Lower Magnesium intake tied to rising blood sugar

Lower Magnesium intake tied to rising blood sugar

The University of Massachusetts Medical School measured the Magnesium intake of 234 people and found that over 70% did not meet the RDA for Magnesium consumption. This is in keeping with other research indicating that less than 20% to 30% of the population consumes adequate Magnesium.

Their Magnesium intake was graded at the start of the study, and again six-months and twelve-months into the study. All of these234 people had metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is quit common in the USA and consists of health risks that would be found in a cluster of dangerous conditions that damage health and shorten lifespan. These conditions include obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, increasing levels of sugar in the blood and insulin resistance. Fatty infiltration of the liver and/or generalized inflammation is also commonly part of the syndrome. People with metabolic syndrome can have many of these conditions but do not have to have them all. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that some 75 million Americans suffer with metabolic syndrome.

The typical intake for Magnesium in these people on the road to terrible health was 287 mg per day. The higher the amount of Magnesium consumed daily the better their response to insulin. Fasting blood sugar and insulin levels were tied directly into Magnesium intake. People in the top 25% of Magnesium intake had much better fasting blood sugar and insulin levels compared to the bottom 25% of daily intake with a 71% lower odds of having sugar and insulin abnormalities. For individuals meeting the RDA for Magnesium, they had a 63% chance of having better blood sugar levels and insulin over time. These findings indicate that Magnesium intake is inadequate among non-diabetic individuals with metabolic syndrome and suggest that increasing dietary magnesium to meet the RDA has a protective effect on insulin resistance. The study is published on October 2013 in the journal Nutrients.