Magnesium Supplementation

If your loved one is suffering from diabetes, you think that you can’t help much, right? No, you are wrong. You can help. You can help by looking out and carefully planning his diet so that it can include various supplements that help in fighting diabetes. Just consult your physician and be an active part in fighting diabetes out of our home.

It is well known that diabetes mellitus and magnesium deficiency are linked with each other. In fact, magnesium plays a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetes itself. Diabetic patients all over the world have shown an improvement in insulin sensitivity with magnesium supplementation. Based on the knowledge and properties of magnesium, clinicians have now sufficient reasons to believe that magnesium repletion can play a role in delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes. Magnesium plays an essential role in carbohydrate metabolism. It may influence the activity and release of insulin. Correcting magnesium deficiency in older adults can improve insulin action and response.

Studies have shown that extracellular and intracellular magnesium deficiency is typical in type 2 diabetes and may be a predisposing factor for the growth of excess cardiovascular morbidity associated with diabetes. The key feature in type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance which is associated with reduced intracellular magnesium. This shortage can be mitigated with magnesium supplements.

There are several factors that lead to extreme low level of magnesium in diabetic patients. The link between magnesium deficiency and diabetes can be established by observing the treatments for type 2 diabetes patients which appear to increase magnesium levels in the body of diabetic patients. Metformin, a medicine that is used by type 2 diabetic patients, helps increase magnesium level in the body.

Experts have indicated that hypomagnesemia leads to reduction of inositol transport and in the subsequent depletion of inositol that might enhance diabetic complications. Its role in the outcome of diabetic morbidity is evident. A clear association has been reported between the lowest consumption of dietary magnesium and the highest degree of insulin resistance among the non diabetic subjects.

The intake of oral magnesium supplementation in diabetes can be justified with the following

It corrects the deficit in intracellular free magnesium levels
It improves insulin sensitivity and response
It reduces reactivity of platelets
It may help reduce blood pressure
It may also protect one against diabetes and its complications.
It is for these reasons magnesium is called as a wonder drug among experts allover the world.
Dietary sources of Magnesium:

Green vegetables like spinach, collard, legumes (beans and peas), nuts and seeds, and whole, unrefined grains are good sources of magnesium. Product made from whole grains can be eaten as a fair source of calcium but refined flour products doest not contains magnesium in good amount as the magnesium rich bran are no more available in those products.

Recommended Dietary Allowances for magnesium

Age (mo/yrs) Mg/day
0-12 30-75
1-3 80
4-8 130
9-13 240
14-18 410(M)/360 (F)
19-30 400(M)/ 310 (F)
30+ 420(M)/320 (F)