Magnesium is essential - should you consider taking a supplement?

Magnesium is vital for your health and quality of life in many ways. Still, around 30 percent of the population is believed to be magnesium deficient. This can either be because of an inadequate dietary intake of the mineral or because the body excretes too much magnesium due to stress, medication, chronic ailments, and other causes. Magnesium deficiency, which is difficult to diagnose, increases the risk of osteoporosis, infections, insomnia, cardiovascular diseases, overweight, diabetes, stroke, cancer, neurological disorders, and many other things, according to a review article published in Clinics and Practice. The authors list magnesium’s many functions and suggest supplementation as a convenient and inexpensive way to avoid a serious and widespread health problem.

Magnesium is an essential mineral that is primarily found inside our cells, where it regulates calcium uptake and supports hundreds of different enzyme processes that are relevant for energy turnover, DNA synthesis, bone health, nerves, digestion, fluid balance, blood pressure, cardiovascular health, blood sugar, immune defense, and many other things.
Dietary magnesium and magnesium from supplements is absorbed in the small intestine as free ions and carried to the bloodstream. An adult contains around 25 grams (1,000 nmol) of magnesium, with 60 percent in the bones and around 39 percent in cells in the soft tissues. Because only 0.3 to 1.0 percent of the body’s magnesium is found outside the cells in the blood it is difficult to use a blood test to detect a magnesium deficiency, and magnesium deficiencies are a big and overlooked health problem. Around 30 percent of the population in Western countries is believed to lack magnesium, which increases the risk of poor well-being, serious diseases, and early death. In a new review article, researchers looked at a long list of published studies that they found by trawling databases like PubMed and Google Scholar. The studies looked at the relation between magnesium deficiency and diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, COVID-19 and other respiratory ailments, cancer, and neurological diseases. They found the following:

• Magnesium deficiency, insulin resistance, and diabetes

Insulin is produced by the pancreas when we ingest carbohydrates. Afterwards, they are broken down into blood sugar (glucose). Magnesium is important for the cells’ insulin sensitivity, which is vital for their ability to take up glucose for their energy turnover.
Lack of magnesium increases the risk of insulin resistance, where the cells’ glucose uptake is impaired. This results in a weak satiety response, and there is a risk of inadequate clearing of excess calories from the blood stream. Instead, the calories are stored as fat, especially abdominal fat. Insulin resistance is a part of metabolic syndrome that is also characterized by hypertension, elevated cholesterol levels, and chronic low-grade inflammation.
Metabolic syndrome is an early stage of type 2 diabetes. Studies of animals and humans have demonstrated that magnesium deficiency is linked to the development of type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes also increase the body’s magnesium excretion, which increases the need for the mineral.
A meta-analysis and several other studies have shown that increased magnesium intake from dietary sources and supplements can improve the body’s insulin resistance, reduce chronic inflammation, and control other metabolic disturbances in type 2 diabetics.

• Magnesium deficiency, cardiovascular diseases, and early death

There are several reasons why being magnesium deficient can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and early death. A major cause of cardiovascular diseases is chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which occur in connection with type 2 diabetes.
In chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, the protective antioxidants are outnumbered by harmful free radicals. Free radicals are produced naturally as a byproduct of the body’s energy turnover, and the number of free radicals is heavily increased by ageing, smoking, chronic disease, poisoning, and the use of different kinds of medicine.
When there is oxidative stress, there is a risk of free radicals attacking cholesterol, causing this essential lipid to oxidize. In that case, it can no longer carry out its many functions such as cell membrane integrity and the synthesis of vitamin D, Q10, and steroid hormones. Instead, the oxidized cholesterol is devoured by white blood cells and embedded in the blood vessel walls as so-called foam cells. It is the oxidized and destroyed cholesterol that sets the stage for atherosclerosis.
Magnesium appears to serve as a useful antioxidant that protects cholesterol by way of different mechanisms, including the cells’ oxygen turnover and the regulation of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. In the case of a magnesium deficiency, the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease increases, and too little magnesium can also cause sudden cardiac death.
If atherosclerosis is caused by metabolic syndrome, diabetes, or kidney diseases, a magnesium deficiency can advance cardiovascular complications. On the other hand, a sufficient magnesium intake can prevent or delay atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular disorders.

• Magnesium deficiency, the immune defense, and respiratory ailments

Magnesium is important for the innate immune defense, which enables different proteins and white blood cells to combat pathogens without causing any symptoms. The innate immune defense also communicates with the adaptive immune defense, which is more specialized and uses T cells, B cells, and antibodies.
When the immune defense attacks pathogens in connection with inflammatory processes, it uses free radicals as a type of missiles. It is vital that the proteins and the white blood cells of the immune defense are able to communicate, attack precisely, and withdraw in time.
A magnesium deficiency may result in an unwanted activation of the innate immune defense, which can lead to chronic, systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Lack of magnesium also affects the different T cells that protect against virus infections and abnormal cells.
It has been known for nearly 100 years that magnesium supplements can relieve the symptoms of respiratory infections, support bronchial function, and improve breathing.
Patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19 often lack magnesium. This can play a major role in the development of hyperinflammation, which can make an infection life-threatening. Blood poisoning is also a result of hyperinflammation. Magnesium deficiency has also been associated with an increased risk of being admitted to the intensive care unit and dying of blood poisoning.
Magnesium deficiency can trigger autoimmune disorders that are characterized by chronic inflammation, and where the immune defense attacks the body’s own tissues.
The body’s magnesium status is directly linked to the capacity and normal function of the immune system. Also, magnesium is important for the activation of vitamin D, a nutrient that is also important for the immune defense and many other functions.

• Magnesium deficiency and cancer

Some studies have linked magnesium deficiency to an increased risk of intestinal cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and lung cancer. The link between magnesium deficiency and cancer is rather complex.
As mentioned earlier, magnesium is important for the immune defense, which must be able to fight abnormal cells such as cancer cells. Chronic low-grade inflammation plays a major role in the development and spread of cancer, and a magnesium deficiency is able to cause unwanted activation of various pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF, interleukin 1, and interleukin 6).
Cancer is also characterized by poor energy turnover inside the mitochondria. Here, magnesium is important for mitochondrial energy utilization and for protecting the mitochondria against oxidative stress caused by free radicals.
Cancer is also characterized by damage to the cellular DNA. It is known that magnesium-containing enzymes support the cells’ DNA replication and their ability to repair damaged DNA.
Studies of cell cultures show that magnesium can trigger apoptosis in cancer cells. Apoptosis is programmed self-destruction that is carried out by the cells.
Magnesium’s ability to activate vitamin D is also vital, and a vitamin D deficiency can increase the risk of several cancer forms.

• Neurological disorders

Magnesium supports the nervous system in many different ways. One of its most important functions is to serve as a door bolt in cell membranes and regulate the amount of calcium that enters cells. Around 99 percent of our magnesium is stored in our bones and teeth. The calcium concentration in nerve cells and cells in our soft tissues, on the other hand, must be kept at a minimum. Calcium is essential for nerve impulses that enable muscle contractions, including the contractions of the heart muscle. If we lack magnesium, there is a risk of nerve cells and muscle cells being flooded by calcium (calcium ions), which causes them to overreact. This stresses the ells and may result in inflammation.
You can think of magnesium as a calcium channel blocker.
Magnesium is also involved in maintaining and regulating the blood-brain-barrier and different proteins (neurotrophins) such as BDNF (brain-derived-neurotrophic factor) that is important for brain plasticity, learning, and memory.
Magnesium also stimulates GABA, a neurotransmitter that can inhibit overactive nerve cells.
Lack of magnesium is linked to the development and severity of different neurological and psychiatric disturbances, including insomnia, irritability, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, psychotic conditions, hyperactivity, headache/migraine, dizziness, and involuntary shaking.
For more than 30 years, science has known about the relation between magnesium deficiency and dementia, and low magnesium levels have been detected in several tissues in Alzheimer’s patients.
A study has shown that supplementation with magnesium L-threonate protects nerve cells in the hippocampus against oxidative stress an apoptosis.
Magnesium supplementation can also reduce the accumulation of toxic proteins and improve learning in Alzheimer’s patients. Although more research is needed, it appears that people who get plenty of magnesium have a lower risk of developing cognitive impairment.

Prevention, requirements, and magnesium supplementation

Good sources of magnesium include wholegrains, vegetables, legumes, and nuts. The authors of the review study say that increased magnesium intake can prevent or delay the development of many diseases. Beware that stress, overweight, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, diuretics, antacids, and excessive alcohol intake can increase the need for magnesium.
The official recommendation for magnesium intake in Denmark is 375 mg daily but the study authors recommend 500 mg for optimal health and well-being. Supplementation is a convenient and inexpensive intervention. When choosing magnesium supplements, always look for organic magnesium with good absorption so the magnesium is absorbed as free ions in the blood.

Reference:

Àkos Géza et al. Magnesium Is a Vital Ion in the Body – It Is Time to Consider Its Supplementation on a routine Basis. Clinics and Practice 2024

Ruyu Huang et al. Associations of dietary magnesium intake with the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and mortality in individuals with and without type 2 diabetes: A prospective study in the UK Biobank Diabetes Metab 2024