Magnesium is important to diabetics because of its role in blood sugar metabolism. Diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar levels, and insulin is the hormone responsible for its regulation. Insulin works by escorting blood sugar or glucose into cells where it's burned for fuel or stored. Magnesium is the mineral insulin uses to deposit glucose into the cells. This pathway makes magnesium deficiency a likely suspect in the event of a problem with glucose metabolism.
Type 1 Diabetics
The Nutritional Magnesium Association website describes the different pathways to magnesium deficiency relative to type 1 and type 2 diabetics. In type 1 diabetes, the body doesn't produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar at its proper level, causing the blood to become sugar-saturated. The kidneys go to work and attempt to excrete the excess glucose but in the process deplete the body's stores of magnesium. The combination of high blood sugar and low magnesium can be lethal.
Type 2 Diabetics
In type 2 diabetics, the body produces adequate supplies of insulin, but for a variety of reasons the insulin can't do its job of delivering glucose to cells for fuel and storage. This is the condition known as insulin resistance, and the primary cells involved are fat, muscle and liver tissue cells. Magnesium is needed for insulin to signal these cells to take in glucose, so it stands to reason to investigate the availability of magnesium when insulin resistance is a problem.
Supplementing Magnesium
An article in the November 2010 issue of "Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism" reported on a trial of 27 insulin-resistant volunteers. The participants supplemented 365 mg of magnesium in the form of magnesium-aspartate-hydrocholoride every day for six months. Data analysis showed that the participants improved significantly in two out of three measures for insulin resistance with a simultaneous improvement in blood sugar levels. The researchers noted that their results echo an earlier analysis in which it was reported that for every 100 mg of supplemented magnesium, the chances of developing type 2 diabetes dropped by 15 percent.
Magnesium Requirements
The March 2008 issue of "Critical Reviews in Food Science Nutrition" notes that chronic magnesium deficiency is associated with insulin resistance and that magnesium is a cofactor of more than 300 metabolic processes. Nonetheless, between 50 and 85 percent of the U.S. population does not have an adequate intake. The Recommended Daily Allowance or RDA for women is 320 mg per day and up to 420 mg per day for men. Anyone who is insulin-resistant should monitor magnesium intake. Good dietary sources include dark green leafy vegetables, bananas and legumes.
References
- "Critical Reviews in Food Science Nutrition"; Magnesium, the metabolic syndrome; S.L. Volpe; March 2008
- Nutritional Magnesium Association: Diabetes Type 2 and Magnesium Supplements
- "Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism"; Oral magnesium supplementation reduces insulin resistance; F. Moren, K. Kruger, et al.; November 2010
