Do you get enough magnesium? Studies suggest Type 2 Diabetes risk may fall as magnesium intake increases

Anna Berstein, HypoglycemicDiet.org

Can you get enough magnesium in your diet? Did you know it could aid the prevention of diabetes type 2?


 Dr. Ka He from the University of North carolina at Chapel Hill and colleagues have found that folks who consumed the most magnesium from foods and vitamin supplements were about half as prone to develop diabetes over the next two decades as folks who took in the least magnesium.


In their study, they checked out magnesium intake and diabetes risk in 4,497 men and women aged 18 to thirty years old, none of whom were diabetic in the study's outset. Throughout a 20-year follow-up period, 330 of the subjects developed diabetes.


People with the highest magnesium intake were 47 percent less likely to develop diabetes compared to those eating the lowest intakes (average of 100 milligrams of magnesium per 1,000 calories).
The study noted, however, that large clinical trials testing the end results of magnesium on diabetes risk are expected to ascertain whether a causal relationship truly exists.


The final results on this study could explain why eating whole grains, that are elevated in magnesium, is linked to lower diabetes risk. Even though whole grain products really are a common supply of magnesium, there are numerous other sources of magnesium to consider.


Vegetables including spinach are fantastic sources because the center of the chlorophyll molecule (which provides green vegetables their color) contains magnesium. Some legumes (beans and peas), nuts and seeds, and whole, unrefined grains will also be good sources.


Regular water can be a source of magnesium, but the amount varies according to the water supply. Water that naturally contains more minerals is described as "hard."


The proposed reasons why an increased intake of magnesium could lower the risk for developing type two diabetes vary, but according to the National Institutes of Health, Magnesium plays an essential role in carbohydrate metabolism. It may influence the release and activity of insulin, the hormone that helps control blood glucose (sugar) levels.


The lesson? Increasing magnesium intake may be very important for improving insulin sensitivity, reducing systemic inflammation, and decreasing diabetes risk.


So exactly what are you looking forward to? Begin right now to introduce more magnesium rich foods as part of your daily diet!


 A. S. Bernstein is writing for hypoglycemicdiet.org, her personal hobby blog about suggestions to aid individuals to prevent Diabetes and enhance the awareness on healthy eating.

Resource for this article: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_103722.html