According to a recent meta-analysis, a diet that’s rich in magnesium could contribute to a reduced risk of heart disease, strokes, and type 2 diabetes. Research indicates that the dangers of suffering from these illnesses could be de-escalated by 10 percent, 12 percent, and 26 percent respectively.
Scientists found that even by adding a mere 100 milligrams of extra magnesium per day, an individual’s chances of becoming poorly were decreased, with the risk of stroke reduced by seven percent and type 2 diabetes reduced by 19 percent.
This data was gathered from a huge sample, which utilised studies from nine different countries and involved more than one million participants.
It’s believed that these findings are primarily due to the important role that magnesium plays in metabolising glucose, producing protein, and synthesising DNA. Found in beans, cocoa, nuts, whole grain, and leafy greens, it can arguably represent a hugely beneficial addition to one’s diet.
According to the European Food Safety Authority, an adequate intake for adult males is 350 milligrams per day and 300 milligrams for women. Children require a slightly lower dose in order to benefit, of between 170 and 300 milligrams.
However, despite these recommendations existing, magnesium deficiency remains a fairly common ailment, with around 15 to 20 percent of industrialised European populations suffering from it, and an even greater number of individuals affected around the world.
An increased risk of disease
Looking at the effects of magnesium deficiency, researchers from Zhejiang University worked with a group from Zhengzhou University to see how this might impact an individual’s health. Studying 40 different studies carried out between 1999 and 2016, they found some rather interesting results.
Due to the magnesium levels used varying between studies, the researchers primarily looked into the effect that increasing one’s dose by 100 milligrams per day had on an individual’s overall health and wellbeing.
This indicated that low levels of magnesium were linked to a wide range of diseases, even though no concrete evidence has – to date - been put forward to explain the link between dietary intake and health risks.
The researchers also noted that their analysis strongly supported a link between increased magnesium intake and a reduced risk of illness and disease, making further exploration of the subject arguably worthwhile.
Additional evidence
This most recent meta-analysis was not the first piece of research to support such a link. In addition, previous explorations found that consuming magnesium led to a reduced incidence of both diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
While these studies varied with regards to sample size and magnesium dosage, leading to inconsistencies in the literature, they nonetheless hint at a causal link between the two.
Another recently published review explored the benefits of oral magnesium supplements when taken for four months or longer, discovering that insulin sensitivity and glucose control were improved among both diabetic and healthy participants.
Can magnesium improve your overall health?
While the average diet rarely delivers an optimal amount of magnesium, supplementation offers a convenient, manageable way of topping up one’s levels. However, its key to only use a well utilised form, i.e. we recommend people avoid products containing magnesium oxides, and look for better absorbed organic forms like Citrate, Sulphate, aspartate etc these are the forms that will return to more worthwhile rewards.
The answer is ‘yes’. As the fourth most abundant mineral in our bodies, it’s really important that we maintain sufficient levels, with magnesium playing a vital role in the overall health and wellbeing of our brains and bodies.
As well as reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, as we touched on earlier, a healthy, magnesium-rich diet can also:
Keep cells functioning
Did you know that magnesium plays an important role in almost all of the biochemical reactions that take place in our bodies? This is something you might not have been aware of, but the compound is actually found throughout our physiology.
While magnesium occurs naturally in lots of different places, including the earth, sea, plants, and animals, it’s also inside of us, with 60 percent of the magnesium in our bodies located in our bones. There’s also a large amount at work in our soft tissues, muscles, and many of our bodily fluids too.
Indeed, every cell in our bodies is rich in magnesium, and relies on the compound to function properly. Acting primarily as a ‘helper molecule’, the mineral is used by our enzymes to carry out biochemical reactions.
These reactions are involved in lots of different biological processes, from energy creation through to protein formation and gene maintenance. Without these taking place, our bodies would not be able to convert food into energy, repair damage, or even move our muscles properly.
However, studies performed on populations throughout the United States and Europe have shown that a shocking 50 percent of people do not get a sufficient amount of magnesium from their diet. This can have some very unpleasant side effects, ranging from a loss of appetite through to fatigue, weakness, muscle cramps, and even abnormal heart rhythms.
Alleviate depression
Interestingly, studies have also found that magnesium can be effective in helping to alleviate depression. That’s because the mineral plays an important role in regulating brain function and mood, with low levels having been linked to an increased risk of mental health issues.
An analysis of over 8,800 individuals discovered that, among under 65s, those with the lowest magnesium intakes were at the greatest risk of depression, with the chance of them suffering from this being 22 percent higher than average.
This has led some scientists to speculate that the low levels of magnesium found in modern foodstuffs could be a contributory factor in the increased incidence of mental health issues and, specifically, depression.
Despite this, experts have been keen to emphasise the need for further research before such conclusions are drawn. Irrespective, supplementing with the mineral can certainly be beneficial, having been shown to reduce symptoms of the illness – in some cases, dramatically.
Indeed, a randomised controlled trial of older adults suffering from depression discovered that a daily dose of 450 mg could be as effective in improving mood as traditional antidepressants. This means that, whether or not deficiency may have a causative role to play, ensuring an adequate level of the mineral in one’s diet can certainly be helpful in staving off the worst symptoms of the illness.
Benefit those with type 2 diabetes
As we touched on earlier, magnesium can also be beneficial for those suffering from/at risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes. Studies have found that around 48 percent of those diagnosed with the disease have low levels of magnesium in their blood. This is important because magnesium deficiency can negatively impact insulin’s ability to keep blood sugar levels in check.
In addition, there’s research to suggest that those with reduced magnesium intake have a higher initial risk of developing the disease. One such study followed over 4,000 participants for more than two decades and discovered that among those with a high magnesium intake, the likelihood of developing the disease was reduced by 47 percent.
Another clinical trial found that individuals with type 2 diabetes can benefit from taking high doses of the mineral, with blood sugar and haemoglobin A1c levels both found to be much improved among those who participated.
Importantly, however, these effects are likely to hinge upon how much magnesium an individual is already getting from their diet, as the same results have not been recorded among participants who had sufficient levels of the mineral, to begin with.
Lower blood pressure
Its health benefits do not stop there, for magnesium has also been shown to help lower blood pressure. According to one study, where participants were dosed with 450 mg per day, significant decreases were seen in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
However, it’s believed that such results are only found in those whose blood pressure is elevated to begin with, as a further study discovered that while magnesium was effective on those with higher levels, it had no discernible effect on those who were within a normal range to start.
Combat ageing, obesity, and chronic disease
Interestingly, magnesium has been found to have anti-inflammatory benefits too. Low intake has been definitively linked to chronic inflammation and associated conditions such as ageing, obesity, and chronic disease.
In a study of children, those who had the lowest levels of magnesium in their blood were also discovered to have the highest incidence of an inflammatory marker known as CRP. In addition, affected children tested positive for higher blood sugar, as well as increased insulin and triglyceride levels.
In line with these findings, a study of older adults, overweight individuals, and those with pre-diabetes found that supplementing individuals with magnesium could lower their CRP levels, as well as lessening other markers of inflammation.
In keeping with this, foods that are high in magnesium, such as dark chocolate and fatty fish, have been shown to reduce inflammation.
Help to prevent headaches and migraines
Magnesium can be beneficial for those who are prone to suffering from migraines and headaches too. Those afflicted will often find that these conditions are not only painful and inconvenient, but on occasion debilitating, causing nausea, light and noise sensitivity, and even vomiting.
Many of those affected report that traditional treatments have little to no effect, and now researchers have suggested that large numbers of migraine sufferers are likely to be magnesium deficient. This means that dosing with a supplement could help to prevent and even treat the condition, and there are already some encouraging studies to back this up.
One, in particular, found that supplementing with only one gram per day could provide relief from an acute attack more quickly and effectively than a widely prescribed form of medication. In addition, other research found that eating magnesium-rich foods could have a similar effect, helping to alleviate symptoms.
