Did you know that magnesium is responsible for some 800 different processes in your body?  In fact, every time your cells need to communicate with each other, there is an interchange involving calcium and magnesium that makes a deficiency in either a real issue.  Yet, according to the American Chiropractic Association, “Dietary intake of magnesium has gone down dramatically over the past 100 years. It is estimated that 68 to 80 percent of Americans are magnesium deficient.”

These studies on the role magnesium (or the lack thereof) may play in metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes will give you even more reasons to make sure your diet and lifestyle choices keep you at optimal levels of this useful mineral:

Magnesium may slow progression to type 2 diabetes

Pre-diabetes

Before developing diabetes, fasting blood sugar levels begin to rise along with chronically elevated signs of inflammation. This condition is called pre-diabetes and if left unchecked can progress to type 2 diabetes.

In this study, doctors measured magnesium in the diets of 2,582 people, aged 26 to 81, about one in three of whom started the study with mildly elevated fasting and after-meal blood glucose levels, making them pre-diabetic. Over the next seven years, doctors tracked blood sugar and insulin levels to measure the chances of developing type 2 diabetes.

Overall, compared to those who got the least, those who got the most magnesium were less than half as likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Both the normal and impaired blood sugar groups saw magnesium reduce chances of progressing to type 2 diabetes, with the greatest benefit going to those who began the study with pre-diabetic blood sugar levels.

Reference: Diabetes Care; 2014, Vol. 37, No. 2, 419-27

Metabolic syndrome

Lack of exercise and poor diet choices can lead to metabolic syndrome, a combination of factors that include high blood pressure and sugar, elevated triglycerides, low levels of HDL—the “good” cholesterol, and abdominal obesity. Over time, these factors raise the chances of developing type 2 diabetes.

Doctors in this study wanted to test for a link between magnesium in the diet and chances of developing metabolic syndrome. Researchers reviewed six studies involving 24,473 people, about one in four of whom had metabolic syndrome.

Participants in the studies got between 117 and 423 mg of magnesium per day. Overall, compared to those who consumed the least, those who got the most magnesium were 31 percent less likely to develop metabolic syndrome. For every increase of 100 mg of magnesium per day, chances for developing metabolic syndrome declined by 17 percent.

Reference: Diabetes Care; 2014, Vol. 37, No. 2, 419-27

Betsy’s Note: Too much magnesium can cause a loose stool, so start low and build to tolerance.  This article is for educational purposes only.  It is not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure any disease.  Consult your healthcare provider.

Article copyright 2015 by Natural Insights for Well Being. All rights reserved.  Used with permission.