Does Magnesium Lower Cholesterol? Unveiling the Truth 

Have you recently been told by your doctor that you need to lower your cholesterol? It’s the dreaded words that none of us want to hear, and yet many of us do at one time or another. Even the healthiest of people can be subject to high cholesterol rates. The difference is in our bodies, the things we consume, and just how our health responds as well. High cholesterol leaves can lead to an increased risk of heart disease or stroke so it’s important to be aware and do your best to maintain healthy levels of cholesterol.

Learning how to manage and maintain healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels is ideal for protecting your health and your heart. In this guide, we share how magnesium impacts your cholesterol, answering the question of whether magnesium lowers cholesterol and more. Check it out below!

What Is Cholesterol?

You see, everybody has cholesterol. There is both “good” cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol, which are HDL and LDL cholesterol, respectively. That being said, you need to have cholesterol for your body to function as it should. The problem is that you don’t want to have highly elevated levels of LDL cholesterol as this is what could negatively impact your health.

Cholesterol is in our blood. It’s a waxy-type substance that helps to produce the hormones we need and build cells. Without cholesterol, we have a problem. However, with too much cholesterol, we also have a problem. Your liver naturally produces its own cholesterol and can make a sufficient amount for your body.

When we eat certain foods, they have cholesterol in them and can increase the levels of cholesterol in our bodies. The majority of foods that impact cholesterol come from animals, such as meat or dairy products. To be clear, that doesn’t mean other foods don’t have cholesterol. Baked items can also contain high amounts, especially if they contain oil in them.

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Where you really need to be cautious is when you consume a food with cholesterol that is also high in saturated or trans fats. These foods are often the ones that contribute to poor cholesterol levels the most.

High cholesterol can be caused for various reasons. It may just be your body and how it reacts or responds to certain foods. High cholesterol, specifically LDL cholesterol has been attributed to a higher risk of heart disease or stroke.

What Is Magnesium?

Magnesium is a compound that has a role in more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Magnesium can affect muscle and nerve function as well as blood pressure and energy. Magnesium is directly related to hard health and has been known to positively impact both metabolism and cholesterol levels.

The role of magnesium is to regulate biochemical reactions and as we mentioned, it’s involved in a lot of them. You can take oral magnesium supplementation and you can find it naturally in a lot of foods as well. On a daily basis, a male adult that is 31-50 years old should consume 420 mg of magnesium. A female in the same age range needs about 320 mg per day.

If you don’t feel as though you consume enough food with magnesium, you can take magnesium supplements. Just keep in mind the recommended dosage and do your best to stay in that range. Our bodies need magnesium, but we can also have negative effects if we take too much of it so keep that in mind.

How Can Magnesium Relate to Cholesterol Levels?

Now that we understand just what magnesium and cholesterol are, let’s look at how they integrate and impact each other. There are a lot of studies out there that look at magnesium and how it impacts cholesterol levels. Some studies have been inconclusive, while others point to the clear benefits of taking magnesium for the purpose of lowering cholesterol.

These are some areas where magnesium can have an impact:

• Enzyme regulation
• Anti-inflammatory effects
• Insulin sensitivity
• Blood pressure maintenance

Let’s take a closer look at these areas.

Enzyme Regulation

Magnesium has a direct effect on different enzymes working through your body. The most important of these is your cholesterol metabolism. This metabolism is often targeted by various magnesium supplements or other medications when cholesterol levels need to be improved. Since magnesium directly affects that enzyme, it plays a crucial role in helping to reduce high cholesterol as well.

Magnesium swoops in to take control of the enzyme so it stops being overactive. When the enzyme for HMG-CoA reductase is better controlled (thanks to magnesium), then the rate at which cholesterol is produced and added up is greatly reduced. This alone provides a major positive impact on magnesium and your body.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Another benefit of magnesium is that it can help reduce inflammation. People who struggle with chronic inflammation face a lot of health risks. Inflammation flares up pain as well as receptors in your body that cause certain systems and organs to not work as functionally as they are intended to.

High inflammation and high cholesterol levels are often very closely connected. High cholesterol and high inflammation are also both tied closely to cardiovascular disease. Magnesium is great for its anti-inflammatory properties. When you take magnesium or incorporate it into your routine, it can help to reduce inflammation and indirectly also benefit your cholesterol levels too. It’s a win-win.

Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin and cholesterol seem like two very different things, right? While they are different, they are also closely tied together. Magnesium helps your body better regulate insulin, giving it appropriate signals to moderate glucose metabolism. If you are extra sensitive to insulin, it can impact other areas of your health too.

With the possibility of improving insulin sensitivity, magnesium may help to reduce LDL cholesterol numbers through insulin maintenance. Some studies tie together insulin with LDL cholesterol through lipid levels, which is where these two are connected.

Blood Pressure Maintenance

Blood pressure and cholesterol are often closely related. Elevated blood pressure puts you at a higher risk for heart disease or stroke, much like elevated cholesterol levels can. If taking magnesium can help to maintain healthy blood pressure, it also indirectly affects cholesterol at the same time.

Healthier blood pressure translates to healthier cholesterol levels generally speaking.

Choosing Healthy Habits for Cholesterol Health

There are many different clinical trials that look for a link between magnesium and cholesterol. The results of those studies have mixed feedback. Some studies revealed that magnesium can moderately decrease LDL cholesterol levels. This was especially true when there was a magnesium deficiency in the test persons.

Other studies showed no significant correlation between their test subjects. However, no studies revealed any negative effects on health where magnesium and cholesterol come together. With the studies that do take note of potential benefits, it is certainly worth trying if you are looking for ways to improve your cholesterol health.

There are other things to consider as well. You need to take several factors into account to make a fully informed decision on using magnesium and better-controlling cholesterol levels. You may choose to use magnesium supplements or you may choose to consume more foods that are rich in magnesium. That is your decision to make. It may also be a good idea to chat with your healthcare professional to see if they have a recommendation before starting magnesium supplements.

There are dietary sources of magnesium that could be beneficial to a balanced diet and increased magnesium intake. Here are a few:

• Leafy green vegetables
• Whole grains
• Legumes
• Seeds
• Nuts

If you are looking for diet changes that can improve magnesium, start with some of these foods.

When it comes to adding supplements, be mindful of what is in your natural diet. Pay close attention to the recommended daily dosage and do your best to stay close to that number. You don’t want to have an overabundance of magnesium in your routine so just be aware and check out all the details to ensure you don’t end up with negative side effects.

Finally, choosing an overall healthy lifestyle can have a huge positive impact on your health, including cholesterol levels. None of us are perfect, but you can work to make better overall choices. Focus on a balanced diet and trying to get regular exercise. Avoiding smoking is also a major factor here and one that would substantially improve your heart health and your cholesterol health too.

Magnesium and Heart Health

Cholesterol is closely tied to your heart health and cardiovascular risk factors like coronary heart disease. Magnesium plays a positive role in maintaining a healthy heart. Since magnesium is so closely tied to cardiovascular health, we can easily see how magnesium would benefit your cholesterol levels too.

Magnesium contributes to how the mitochondria function (like myocardial infarction) and you need appropriate anti-oxidative pathways for it to work appropriately. Many adults have a magnesium deficiency and don’t realize it. Adding magnesium to your diet could help maintain better heart health.

When you improve cholesterol health and magnesium intake, the two things work hand in hand for optimal heart health. Magnesium can be taken in different forms. You’ve seen forms like magnesium citrates used in laxatives and forms that are used for deficiency purposes too. For the purpose of heart health and cholesterol levels, magnesium glycinate is the best choice to improve health in these areas.

Does Magnesium Lower Cholesterol? Final Thoughts

If you’re asking does magnesium lower cholesterol, the answer is that it can certainly help. While studies are somewhat inconclusive on just how much magnesium levels can reduce cholesterol, we know that it is an essential part of cardiovascular health and can have an indirect impact on many things that do raise your cholesterol levels. There is evidence to support that adding magnesium to your diet through a dietary supplement in appropriate doses very well may improve your cholesterol health. There are very few adverse effects to magnesium supplementation if the dosage is correct. 

Take the time to check with your healthcare provider and ensure you understand the right dosage recommendations for magnesium levels before you jump into taking a supplement. With the proper information and understanding of the benefits for your body, you will likely experience positive health results.

Take your heart and cholesterol health into your own hands. Check out our selection of heart health supplements as well as magnesium and consider the benefits for your health today!

The information being presented in this blog is intended to be used as educational or resource information only. It is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice from your healthcare provider. This content should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. If you have any questions or concerns about your health, please contact your healthcare provider. You should call 911 for all medical emergencies. Revive MD is not liable for any advice or information provided on this blog, which advice or information is provided on an “as-is” basis, and assumes no liability for diagnosis, treatment, decisions, or actions made in reliance upon any advice or information contained on this blog. No warranties, express or implied, are made on the information that is provided.