Diabetes Prevention and Management

Scientific evidence strongly suggests that adequate dietary magnesium reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. A meta-analysis of 13 prospective cohort studies examined this association in more than 500,000 subjects of diverse backgrounds. Results clearly demonstrated a significant inverse relationship between dietary magnesium and diabetes risk—a risk that isn’t altered when factors such as sex, geographic region, or family history are added to the model.1 This study confirms previous research that establishes an association between increased dietary magnesium and a reduced risk of diabetes.2

Magnesium’s connection to diabetes is most likely through its role in maintaining glucose homeostasis and regulating insulin secretion and sensitivity.3,4 Therefore, it’s not surprising research indicates that individuals show impaired metabolic control (eg, fasting glucose, two-hour postprandial glucose, hemoglobin A1c), decreased insulin sensitivity, or impaired insulin secretion when they have low magnesium levels.5

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References:

1. Dong JY, Xun P, He K, Qin LQ. Magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Diabetes Care. 2011;34(9):2116-2122.

2. Larsson SC, Wolk A. Magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis. J Intern Med. 2007;262(2):208-214.

3. Rodríguez-Morán M, Guerrero-Romero F. Insulin secretion is decreased in non-diabetic individuals with hypomagnesaemia. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2011;27(6):590-596.

4. Guerrero-Romero F, Tamez-Perez HE, González-González G, et al. Oral magnesium supplementation improves insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic subjects with insulin resistance. A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. Diabetes Metab. 2004;30(3):253-258.

5. Sales CH, Pedrosa LF, Lima JG, Lemos TM, Colli C. Influence of magnesium status and magnesium intake on the blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Clin Nutr. 2011;30(3):359-364.