Magnesium Health Watch

We’ve discussed magnesium and its consideration when treating diabetes.  Here’s what the National Institute of Health’s dietary supplement guide has to say about the role of magnesium in diabetes.

“Magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism. It may influence the release and activity of insulin, the hormone that helps control blood glucose (sugar) levels. Low blood levels of magnesium (hypomagnesemia) are frequently seen in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Hypomagnesemia may worsen insulin resistance, a condition that often precedes diabetes, or may be a consequence of insulin resistance. Individuals with insulin resistance do not use insulin efficiently and require greater amounts of insulin to maintain blood sugar within normal levels. The kidneys possibly lose their ability to retain magnesium during periods of severe hyperglycemia (significantly elevated blood glucose). The increased loss of magnesium in urine may then result in lower blood levels of magnesium.  In  older adults, correcting magnesium depletion may improve insulin response and action.”

via Magnesium Dietary Supplements | National Institutes of Health.

In this excellent list at Wake Up and Breathe, Lorraine mentions another way that magnesium can help the body. Magnesium can be used to help treat PMS.  While vitamins are helpful in addressing skin, stress and mood issues associated with pms, calcium combined with magnesium can help cramps.  Magnesium helps the body absorb the needed calcium that helps minimize pain.

“Fight PMS with calcium and magnesium: Calcium prevents menstrual cramps and pain. Magnesium helps the body in absorbing calcium. Magnesium helps in controlling premenstrual food cravings and stabilizing moods. If you do not suffer from lactose intolerance, you can opt for skim milk as a source of calcium. Include green leafy vegetables, beans, peas, tofu and canned salmon for calcium and spinach, tofu, rice bran and some fish like halibut and mackerel for magnesium.”

12 Ways to Fight PMS | Wake Up And Breathe.

The Baltimore City Public School System has adopted an initiative called “Meatless Mondays,” part of an effort in improving personal health and nutrition in its students.  We suspect students’ mineral intake increases as a result of having more healthful options including beans, legumes, nuts and fresh produce.  Eating these alternatives to meat, students receive additional magnesium, protein and iron.   In addition, they’ll skip the unhealthy saturated fats that come with many meats.

The idea of Meatless Mondays was recently discussed on Oprah.

“People are confused about how to start making improvements to their health, let alone make sizable changes to the environment. Start with what you put on your dinner plate. Start today. You don’t have to become a vegetarian to make a difference. Michael Pollan recently stated on the Oprah show: “Even one meatless day a week — a meatless Monday, which is what we do in my household — if everybody in America did that, that would be the equivalent of taking 20 million mid-size sedans off the road.”

Joshua Rosenthal: Diet Change: Save the Planet With Meatless Mondays.

An interesting study conducted at Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have concluded that people who are at risk for diabetes should eat a diet high in magnesium-rich foods.  This helps decrease the likelihood of getting diabetes.  Earthtimes shares some information about the study:

“In the first study, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health evaluated the dietary intake of specific nutrients for more than 85,000 women and more than 42,000 men, in data supplied over 18 years for the women and over 12 years for the men. They found that the men and women whose diets included the largest amounts of magnesium were the least likely to develop type 2. Most of the participants in the studies consumed magnesium through foods, such as whole grains, nuts and green leafy vegetables; less than 5 percent of those followed took magnesium supplements.”

Magnesium diet lowers diabetes risk.

Fortunately for vegetarians, many vegetables contain high levels of minerals, particularly magnesium.  But this doesn’t mean that vegetarians shouldn’t be aware of magnesium deficiency, a condition which affects millions of Americans. This article at Savvy Vegetarian discusses the importance of magnesium as part of a vegetarian diet.  It also provides some interesting information on mineral content in drinking water.

“Health conscious vegetarians are often inclined to drink lots of water, and herbal teas*, made with water. They are generally concerned with the quality of drinking water, as are sensible people everywhere. That may lead to the use of distilled or Reverse Osmosis treated water, both of which strip all minerals from the water. The mineral deficient water that you drink, or cook with, pulls minerals from your food and your body, instead of adding them.”

Magnesium An Important Nutrient for Vegetarian Health.