Magnesium improves insulin sensitivity
More evidence that magnesium improves insulin function to treat metabolic syndrome and prevent type 2 diabetes is presented in a study just published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. The authors note:
"The incidence of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome correlates with the availability of magnesium (Mg). We studied the effect of oral Mg supplementation on insulin sensitivity and other characteristics of the metabolic syndrome in normomagnesemic, overweight, insulin resistant, non-diabetic subjects."
Note that the study subjects were 'normal' (normomagnesemic) according to the standard blood (serum) test for magnesium. Their study subjects were screened for eligibility with an oral glucose tolerance test and randomized to either a magnesium supplement or placebo. After 6 months they were evaluated for several insulin sensitivity indices (ISI), plasma glucose, serum insulin, blood pressure and lipids. After the intervention period...
"Mg supplementation resulted in a significant improvement of fasting plasma glucose and some ISI compared to placebo...Several mechanisms may be responsible for the beneficial effect of magnesium on insulin resistance...These include direct effects of magnesium on the insulin receptor and its downstream signaling processes, enhanced enzyme activities involved in glucose utilization, prevention of an intracellular calcium overload supposed to negatively affect insulin sensitivity, and finally, anti-inflammatory effects known to improve insulin resistance."
The authors' conclusion adds to the mountain of documentation for the potential value of magnesium supplementation:
"The results provide significant evidence that oral Mg supplementation improves insulin sensitivity even in normomagnesemic, overweight, non-diabetic subjects emphasizing the need for an early optimisation of Mg status to prevent insulin resistance and subsequently type 2 diabetes."
The magnesium blood test used commonly reported and used in this study is not a reliable marker. It is sensitive only to the most severe magnesium deficiencies and does not accurately reflect tissue content. I suggest to the clinicians reading this that they consider testing sublingual epithelial cell magnesium [Mg]i. This can be performed on a simple buccal scrape by IntraCellular Diagnostics, Inc.