Magnesium – the Mighty Mineral

Posted on May 10, 2016

Dietary supplementation of magnesium may lower blood sugar and combat insulin resistance.

Magnesium is a mineral that is essential to hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body – notably, the metabolism of glucose and the production of cellular energy. F. Guerrero-Romero, from the Institute at Durango (Mexico), and colleagues enrolled 116 men and non-pregnant women, ages 30 to 65 years, with hypomagnesaemia and newly diagnosed with prediabetes, in a study in which subjects were randomized to receive either magnesium chloride (382mg of magnesium) or an inert placebo, once daily for four months. The group that received magnesium chloride displayed significant reductions in fasting and post-meal blood glucose levels, as well as reduced insulin resistance. Further, the magnesium group also showed reductions in triglycerides and increases in high-density lipoprotein (HDL, “good” cholesterol). The study authors report that: “Our results show that magnesium supplementation reduces plasma glucose levels, and improves the glycemic status of adults with prediabetes and hypomagnesaemia.”

Natural food sources of magnesium include: