Senior Health – High Cholesterol and Magnesium Health

Another problem related to heart health, and one that has received considerable attention over the years, is cholesterol.

A fatty substance found in many areas of the body, cholesterol in large quantities can be dangerous to health. Over time, it can build up on the walls of the arteries and can cause narrowing or hardening, leading to serious heart problems. Because cholesterol has obtained such a bad name, many may not know that it is actually produced in all cells naturally and has important bodily functions. Cholesterol comes about through a series of chemical reactions.

Dr. Andrea Rosanoff explains, “Cholesterol is important because it is a steppingstone to the body’s manufacture of sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen. One of the reactions involved in cholesterol production is called the rate-limiting reaction because it keeps control of the amount of cholesterol manufactured. The rate-limiting reaction requires magnesium.

“The enzyme for the rate-limiting reaction has two phases: an active phase and an inactive phase, says Dr. Rosanoff. The inactive phase has to have magnesium tied to it. If you don’t have enough magnesium in the cell, that enzyme cannot be deactivated. As a result, that control point is weakened or absent; cholesterol continues to be manufactured and the cell cannot slow or stop it. This can result in a cholesterol buildup. This leads to heart disease.