Mighty Mineral

Magnesium is a mineral that is essential to hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body – notably, the metabolism of glucose and the production of cellular energy.  F. Guerrero-Romero, from the Institute at Durango (Mexico), and colleagues enrolled 116 men and non-pregnant women, ages 30 to 65 years, with hypomagnesaemia and newly diagnosed with prediabetes, in a study in which subjects were randomized to receive either magnesium chloride (30 mL, 5% solution; equivalent to 382mg of magnesium) or an inert placebo, once daily for four months.  The group that received magnesium chloride displayed significant reductions in fasting and post-meal blood glucose levels, as well as reduced insulin resistance. Further, the magnesium group also showed reductions in triglycerides and increases in high-density lipoprotein (HDL, “good” cholesterol). The study authors report that: “Our results show that magnesium supplementation reduces plasma glucose levels, and improves the glycaemic status of adults with prediabetes and hypomagnesaemia.”