Magnesium vs. Diabetes: 4 More Things You Should Know

It’s National Diabetes Month, and it would be remiss of us to not mention magnesium. To be fair, we’ve mentioned magnesium and its inverse relationship to diabetes on more than one occasion, but this month, a large meta-analysis was published in Nutrition.  So, it’s worth bringing up, at least, one more time. Here’s four new things that you may not yet know about the relationship between diabetes and magnesium.

1). A New Study Shows Another Deep Connection

The new meta-analysis looked at nine studies that had, all together, over 300,000 diabetic participants and eight studies with over 300 non-diabetic test subjects.  When all the data was examined, the researchers found that increased intakes of magnesium seemed to reduce the risk of metabolic disorders by 22%. Scientists speculate this may be because of magnesium’s pivotal role in glucose metabolism.

2). Diabetics Have Trouble Retaining Magnesium

People afflicted with diabetes will lose more magnesium through urine, often because of the diuretic blood-pressure-lowering drugs.

3). A High-Sugar Diet Depletes the Body’s Supply of Magnesium 

Dr. Carolyn Dean the author of The Magnesium Miracle writes that sugar overload can cause magnesium deficiency in several ways. Mainly, a high-sugar diet produces an acidic pH within the body. To counteract this, the body uses its stores of alkaline minerals like calcium, potassium and magnesium. If the situation is dire enough, the body will even remove these minerals from the teeth and bones. This can lead to tooth decay and other health problems.

4). How Much Magnesium Do Diabetics Need? 

The daily RDA of magnesium is 350 mg. The majority of people in the US, diabetic or not, don’t get that much. (Dr. Dean believes that the amount should be doubled).  Some doctors and researchers even go so far as to suggest that 1000 mg per day may be beneficial for diabetics. (Note: Don’t take this as medical advice. See your doctor and ask what’s right for you).