Children’s Health, Childhood Asthma and Magnesium

Asthma is characterized by bronchial spasm, swelling of the mucous membranes of the lung, excessive mucus production, and an inability to fully empty the lungs of air.

Asthma finds its easiest victims in children under ten and is twice as common in boys and men, although it affects about 3% of the general population.

There are a variety of factors which stimulate an asthma attack including lung infection, exercise, emotional upset, food sensitivities, inhalation of cold air or irritating substances such as smoke, gas fumes, chemical fumes or allergic reactions such as to pollens.

Magnesium is an excellent treatment for asthma because it is a bronchodilator and an antihistamine, naturally reducing histamine levels in the body. It has a calming effect on the muscles of the bronchial tubes and the whole body.

Without Magnesium Asthma Can Become Chronic

Without magnesium asthma can become chronic, especially if the various factors which bring on an attack are not eliminated. The drugs used for the treatment of asthma deplete the body of magnesium causing a more serious deficiency.

In a European study, a group of children who had deteriorated in spite of conventional drug therapy were given magnesium intravenously. Comparing the magnesium group with the placebo group, the magnesium group had lower clinical asthma scores and a significantly greater improvement in lung function over a ninety-minute period. No significant side effects were observed. (Gurkan F et al., Intravenous magnesium sulphate in the management of moderate to severe acute asthmatic children non responding to conventional therapy Eur J Emery Medicine, vol. 6, no. 3. pp. 201-205, 1999.)

Dr. Lydia Ciarello in the Department of Pediatrics, Brown University School of Medicine, treated thirty-one asthma patients ages six to eighteen who were deteriorating on conventional treatments. One group was given magnesium and another group was given saline solution, both intravenously. At fifty minutes the magnesium group had a significantly greater percentage of improvement in lung function, and more magnesium patients than placebo patients were discharged from the emergency department and did not need hospitalization. (Ciarello L et al., Intravenous magnesium therapy for moderate to severe pediatric asthma: results of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. J Pdiatr, vol 129, pp. 809-814, 1996.)

A team of researchers identified magnesium deficiency as surprisingly common, finding it in 65% of an intensive care population of asthmatics and in 11% of an out-patient asthma population. They supported the use of magnesium to help prevent asthma attacks. Magnesium has several antiasthmatic actions. As a calcium antagonist, it relaxes airways and smooth muscles and dilates the lungs. It also reduces airway inflammation, inhibits chemicals that cause spasm and increases anti-inflammatory substances such as nitric oxide. (Glei M et al., Magnesium content of foodstuffs and beverages and magnesium intake of adults in Germany. Magnes Bull, vol 17, pp. 22-28, 1995.)

Summary

• Research shows that many patients with asthma and other bronchial diseases have low magnesium.

• Many drugs used in the treatment of asthma cause a loss of magnesium, only making symptoms worse.

• Patients treated with simple magnesium supplementation report marked improvement in their symptoms.