Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...

"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."

Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."

Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI

“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.

Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017

“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”

Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD

Doctors & patients are saying about 'Beat Your A-Fib'...

"If I had [your book] 10 years ago, it would have saved me 8 years of hell.”

Roy Salmon, Patient, A-Fib Free,
Adelaide, Australia

"This book is incredibly complete and easy-to-understand for anybody. I certainly recommend it for patients who want to know more about atrial fibrillation than what they will learn from doctors...."

Pierre Jaïs, M.D. Professor of Cardiology, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, Bordeaux, France

"Dear Steve, I saw a patient this morning with your book [in hand] and highlights throughout. She loves it and finds it very useful to help her in dealing with atrial fibrillation."

Dr. Wilber Su,
Cavanaugh Heart Center, Phoenix, AZ

"...masterful. You managed to combine an encyclopedic compilation of information with the simplicity of presentation that enhances the delivery of the information to the reader. This is not an easy thing to do, but you have been very, very successful at it."

Ira David Levin, heart patient,
Rome, Italy

"Within the pages of Beat Your A-Fib, Dr. Steve Ryan, PhD, provides a comprehensive guide for persons seeking to find a cure for their Atrial Fibrillation."

Walter Kerwin, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

Learn the Basics: Got A-Fib? You’re Almost Certainly Magnesium Deficient

Published May 23, 2025

Magnesium deficiency is central to creating conditions in the heart that cause Atrial Fibrillation. Therefore, anyone in A-Fib is almost certainly magnesium deficient.

Why? It’s now almost impossible to get adequate amounts of magnesium from our diets.

Magnesium used to be plentiful in fruits, vegetable and grains, but decades of industrial-scale farming have stripped the soil of minerals like magnesium. One study found that the nutrient content of crops has declined by as much as 40% since the 1950s.

Keeping Heart Rhythm Steady

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) lists the benefits of magnesium as keeping heart rhythm steady (like antiarrhythmic A-Fib meds), maintaining normal muscle and nerve function, supporting a healthy immune system, and keeping bones strong. It’s also needed for healthy blood pressure and blood sugar management.

How to Increase your Magnesium Level

To learn how to supplement your Magnesium go to our pages:

♥ Mineral Deficiencies
♥ ‘Natural’ Supplements for a Healthy Heart.

Six Months to Replenish Magnesium Levels

Caution: Blood serum tests for magnesium are misleading. They remain relatively stable at about 1%, even though working intracellular magnesium levels may be low. Your doctor should be able to test you for intracellular magnesium.

To learn more about the distinction between serum and intracellular magnesium levels, see the article, Low Serum Magnesium Linked with Atrial Fibrillation.

It may take as long as six months to replenish your intracellular magnesium levels.

A Harvard study indicated that higher intakes of magnesium were linked with a 22% reduction in the risk of ischemic heart disease.

References

• Goodman, Dennis. This Mineral Prevents Headaches, Heart Disease, More. Bottom Line Personal. Volume 35, Number 2, January 15, 2014.

• Guasch-Ferre, MM et al. Dietary magnesium intake is inversely associated with mortality in adults at high cardiovascular risk. J Nutr. 2014 January;144(1):55-60. http://jn.nutrition.org/content/early/2013/11/20/jn.113.183012

• Daniells, S. Magnesium may help people with heart problems to live longer. NUTRA Ingrediaants-usa.com. Dec. 2, 2013. http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Magnesium-may-help-people-with-heart-problems-to-live-longer

• Daniells, S. More magnesium may slash heart disease risk by 30%: Harvard meta-analysis. NUTRA Ingredients-usa.com May 30, 2013. http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/More-magnesium-may-slash-heart-disease-risk-by-30-Harvard-meta-analysis

• Rethinking Magnesium: Why You’re Deficient And Need To Supplement (Quick Fix). Nature Builds Health. Jun 09, 2018. https://www.naturebuildshealth.com/blog/magnesium_deficiency_benefits#6