Diabetes is a chronic metabolic condition that affects how your body is able to use insulin to transport sugar from the bloodstream into the cells. Glucose, or sugar, is used to provide energy to the cells, which then runs your body, organs and muscles. Treatment for diabetes includes exercise, weight loss if needed, and medications that help the body to use glucose. With proper treatment, you can prevent or reduce health problems caused by the disease, which can include blindness, kidney damage and peripheral vascular disease.
Magnesium
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Approximately 50 percent of the magnesium in your body can be found in bone tissue; the other half is in cells. The body tightly controls the remaining 1 percent of magnesium found in the bloodstream. Inside the cells, magnesium is used to control muscle and nerve function, support a healthy immune system and promote normal blood pressure; it also helps regulate blood sugar levels.
Use
Magnesium also plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism; it may have a role in the release and activity of insulin, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Low levels of magnesium are found in people with Type 2 diabetes; this can worsen insulin resistance. If you are resistant to insulin or your body is not able to use it properly, you will require greater and greater amounts of the hormone to move glucose from your bloodstream into the cells. The kidneys may also lose their ability to retain magnesium when your blood sugar is high; this results in a greater loss of magnesium, increasing the resistance to insulin. Conversely, a study from Harvard Medical School found that people who eat foods rich in magnesium can reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Despite some disagreement about the way the two studies were run, both indicated that an increase in magnesium was good for the general population; Harvard scientists found that higher amounts of magnesium-rich foods could reduce the risk of diabetes. However, they also found that supplements and multivitamins did not have a similar preventive or protective effect.
Polyneuropathy
Polyneuropathy is a neurological condition that affects people in the latter stages of diabetes. In a study published in "Magnesium Research," researchers found that magnesium could contribute to improving neurological function in patients who had low levels of magnesium, were diabetic for a shorter amount of time and who were younger. Researchers theorize that supplementation may help to improve nerve conduction, but further studies are needed to confirm these results.
Foods
Rich food sources of magnesium include tofu, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, Brazil nuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin and squash seeds, pine nuts and black walnuts, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Herbs and spices that supply magnesium include tarragon, poppy seed, cocoa powder, basil, mustard and dill. Other sources include bran cereals, oatmeal, bananas, baked potatoes and chocolate.
References
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Magnesium
- The Harvard Crimson; "Magnesium Rich Foods Reduce Diabetes Risk, Study Says"; January 2004
- Magnesium Research; "Are Low Magnesium Levels in Type 1 Diabetes Associated with Electromyographical Signs of Polyneuropathy?"; W. Engelen, A. Bouten, I. DeLeeuw and C. De Block; September 2000
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Magnesium
