Study highlights vital role of magnesium in type 2 diabetes

Low magnesium status may exacerbate the symptoms of type 2 diabetes by further influencing insulin status, according to new research.

The study, published in Clinical Nutrition, finds that long-term hyperglycemia (a condition that leads to excess levels of magnesium in the urine) in patients with type-2 diabetes increases the risk of chronic complications such as nephropathy and may exacerbate and aggravate other clinical conditions associated with diabetes.

The authors said that an adequate magnesium intake is essential for subjects with type-2 diabetes, noting that magnesium intake was inadequate in most (82 percent) of the diabetic subjects studied.

“The results presented here show that magnesium intake by the study population was inadequate and that a high percentage of individuals presented alterations in the status of this mineral,” said the authors, led by Cristiane Hermes Sales from the Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition at the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential in the regulation of many cellular processes and functions as a cofactor in a wide range of metabolic reactions.

Variations in the distribution of magnesium within the body are associated with several disease states, especially diabetes – a disorder which represents a global public health concern.

Sales and colleagues explained that the function of insulin is dependent on magnesium, as it is responsible for the activation of insulin receptors and for stimulation of proteins and substrates involved in insulin signaling.

Previous research has suggested the magnesium intake of patients with diabetes to often be below recommended levels. The researchers noted that there is also evidence that the magnesium status of patients with diabetes tends to alter, and that low levels may influence the evolution of the disease by generating further complications.

“Although some epidemiological studies have suggested that adequate magnesium intake reduces the risk of development of type 2 diabetes, there are still contradictions with respect to the role of low magnesium intake as a predictor factor for this disease,” said Sales and co workers.

The new research assessed magnesium intake status in patients with type 2 diabetes, in order to identify the parameters that best predict alterations in fasting glucose and plasma magnesium.

Study details

Sales and colleagues reported that 77 percent of participants presented one or more magnesium status parameters below the cut-off points for deficiency.

The glycemic levels of patients with type-2 diabetes were found to be influenced by magnesium levels.

The authors reported that concentrations of plasma magnesium were inversely correlated with fasting and 2-h post meal glucose levels, adding that levels of urine magnesium were directly associated with fasting glucose.

Within subjects evaluated, 63 percent were found to have low concentrations of plasma magnesium – indicating alterations in the compartmentalization of this mineral, according to the authors.

The authors said that since magnesium is essential, owing to its involvement in the magnesium-ATP complex that takes part in all transfer reactions that use and supply energy, it is not surprising that deficiency of the mineral is implicated in the impairment of metabolic control.

They concluded that impaired kidney function may lead to high levels of magnesium in the urine, which together with low magnesium intake can induce a rise of glucose in the blood.

Source: Clinical Nutrition
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2010.12.011
“Influence of magnesium status and magnesium intake on the blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes”
Authors: C.H. Sales, L.F.C. Pedrosa, J.G. Lima, T.M.A.M. Lemos, C. Colli

Vitamin D supplement use increases 50% among US users; herbs slide, finds survey

Vitamin D penetration has jumped 50% in the past two years in the US, according to a new survey of 6000 supplement buyers conducted by product tester and market scrutineer, ConsumerLab.com, that also recorded dwindling herbal interest.

Its 105-page report found vitamin D use had skyrocketed, especially among women who also were more likely to use calcium and probiotics, and that omega-3 fish oil supplements were exerting a “growing dominance”, used by 75.7 percent of respondents as opposed to 74 percent in 2009.

Unlike many of the other 31 supplement types that featured in the survey, fish oil consumption was ubiquitous among all age groups and both genders.

ConsumerLab.com found 56.2 percent of people surveyed were vitamin D supplement users, compared to 47.9 percent in the 2009 survey and 36.9 percent in 2008 – a 52 percent hike.

“In contrast to fish oil, vitamin D use increased with age and by gender – 61 percent of women used vitamin D compared to 51 percent of men,” ConsumerLab.com president, Tod Cooperman told NutraIngredients-USA.com

Multivitamin consumption rates dropped slightly to 70.1 percent from 72 percent in 2009 among those polled – taken from ConsumerLab’s e-newsletter subscription list.

Botanicals took a hit in 2010 with only 37.6 pecent or respondents reporting using them compared with 44 percent in 2009. Glucosamine/chondroitin fell from 38.5 percent to 35.3 percent.

Online outlets were the most popular with 46.5 percent of people using them, compared to 44.1 percent in 2009 and 39.9 percent in 2008. Vitamin stores, mass merchants and direct distributors registered a small drop in patronage.

Other findings included:

• Men were more likely than women to have taken coQ10, herbs and extracts, glucosamine/chondroitin, vitamin E, resveratrol, amino acids, nutrition drinks and powders.
• Younger adults (35-44) were more likely than older adults (75-84) to have used multivitamins, amino acids, nutrition/protein drinks and powders, green tea, nutrition bars and iron.
• Older adults were more likely to have used vitamin D, calcium, CoQ10, vitamin C, vitamin E, resveratrol, vitamin K, and red yeast rice.

Calcium passed CoQ10 to become the fourth most popular supplement with use rising from 51.2 percent in 2009 to 55.3 percent last year. CoQ10 dropped from 55.3 percent to 51.2 percent over the same period.