Thursday, December 08, 2005

Magnesium could reduce osteoporosis risk

Increasing magnesium intake could increase bone density in the elderly and reduce the risk of osteoporosis, suggests a large American study.

"Higher Mg intake through diet and supplements was positively associated with total-body [bone mineral density] BMD in older white men and women. For every 100 mg per day increase in Mg, there was an approximate 2 per cent increase in whole-body BMD," said Kathryn Ryder and colleagues.

More than 2,000 volunteers aged 70 to 79 took part in the cross-sectional American study by completing a food-frequency questionnaire. All supplements and dietary intakes of magnesium were calculated from ingredients databases.

Dietary sources of magnesium include green, leafy vegetables, meats, starches, grains and nuts, and milk. Earlier dietary surveys show that a large portion of adults do not meet the RDA for magnesium (320 mg per day for women and 420 mg per day for men).

Responding to this study, a spokesperson for the UK-based charity, the National Osteoporosis Society, said: "Although there have been previous studies into the effect of magnesium on bone density, it is always encouraging to learn of studies which help build upon our knowledge of bone health."

The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society (November, Vol 53, No 11, pp 1875-1880).

Steve - Music to our ears. For many of you that know us well, we have been touting magensium as one of the most important yet most deficient nutrients in humans.

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