Two medical studies reveal that people who consumed the most magnesium in their diets were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
According to Dr. Simin Liu of the Harvard Medical School and School of Public Health in Boston, there is direct evidence that greater intake of dietary magnesium may have a long-term protective effect on lowering risk.
"The take-home message for the public is that a diet rich in plant-based foods such as nuts, whole grains and vegetables that are high in magnesium may be beneficial for prevention," Liu said.
In one of the studies, researchers evaluated the nutrition of about 85,000 female nurses and more than 42,000 male health professionals every 2 to 4 years. Women were followed for 18 years and the men for 12 years.
In both men and women, those who consumed the most magnesium in their diet were least likely to develop type 2 diabetes during the study, according to a report in the January issue of the journal Diabetes Care.
The second study involved more than 39,000 women who had no history of diabetes, heart disease or cancer. The women were followed for 6 years to see if the amount of magnesium they consumed affected the odds of developing diabetes.
Indeed, women who consumed more magnesium in their diet were less likely to develop diabetes, the researchers report.
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References
Song Y, Manson JE, Buring JE, Liu S. Dietary magnesium intake in relation to plasma insulin levels and risk of type 2 diabetes in women. Diabetes Care. 2004 Jan;27(1):59-65.
Lopez-Ridaura R, Willett WC, Rimm EB, Liu S, Stampfer MJ, Manson JE, Hu FB.Magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in men and women. Diabetes Care. 2004 Jan;27(1):134-40.
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