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Magnesium

Magnesium featured article

Introduction

Magnesium is an essential dietary mineral. It plays critical roles in myriad physiological processes, serving as a cofactor to more than 300 enzymes in the human body and maintaining the integrity of cellular structures and DNA. Magnesium deficiency is widespread, affecting more than half of people in the U.S. and increasing the risk of many chronic conditions, including cancer, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.

At a glance, magnesium participates in:

  • Enzymatic reactions, serving as a cofactor for more than 300 enzymes involved in various physiological processes, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, and blood glucose control.
  • Brain health, preserving brain volume and cognitive function in aging.
  • Stress and mood regulation, mediating the body's stress response and influencing synapse formation.
  • Chronic disease protection, supporting DNA repair and ameliorating oxidative stress. -...
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Episodes

magnesium

This Micronutrient Improves Blood Pressure, Bone Health, & Vitamin D Levels

Posted on April 2nd 2024 (about 1 year)

In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses magnesium's crucial roles in bone health, vitamin D metabolism, and blood pressure management.

magnesium

How Stress Depletes Your Magnesium Levels | Dr. Rhonda Patrick

Posted on April 2nd 2024 (about 1 year)

In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses how stress, sleep, noise, and exercise affect magnesium levels.

magnesium

How Magnesium Reduces Your Risk of Cancer | Rhonda Patrick

Posted on April 2nd 2024 (about 1 year)

In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses magnesium's vital role in DNA repair and its impact on aging, cancer risk, and mortality.

Topic Pages

  • Magnesium

    Magnesium, atomic number 12, is a divalent alkaline-earth metal crucial for ATP-dependent enzymatic catalysis and chlorophyll chelation.

News & Publications

  • Nearly half of people with type 2 diabetes have multiple micronutrient deficiencies—the most common being vitamin D. nutrition.bmj.com
    Vitamin D Diabetes Micronutrients Magnesium Vitamin B12 Insulin Metformin

    Micronutrient deficiencies contribute to insulin resistance, a key driver of type 2 diabetes, but researchers still don’t fully understand their role in the disease’s progression. A recent study found that nearly half of people with type 2 diabetes suffer from multiple micronutrient deficiencies, with vitamin D being the most prevalent.

    Researchers analyzed data from studies investigating links between micronutrient deficiencies and type 2 diabetes. Their analysis included 132 studies and more than 52,000 participants.

    They found that 45% of people with type 2 diabetes had multiple micronutrient deficiencies. Women with the disease were more likely to have deficiencies, with 48% affected compared to 41% of men. Vitamin D deficiency was the most common, affecting 60% of participants, followed by magnesium (42%) and vitamin B12 (28%)—the latter being especially prevalent among people with type 2 diabetes who were taking metformin. The prevalence of deficiencies also varied by region.

    These findings suggest that micronutrient deficiencies are widespread in people with type 2 diabetes, particularly among women. Check out our many resources on micronutrients, including vitamin D and magnesium, and the long-term health consequences of deficiencies.

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  • Magnesium supplementation reduces post-workout muscle soreness and enhances recovery in both recreational runners and elite athletes. translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com
    Exercise Performance Magnesium Muscle

    Muscle contraction relies on a magnesium-dependent calcium transport system. Consequently, magnesium levels drop after exercise, increasing muscle soreness and impairing performance. A recent review found that magnesium supplementation reduces muscle soreness, improves performance, and protects against muscle damage.

    Researchers reviewed the findings of four studies investigating the effects of magnesium supplementation on muscle soreness. The studies included 73 participants (60 males and 13 females) between the ages of 19 and 27. One study focused on muscle soreness, one on running performance, and two on team sports performance.

    They found that 350 milligrams of magnesium glycinate daily reduced muscle soreness and improved recovery after resistance training. Similarly, 500 milligrams of magnesium oxide and stearate taken daily for a week reduced muscle soreness in recreational runners with low dietary magnesium intake. Markers of muscle damage decreased in elite basketball players who took 400 milligrams of magnesium daily throughout the season. Competitive cyclists experienced similar effects at the same dose.

    These findings suggest that magnesium supports muscle health and performance in recreational and competitive athletes. The review’s authors posited that physically active people need 10% to 20% more magnesium than the recommended doses taken two hours before physical activity, even during the off-season. For more information about magnesium, check out our deep-dive podcast and our comprehensive overview article.

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  • Higher serum magnesium concentrations may reduce the risk of brain aneurysms and aneurysmal brain bleeding. (2021) www.physiciansweekly.com
    Magnesium Blood Pressure Oxidative Stress Aneurysm

    Higher serum magnesium concentrations reduce the risk of having a brain aneurysm.

    A brain aneurysm is a weakness in a blood vessel in the brain that swells and fills with blood. If the aneurysm ruptures, it releases blood into the spaces that surround the brain. This bleeding can cause many complications, including hemorrhagic stroke, brain damage, coma, and even death. Evidence from a 2021 study suggests that higher serum magnesium concentrations reduce the risk of having a brain aneurysm.

    Magnesium is an essential mineral and a cofactor for hundreds of enzymes. Found in green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds, magnesium participates in many physiological processes, including energy production, protein synthesis, ion transport, and cell signaling. Magnesium deficiency is linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. Genetic variants called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) influence magnesium status.

    The investigators conducted an analysis using Mendelian randomization, a research method that provides evidence of links between modifiable risk factors and disease based on genetic variants within a population. Mendelian randomization is less likely to be affected by confounding or reverse causation than other types of studies, but since it is based on assumptions, the likelihood of the assumptions must be taken into consideration. Their analysis focused on five magnesium-related SNPs identified in a genome-wide association study in nearly 24,000 people of European ancestry. They found that for every 0.1 mmol/L genetically predicted increase in serum magnesium concentration, the risk of having either a ruptured or unruptured brain aneurysm decreased 34 percent.

    These findings suggest that higher magnesium concentrations reduce the risk of having a brain aneurysm. Learn more about the importance of magnesium in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.

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  • Higher potassium and magnesium intake – not lower sodium – cuts heart disease risk. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
    Micronutrients Magnesium Blood Pressure

    Experts have long believed that high dietary sodium intake increases a person’s risk of adverse cardiovascular health outcomes, including high blood pressure. However, other dietary minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium, likely influence cardiovascular health too. Findings from a study published earlier this year suggest that dietary potassium and magnesium markedly decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

    Potassium is an essential mineral that plays key roles in cardiac function. It is found in a wide range of whole foods, especially potatoes, bananas, winter squashes, and some legumes. Processed foods are typically low in potassium. Nutrition experts have not established a recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for potassium, but intakes above 4,700 milligrams per day are considered optimal. Most people living in the United States consume roughly half this amount.

    Magnesium is also an essential mineral. It participates in many aspects of cardiovascular health and helps maintain normal heart rhythm. Magnesium is found in green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds. The RDA for magnesium varies according to age, life stage, and sex, ranging from 310 milligrams per day for a young adult female to 420 milligrams per day for an older adult male.

    The authors of the study drew on data from the Framingham Offspring Study, an ongoing cohort study of cardiovascular disease risk among people living in the northeastern United States. During multiple visits over a period of four years, the authors collected information from more than 2,300 adult participants (30 to 65 years old) regarding their overall health, lifestyles, and cardiovascular risks. Participants completed a food diary in which they recorded types and amounts of foods they consumed over a three-day period.

    The authors' analysis revealed that even after considering sex, body mass index, dietary fiber intake, and blood pressure, lower sodium intake (less than 2,500 mg/day) did not decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, higher potassium intake (3,000 milligrams or more daily) decreased risk by 25 percent, and higher magnesium intake (320 milligrams or more daily) decreased risk by 34 percent. Higher calcium intake (700 milligrams or more daily) decreased cardiovascular risk by 19 percent, but this finding was not statistically significant.

    These findings suggest that potassium and magnesium play important roles in cardiovascular health. Public health efforts to reduce sodium intake have been largely unsuccessful, with most Americans consuming nearly 3,400 milligrams every day, considerably more than the recommended 2,300 milligrams per day. Focusing efforts on increasing the intake of potassium and magnesium may have greater returns on improving cardiovascular health.

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  • Magnesium reduces pancreatic cancer risk. www.sciencedaily.com
    Cancer Magnesium

    Pancreatic cancer is a rare, aggressive cancer, expected to claim the lives of more than 48,000 people this year. The lack of reliable screening tests and the vague, non-specific symptoms associated with pancreatic cancer make diagnosing the disease difficult and often late. Even when diagnosed early, pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis, with only about 8 percent of people who develop the disease surviving longer than five years. Findings from a 2015 study suggest that magnesium reduces the risk of pancreatic cancer.

    Magnesium is an essential mineral and a cofactor for hundreds of enzymes. It is involved in many physiological processes, including energy production, nucleic acid and protein synthesis, ion transport, and cell signaling. Magnesium deficiency is linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. Current magnesium intakes among people living in the United States are below the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of 400-420 milligrams per day for males and 310-320 milligrams per day for females.

    The study involved more than 66,000 adults between the ages of 50 and 76 years of age. The authors drew on data from the VITamins and Lifestyle Study, a cohort investigation of the associations of supplement use with cancer risk over an eight-year period.

    Compared to study participants who met the RDA for magnesium, those who obtained 75 to 99 percent of the RDA were 42 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, and those who obtained less than 75 percent of the RDA were 76 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer. For every 100-milligram-per-day decrease in magnesium intake, pancreatic cancer occurrence increased 24 percent. This association held true regardless of age, gender, body mass index, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use.

    These findings suggest that magnesium reduces the risk of pancreatic cancer. They also underscore the importance of obtaining sufficient magnesium from supplemental or dietary sources, such as green leafy vegetables, unrefined grains, legumes, beans, and nuts. To bolster your magnesium intake, try this magnesium-rich smoothie.

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  • Low magnesium levels impair vitamin D metabolism. www.sciencedaily.com
    Vitamin D Magnesium

    Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that plays critical roles in several physiological processes. Poor vitamin D status has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many acute and chronic diseases. A 2018 review suggested that magnesium is essential for vitamin D metabolism.

    Vitamin D synthesis begins when 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is found primarily in the skin’s epidermal layer, reacts to ultraviolet light and converts to pre-vitamin D. Subsequent processes in the liver and kidneys convert the pre-vitamin to calcitriol, the active form of the vitamin. The enzymes that catalyze these processes require magnesium.

    Approximately 42 percent of people living in the United States are vitamin D deficient. The authors of the review pointed out that approximately one-third of otherwise healthy adults are magnesium deficient. Although many people take vitamin D supplements, without sufficient magnesium, the body cannot properly metabolize vitamin D, promoting calcification of blood vessels, a critical factor in the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Conversely, people whose magnesium levels are sufficiently high require less vitamin D supplementation to achieve healthy levels.

    The recommended dietary allowance for magnesium for adults between the ages of 31 and 50 years is 420 milligrams for men and 320 milligrams for women per day. According to the authors of the study, the typical American diet provides less than half of these amounts. Dietary sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables, nuts, legumes, and fish.

    It’s noteworthy that poor vitamin D status is associated with poor outcomes in COVID-19. Listen to this clip in which Dr. Rhonda Patrick describes how vitamin D might reduce the risk of acute lung injury in COVID-19.

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  • Magnesium intake reduces risk of coronary artery calcification. www.sciencedirect.com
    Heart Disease Magnesium

    Coronary artery atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the heart’s arteries caused by a buildup of plaque, is the principal cause of coronary artery disease and the single leading cause of death worldwide. Coronary artery calcification provides a reliable measure of atherosclerosis. A 2014 study found that magnesium intake is inversely related to coronary artery calcification.

    Magnesium is an essential mineral and a cofactor for hundreds of enzymes. It is involved in many physiological pathways, including energy production, nucleic acid and protein synthesis, ion transport, and cell signaling. Magnesium deficiency is linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and metabolic disorders, including hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Dietary sources of magnesium include legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and green leafy vegetables (such as spinach).

    The study drew on data from the Framingham Heart Study, a long-term, ongoing epidemiological study of cardiovascular disease risk among people living in Framingham, Massachusetts. The study participants included more than 2,600 people who underwent computed tomography (CT) scanning to determine the presence of coronary artery calcification and completed food frequency questionnaires to provide information about their dietary and supplemental magnesium intake. The men in the study were 35 years of age and older, and the women were 40 years of age and older.

    The scans revealed that more than 43 percent of the participants exhibited signs of coronary artery calcification. Men were roughly 50 percent more likely to have calcification than women. The food frequency questionnaires indicated that the participants' magnesium intake averaged approximately 338 milligrams per day. Participants with the highest magnesium intake were 58 percent less likely to have coronary artery calcification than those with the lowest intake.

    These findings highlight the importance of magnesium intake in modulating cardiovascular health and suggest that dietary and supplemental interventions could reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.

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