Dear Reader, Magnesium (Mg)-deficiency appears to be causing 215,000 fatal heart attacks per annum in the U. S., based on medical journal reprints which I have WEB-published at http://www.execpc.com/~magnesum. Will you please look at our data, and then speak out to end these deaths? REFERENCES 1. CMA JOURNAL; ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE, WATER HARDNESS AND MYOCARDIAL MAGNESIUM; ANDERSON, T.W.; NERI, L.C.; SCHREIBER, G.B.; TALBOT, F.D.F.; ZDROJEWSKI, A.; 1975 AUG 9. ... if there is such a difference in the dietary intake of magnesium it will be accentuated by the difference in water-borne ntagnesium, particularly since the latter is ionized and therefore likely to be more readily available than the magnesium in food. 2. TOXIC SUBSTANCES IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH; MAGNESIUM AND PUBLIC HEALTH: THE IMPACT OF DRINKING WATER; LOWIK, M.R.H.; GROOT, E.H.; BINNERTS, W. T.; 1982. Unnary analysis revealed that water Mg is absorbed - 30% better and much faster than dietary Mg. The short range Mg status of an individual has an appreciable diurnal variation, with a minimum during the morning hours. This necessitates hour-to-hour studies instead of the customary balance studies of several days or weeks duration. Magnesium in water is absorbed faster and to a higher degree than Mg in food. This has an important all-or-none effect on the morning mg status, depending on the Mg content of the water. Although boiling of water softens it, this does not affect the Mg content, which remains nearly the same. 3. MAGNESIUM CONTENT OF THE FOOD SUPPLY IN THE MODERN-DAY WORLD; MARIER, J. R.; 1986. ... the modem-day world's dietary magnesium status appears bleak, unless one happens to be a vegetarian or has access to magnesium-rich drinking water (e.g., 30 to 90 mg/L). 4. MAGNESIUM RESEARCH; RECOMMENDED DIETARY AMOUNTS OF MAGNESIUM: MG RDA; DURLACH, J.; 1989. Supplementation should consist of a high magnesium density nutrient such as magnesium in water, which has better bio-availability than magnesium-fortifted foods. Supplementation should be achieved using a high magnesium density nutrient with the best possible bioavailability. This requirement is met by magnesium in water whether in its natural form -- either from the tap or bottled--or in an artiftcial form by addition of a soluble Mg salt to ordinary water. 5. MAGNESIUM IN HEALTH AND DISEASE; MAGNESIUM LEVEL IN DRINKING WATER: ITS IMPORTANCE IN CARDIOVASCULAR RISK; DURLACH, J.; BARA, M.; GUIET-BARA, A.; 1989. ... the concept of nutrient density confers special importance on water-Mg in the Mg intake of the diet. Mg in drinking water constitutes an Mg intake whose high nutritional density is ideal since it is free of calories. Even in the case of quantitatively sufficient dietary Mg intake, water-Mg, through its high degree of bioavailability can reduce the activation of the neuro-endo-crino-regulatory mechanisms of Mg homeostasis by a genuine 'relative' Mg deficit due to a deficient intake of the highly bioavailable Mg of water-mg. Among the numerous variables involved in the 'water story" Mg appears preeminent. Its importance is both quantitative and qualitative. The critical quantitative intake of water-Mg may palliate an 'absolute' Mg deficit and its multiple consequences particularly on the nephro-cardiovascular apparatus. Even in the case of a balanced daily Mg intake, water Mg may qualitatively act on the nephrocardiovascular apparatus by palliating a genuine 'qualitative' Mg deficit due to a deficient amount of highly bioavailable Mg. 6. MAGNESIUM RESEARCH; MAGNESIUM AND BLOOD PRESSURE.11. CLINICAL STUDIES; DURLACH, J.; DURLACH, V.; RAYSSIGUIER, Y.; BARA, M.; GUIET-BARA, A., 1992. Even in the case of a balanced daily magnesium intake, water magnesium may act qualitatively on the nephrocardiovascular apparatus by palliating a magnesium deficit resulting -from an inadequate intake of this highly bioavailable source of magnesium. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study in a group of patients with ischaemic heart disease, oral magnesium supplementation controlled the deleterious lipid profile. 7. LA REVUE FRANCAISE D'ENDOCRINOLOGIE CLINIQUE; DEUX SYMPOSIA INTERNATIONAUX SUR LE MAGNESIUM, EN INDE; DURLACH, J.; DURLACH, V.; 1992. Because of its high availability I have even suggested the notions of qualitative and quantitative magnesium deficits. I have also pointed out the competitive antagonisms between magnesium and these metal cumulative pollutants (lead and cadmium). 8. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION; MAGNESIUM INTERRELATIONSHIPS IN ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE: A REVIEW; SEELIG, MILDRED S.; HEGGTVEIT, H. ALEXANDER; 1974 JAN. The only definitive experimental study of the effect of calcium and magnesium in dnnkinq water (on development of atherosclerosis) is that reported by Neal and Neal. They found that rabbits on therogenic diets that were given hard water to drink had less arterial damage than did those given distilled water. Addition to the distilled water of magnesium but not calcium completely protected against arteriosclerosis. It should be recognized that the soft water effect is not necessarily a cardio-specific one. It has been reported that the prevalence of cerebrovascular disease, of bronchitis, and of mortality (both infant and adult) were higher in soft than in hard water regions. Furthermore, the presence at birth of congenital malformations of the central nervous system was negatively correlated with total water hardness. When Mg2 + intake by food is low, due to individual eating and cooking habits, then the Mg2 + content of drinking water may be critical in preventing a chronic low-grade deficiency. -- Our Magnesium Web Site is: http://www.execpc.com/~magnesum Paul Mason Researcher