . . These findings suggest that the
part played by magnesium in diet and nutrition requires further
study. The possible role of this element in cholesterol
metabolism, and indirectly perhaps in atherosclerosis [hardening
of the arteries], has not been fully appreciated, studied or
recognized."
A few years later, the work just cited was questioned, and an
item on it which appeared in The British Medical Journal (January 13, 1960)
is herewith given in its entirety because of its importance.
"Magnesium Sulphate in Coronary Thrombosis--Drs. B. Malkiel-Shapiro and I. Bersohn (South African Institute for Medical
Research, Johannesburg) write: In reply to a query by one of
your readers (Any Questions? February 8,
1957, p. 353) as to whether our observations on the efficacy of
parenteral magnesium sulphate in coronary thrombosis had been
confirmed, you reply that 'no confirmatory study appears to
have been published since,' and 'in the absence of confirmation
of this work it is not possible to define the indications for
magnesium sulphate therapy.' We have refrained from writing
before, since we were awaiting possible confirmation of our
original observations from other sources. Recently, Parsons, Butler, and Sellars, from the
Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmania,
have published a paper on 'The Sulphate.' Their conclusions on
the biochemical results of patients suffering from coronary
artery disease after taking magnesium sulphate were, among
others, as follows: (1) a significant reduction in the serum
cholesterol levels; (2) a great improvement in the lecithin:
cholesterol ratio; (3) a marked increase in serum magnesium
levels; (4) a reduction in nearly all cases of the degree of
inhibition of plasmin; (5) a marked reduction in the
beta-lipoprotein content. On the clinical side, they report
that 'over 100 patients suffering from coronary heart disease
(of which at least one-third had acute myocardial infarctions)
were treated with intramuscular magnesium sulphate with only
one death, compared to their findings in the previous year when
of 196 cases admitted and treated with routine anticoagulants,
60 died. They conclude as follows: 'It is evident that the work
of Malkiel-Shapiro and Bersohn
has been confirmed.' Confirmation on the clinical efficacy
of magnesium therapy in coronary thrombosis has also been
published by Agranat, Marais, and Teeger. We feel now, as we
did when we published our preliminary communication, that
although the clinical case is not yet definitely proved, there
seems to be a growing mass of evidence, in experimental animals
as well as in man, to indicate that magnesium sulphate may well
have an important therapeutic action in this field.
"Our Expert replies: I agree that there now seems to be a
growing quantity of evidence suggesting that magnesium sulphate
may be of therapeutic value in arterial disease. Whether this
is due to lipid changes, as suggested by your correspondent, or
to a 'protective' action against steroids, as suggested by
Selye, or again to a purely
anticoagulant action, as suggested by Lehmann et al., is still
under experimental investigation. Further clinical laboratory
trials are in progress and. their results are awaited with
interest. A letter from Dr. Parsons and his colleagues is
printed on P. 276 of this Journal."
Another piece of evidence is an article called "Effect of a French Mineral Water on Serum,
Cholesterol," by Korenyi, Harkavy, and Whittier, all M.D.'s,
connected with the Creedmoor
Institute for Psychobiologic Studies, Creedmoor State
Hospital, Queens Village, New York. It appeared in Current Therapeutic Research (March,
1961).
The authors screened 143 patients at Creedmoor and selected 34
whose serum cholesterol levels were above 250 mg. percent (that
is, mg. per 100 milliliters of blood). These 34 patients were not
receiving any other type of treatment known to have any effect on
serum cholesterol.
A volume of 30 1/2 fluid ounces of mineral water was given
daily in three divided doses for 30 days. The mineral content of
this water was as follows: calcium carbonate, 3.5 mg. per 100 cc;
-calcium sulphate, 156.5 mg. per 100 cc; magnesium bicarbonate,
3.5 mg. per 100 cc; and magnesium sulphate, 19.0 mg. per 100
CC."
There was no other change in their treatment.
At the end of two weeks, there was an average decrease in
serum cholesterol of 9.9 mg. %. After four weeks, at the
conclusion of the study, the mean decrease had become 23.8 mg.
%
In discussing their results, the authors state:
"The recent report by Schroeder ("Relation Between Mortality from Cardiovascular
Disease and Treated Water Supplies", JAMA, 172, 1960) demonstrated a highly significant
negative correlation of total death rates and mortality from
coronary heart disease with total water hardness . . .
"Since there are many prior reports indicating a relation
between magnesium metabolism and atherosclerosis and magnesium is required for the activation
of most of the enzymes concerned with the transfer and removal
of phosphate in biological systems, it is possible that the
hypercholesterolemic and perhaps atheroprophylactic effect of
mineral water is related to its content of this substance . .
."
For control of the serum cholesterol, therefore, one should
exercise actively every day, eat a very low fat diet, make sure
that the diet is rich in niacin, linoleic acid, pectin and
vitamins C, A, D, and E, and take a magnesium supplement. Dr.
Pierre Delbet, who has made
contributions on the subject of magnesium to the French Academy of Medicine said, "Je
répeète que le magnésium doit tre
considéré comme un aliment et non comme un
médicament ... I repeat that magnesium should be
considered as a food and not as a drug."
NEXT CHAPTER:
Chapter 13. The Prostate
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