Paul was 42 years old when he signed up for Quantify, after getting diagnosed with hypertension a year prior during a routine checkup.
The diagnosis came as a surprise, given that he had exercised regularly since his teens, and had always thought of himself as healthy.
His doctor had speculated that the condition was genetic—Paul’s dad had also been diagnosed with hypertension—but it seemed like a weak hypothesis to Paul, and his medication was only slightly effective at lowering his blood pressure, causing him further frustration.
In his first appointment at Quantify, Paul’s health coach recommended a metabolic panel, cardiovascular panel, and metals test, to evaluate his metabolic health, blood sugar regulation, insulin resistance, cardiovascular health, inflammation, exposure to toxic metals, and mineral levels.
Test results
His first time conducting such a comprehensive evaluation of his health, Paul’s metabolic panel showed slightly elevated glucose and hemoglobin A1c, indicating blood sugar dysregulation, or the condition of having abnormally fluctuating blood sugar, which was likely caused by the high-carbohydrate diet that he had followed for years, and which certainly wasn’t helping his hypertension.
Paul’s cardiovascular panel, on the other hand, showed no abnormalities, likely attributed to his decades-long commitment to exercise.
Completing the puzzle, while his metals test showed no significant exposure to aluminum, lead, mercury, and other toxic metals that can contribute to hypertension, it did show that he was severely deficient in magnesium, a critically important mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and overall cardiovascular health.
Most Americans are deficient in magnesium, primarily due to our modern agricultural practices that have depleted magnesium and other micronutrients from our soil and thus our food, so it wasn’t surprising that Paul was deficient, but it certainly was revealing.
Recovery
Feeling validated that a mineral deficiency, rather than an assumed genetic predisposition, was causing his hypertension, Paul was excited to get started with his health plan, which was designed by his health coach to promote metabolic health while repleting his magnesium.
He eliminated processed foods, sugar, grains, and dairy from his diet, increased consumption of foods high in magnesium, such as arugula, pumpkin seeds, and cacao, and took certain supplements, such as magnesium malate, a particularly bioavailable form of magnesium, and vitamin D3 and vitamin K2, to further support magnesium absorption.
Within a few months, as he implemented his health plan, Paul’s blood pressure gradually lowered to a normal level, his doctor allowed him to taper and ultimately stop taking his medication (citing that it was no longer warranted), and he reported feeling better than he’d ever felt, no longer deficient in the important mineral he needed for optimal health.