Magnesium can probably protect against vascular calcification

Anique ter Braake, physiologist at Radboudumc, will receive her PhD on Friday for her research with mice and magnesium. “The result was remarkable: the magnesium-enriched diet completely prevented vessel calcification. The formation of calcium-phosphate crystals in the mice was inhibited and the cells in their vessel wall were healthier.”

Physiologist Jeroen de Baaij supervised further research into the possible effect in humans: “Before that, blood samples were first collected from patients with chronic kidney failure. When we added magnesium to that blood, we saw that crystals were formed less quickly. It is precisely these crystals that stimulate calcification. in the vessel wall. “

Further research has now begun. With the support of the Kidney Foundation, this is not only happening in Radboudumc, but also in Amsterdam UMC and UMCG in Groningen.

–