Would you get enough magnesium in your diet? Were you aware it could help prevent type 2 diabetes?
Dr. Ka He from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and colleagues have found that people who ingested the most magnesium from foods and vitamin supplements were about half as likely to develop diabetes in the next two decades as folks who took no magnesium at all.
Inside their study, the researchers looked at magnesium intake and diabetes risk in 4,497 males and females aged 18 to 30 years old, none of whom were diabetic at the study’s outset. Throughout a 20-year follow-up period, 330 of the subjects developed diabetes.
The folks with the highest magnesium intake were 47 percent less prone to develop diabetes than those eating the lowest intakes (average of 100 milligrams of magnesium per 1,000 calories).
The researchers noted, however, that large clinical trials testing the effects of magnesium on diabetes risk are essential to determine whether a causal relationship truly exists.
The outcome on this study could explain why usage of whole grain products, which can be full of magnesium, is related to lower diabetes risk. And while grains can be a common way to obtain magnesium, there are numerous other sources of magnesium to think about.
Vegetables including spinach are great sources because the middle of the chlorophyll molecule (which gives vegetables their color) contains magnesium. Some legumes (beans and peas), seeds and nuts, and whole, unrefined grains will also be good sources.
Tap water may also be a source of magnesium, but the amount varies based on the water supply. Water that naturally contains more minerals is called “hard.”
The proposed arguments why an increased intake of magnesium could lower the risk for developing type ii diabetes vary, but according to the National Institutes of Health, Magnesium plays a crucial role in carbohydrate metabolism. It may influence the release and activity of insulin, the hormone that helps manage blood glucose (sugar) levels.
The lesson? Increasing magnesium intake could possibly be necessary for improving insulin sensitivity, reducing systemic inflammation, and decreasing diabetes risk.
And you? What are you waiting for? Start now to introduce more magnesium rich foods in your daily diet!
About our Guest Author: Anna Sophie Bernstein is writing for the hypoglycemic diet website, her personal hobby blog dedicated to suggestions to aid individuals to prevent Diabetes and enhance the awareness on healthy eating.