Magnesium is a mineral and a nutrient essential for life. It is required for many cellular processes such as energy production, DNA and RNA synthesis, and bone mineralization. Deficiency of magnesium is rare in healthy individuals but may occur due to various physiological and pathological conditions.
Dietary intake of magnesium is influenced by various factors such as the type and amount of foods consumed, the status of the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys, and hormonal changes that modify dietary absorption or transit speed of magnesium. In the general population, magnesium deficiency is rarely observed; however, several conditions may increase the requirements of this nutrient, including obesity, diabetes type II, PCOS, metabolic syndrome, fibromyalgia, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Increasing dietary magnesium intake has been associated with increased whole-body and site-specific bone mineral density in observational studies. This has led to the hypothesis that dietary magnesium might be used for prevention of osteoporosis, but more research is needed to determine whether this can be achieved through supplementation alone or in combination with other approaches.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of disorders that are associated with an elevated risk for developing certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and some types of cancer. Metabolic syndrome is thought to be a result of abnormalities in the regulation of blood pressure, glucose, and fat metabolism.
In clinical trials, a combination of supplemental magnesium and calcium sulfate has been shown to decrease systolic blood pressure in people with chronic kidney disease, and in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus or coronary heart disease, it has been found to reduce diastolic blood pressure as well. A 2017 meta-analysis comparing magnesium supplementation with placebo in participants with preclinical (insulin resistance or prediabetes) or clinical conditions, found that those who received a daily supplemental dose of up to 450 mg of magnesium had a 4.18 mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure and a 2.27 mm Hg reduction in diastolic blood pressure, when compared with controls.