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Magnesium & Obesity

Aug 18, 2011 | By Angela Ogunjimi
Magnesium & Obesity
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Magnesium is an important nutrient that you need to consume every day. Most Americans are overweight or obese, and most Americans have a mild-to-moderate magnesium deficiency. That's no coincidence. Scientists think a magnesium deficiency may play a role in the low-grade inflammation seen in obese people, and they think it contributes to the diagnoses of diseases related to obesity.

Magnesium

Magnesium is an elemental multitasker. It's involved in more than 300 metabolic processes. It helps produce energy. The production of genetic material uses magnesium in several steps, and the mineral helps cells "talk" to each other. Your body has about 25 g of stored magnesium. Most of it is in your bones, but some is also found in your muscles and other cells. However, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, most people don't consume enough, generally because Americans don't eat enough vegetables. The Institute of Medicine recommends women get between 310 and 320 mg of magnesium daily, and men should get between 410 and 420 mg daily. Magnesium is abundant in oat bran, spinach, Swiss chard, lima beans, peanuts, almonds and bananas.

Obesity in the United States

Obesity in the United States is at crisis level. Fully one-third, or 33.8 percent, of American adults are obese, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey published in the Jan. 20, 2010 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association." Among men, the obesity rate is 32.2 percent and it's 35.5 percent among women. However, overall rates mask the disproportionate rates of obesity among different groups. For example, more than half of all African Americans between the ages of 40 and 60 are obese. More than 46 percent of Hispanics in those age ranges are obese, according to the JAMA survey. Obesity-related medical costs topped $147 billion in 2008, according to the CDC. Obesity is a major contributor to some of the nation's leading causes of death, including heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

The Connections

Most American adults, about 60 percent, don't get enough magnesium, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher reporting in the June 2010 "Nutrition Reviews." A low magnesium level is related to many health conditions, such as heart disease, through inflammation. Obesity is marked by a low-grade inflammation, and high numbers of obese people have low magnesium levels. A report by two University of California researchers in the July-September 2007 "California Agriculture" suggests stores of magnesium decrease as weight climbs. The "Nutrition Reviews" author said a marginal-to-moderate magnesium level among obese people contributes to obesity-related chronic diseases, including hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes and cancer.

Dieting and Surgery

Obese people who subject themselves to severe calorie restriction are at increased risk of depleting their magnesium stores. This is especially risky when magnesium concentrated in heart muscles empty out. It is a major reason some dieting strategies among obese people result in sudden heart attack death. Low-calorie dieting should always happen under the guidance of a health care provider who can assess your nutritional status. In addition, some forms of bariatric surgery can increase magnesium levels in obese people. In a study of 21 morbidly people undergoing Roux-en-Y bypass, participants experienced an average 8 percent increase in magnesium, compared with obese people in the control group. The Swedish researchers publishing in the September 2009 issue of "Obesity Surgery" said more research is needed to understand the underlying mechanism causing this increase.

References

Article reviewed by Sharon Last updated on: Aug 18, 2011

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