, a dietary commonly found in whole grains, beans, nuts and , could moderately lower blood pressure, according to new research.
The study, published recently in the American Heart Association’s journal , analyzed data from 34 clinical trials involving 2,028 people.
The findings suggest an important — but subtle — link between consumption and lowered blood pressure: Ingesting 300 mg of magnesium each day for one month could both and elevate blood magnesium levels, which are associated with blood flow improvement. Specifically, participants who took about 368 mg of magnesium daily for three months recused their systolic blood pressure (which is the top number in a reading) by 2 millimeters of mercury, and cut their diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) by 1.78 mm/Hg.
“With its relative safety and low cost, magnesium supplements could be considered as an option for lowering blood pressure in high-risk persons or hypertension patients,” Dr. Yiqing Song, lead author and associate professor in the department of epidemiology at the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at Indiana University, .
Still, the researchers note inconsistencies in participant pools. Some studies included as few as 13 people, while others had high dropout rates.
The largest blood pressure reductions were seen in the higher quality studies that also had lower dropout rates. Looking at sub-groups in the studies showed might only aid those who already have a magnesium deficiency.
“This study underscores the importance of consuming a healthy diet that provides the recommended amount of magnesium as a strategy for helping to control blood pressure,” Penny Kris-Etherton, a distinguished professor of nutrition at Penn State University, said in the same news release. “Importantly, this amount of magnesium (368 mg/day) can be obtained from a that is consistent with AHA dietary recommendations.”
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