High blood pressure is a major health concern worldwide. It increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and early death. Many people struggle to manage their blood pressure, even with medication and lifestyle changes. But a new study from Emory University suggests a simple and surprising solution—adding calcium and magnesium to drinking water.
A Surprising Discovery in Bangladesh
The research, led by Abu Mohammed Naser, a postdoctoral fellow at Emory University, started in coastal Bangladesh. People in this region drink different types of water—some rely on pond water, while others drink groundwater, which often has a high salt content.
The researchers made a surprising observation: people who drank salty water had lower blood pressure than those who drank fresh water. This was unexpected because salt (sodium) is known to increase blood pressure.
The Role of Calcium and Magnesium
To understand why this happened, the researchers analyzed urine samples from the participants. They discovered that those who drank salty water had higher levels of calcium and magnesium in their bodies. This led them to suspect that these minerals—rather than the sodium—were helping to lower blood pressure.
This finding supports previous research showing that calcium and magnesium play an important role in regulating blood pressure. Calcium helps blood vessels tighten and relax properly, while magnesium helps keep blood vessels relaxed and improves blood flow.
A Potential Solution: Adding Minerals to Drinking Water
Based on these findings, the researchers suggest that adding calcium and magnesium to drinking water could be an easy and effective way to help people manage their blood pressure. This could be especially useful in communities where people don’t have easy access to healthcare or medication.
While the results are promising, the researchers emphasize that more studies are needed to confirm how effective this approach would be and to determine the best way to add these minerals to water supplies.
A Simple Way to Tackle a Major Health Problem
High blood pressure affects nearly half of all adults in the U.S. and is a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide. Finding simple ways to reduce blood pressure could save millions of lives.
If further research supports these findings, governments and health organizations could consider fortifying drinking water with calcium and magnesium—similar to how fluoride is added to prevent tooth decay.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, highlights how small changes in daily life can make a big difference in public health. By enhancing drinking water with essential minerals, we may be one step closer to controlling high blood pressure and improving heart health for people around the world.
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