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Magnesium
May Lower Diabetes Risk
An apple a day may keep the doctor away,
but new research suggests that nuts, grains, leafy green vegetables
and other foods high in magnesium may keep diabetes at bay.
In two new studies, people who
consumed the most magnesium in their diets were less likely to
develop type 2 diabetes. This type of diabetes occurs when the
body becomes resistant to the effect of the glucose-processing
hormone insulin.
Until now, very few large studies
have directly examined the long-term effects of dietary magnesium
on diabetes, Dr. Simin Liu of the Harvard Medical School and School
of Public Health in Boston told Reuters Health.
"Our studies provided some direct
evidence that greater intake of dietary magnesium may have a long-term
protective effect on lowering risk," said Liu, who was involved
in both studies.
"The take-home message for the
public is that a diet rich in plant-based foods such as nuts,
whole grains and vegetables that are high in magnesium may be
beneficial for prevention," Liu said.
In one of the studies, researchers
evaluated the nutrition of about 85,000 female nurses and more
than 42,000 male health professionals every 2 to 4 years. Women
were followed for 18 years and the men for 12 years.
In both men and women, those who
consumed the most magnesium in their diet were least likely to
develop type 2 diabetes during the study, according to a report
in the January issue of the journal Diabetes Care. This risk reduction
was still present even after researchers adjusted for factors
that could have influenced the results, including age, total calorie
consumption, family history of diabetes, physical activity and
alcohol consumption.
Body mass index (BMI), a measure
of obesity that takes into account weight and height, did have
some effect, but the link between magnesium and a lower risk of
diabetes was still statistically significant.
Most of the participants got their
magnesium from food, not vitamin supplements. Less than 5 percent
took magnesium supplements.
The second study involved more
than 39,000 women who had no history of diabetes, heart disease
or cancer. The women were followed for 6 years to see if the amount
of magnesium they consumed affected the odds of developing diabetes.
Indeed, women who consumed more
magnesium in their diet were less likely to develop diabetes,
the researchers report. But the link between magnesium and diabetes
risk was seen only in women who had a BMI of 25 or higher.
Individuals with a BMI of 25 to
29.9 are considered overweight, while those with a BMI of 30 or
higher are considered obese.
The studies leave some questions
unanswered, such as why the effect of magnesium is most pronounced
in people with a higher BMI, according to Dr. Jerry L. Nadler,
of the University of Virginia Health Science System in Charlottesville.
Despite the questions, Nadler concludes
in a related editorial that "there is now sufficient compelling
evidence to justify support for a randomized prospective clinical
trial to test the effect of consuming major food sources of magnesium,
such as whole grains, nuts and green leafy vegetables, on the
development of type 2 diabetes in a high-risk population."
SOURCE: Diabetes Care, January
2004.
Reference
Source 89
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