It is well-established that magnesium is a cofactor for many enzymes involved in glucose metabolism. For this reason, in the event that someone experiences a magnesium deficiency, his/her enzymes necessary for glucose metabolism may remain underactive. The underactivity of glucose-metabolizing enzymes could lead to elevated blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia), as a byproduct of magnesium deficiency.
Research shows that increasing magnesium concentrations is capable of improving homeostatic glucose and insulin levels. This is likely due to the fact that when magnesium intake increases (either through diet or supplementation), enzymes metabolize glucose more efficiently and less insulin secretion is necessary to shuttle glucose out of the bloodstream. If your blood glucose levels spike unpredictably to high levels, it’s possible that a lack of magnesium in your diet could be a partial cause.
In fact, a study by Lal, Vasudev, Kela, and Jain (2003) discovered a greater occurrence of hypomagnesemia among persons with Type 2 diabetes than non-diabetic patients, indicative of the fact that chronically low magnesium may induce glucose abnormalities. In the event that glucose abnormalities (e.g. hyperglycemia) result from an underlying magnesium deficiency, supplementation with magnesium could decrease severity or hyperglycemia via augmentation of enzymatic glucose metabolism, islet Beta-cell response, and reversal of insulin resistance. Moreover, a vicious circle may occur in which hyperglycemia (resulting from low magnesium) exacerbates magnesium depletion (through frequent urination or insulin resistance), and the depletion of magnesium promotes increased likelihood of future hyperglycemia.
- Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2253826
- Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8091358
- Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12693452
Full article about Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms, Causes, & Treatments read at http://mentalhealthdaily.com/
Magnesium rich foods
by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center >> CP0403MagnesiumRichFoods.pdf