Diabetes? Check Your Magnesium Level

Increasingly, studies document a high occurrence of low magnesium states in people with diabetes, as well as those with insulin resistance (IR).

For example, in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 63 Type 2 diabetics with decreased magnesium blood levels, oral supplementation improved both insulin sensitivity and metabolic glucose control.

Also, consider the well-known Women’s Health Study (WHS). This research involved a population of 39,345 U.S. women, aged 45 or older with no previous history of cardiovascular disease, cancer, or Type 2 diabetes. Over six years of follow-up, nearly 920 women (2.3 percent) developed diabetes. A significant inverse relationship between magnesium intake and risk for Type 2 diabetes was reported. As magnesium levels went down, the incidence of diabetes went up. And there was a direct correlation between the level of magnesium and the amount of protection afforded those who were above the deficiency level: the higher the level, the lower the risk. Their analysis demonstrated an 11 percent reduction in diabetes risk for the top quintile (20 percent) of women consuming the most magnesium when compared to the lowest quintile (women ingesting the least).

The Nurses Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professional follow-up studies tracked 127,932 men and women for an assortment of health problems. Over 85,000 women and nearly 43,000 men with no history of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer at the start were followed for 18 and 12 years, respectively. Of that group, 4,085 women and 1,333 men developed Type 2 diabetes over the course of the study.

As with the Women’s Health Study, when researchers compared the participants in the highest magnesium intake quintile against those in the lowest quintile, the reduction in relative risk for developing diabetes was slashed 34 percent for women and 33 percent for men. Obviously, the risk of developing diabetes isn’t dependent upon one thing, and there were certainly other variables involved. But for one lone variable—adequate magnesium intake—to be associated with a one-third lowered relative risk for everyone, was a compelling insight.

Now how much easier could a “medical intervention” be than taking magnesium?

Since the U.S. recommended dietary allowance for magnesium in adults only ranges between 310 mg and 420 mg, it’s absolutely essential that you consider taking a total of at least 800 mg of good, bioavailable magnesium each day. I recommend taking magnesium gluconate, citrate, or malate. Most multivitamins contain magnesium oxide, which is not well absorbed.

The only potential downside of taking too much magnesium is the possibility of loose stools, and you can easily adjust your magnesium intake accordingly. One word of caution: If you have renal insufficiency or failure, only take the RDA of 400 mg per day, and see your physician regularly for an electrolyte assessment.

Seven Other “Insulin-Friendly” Nutraceuticals

You can also help your body recover from the effects of insulin resistance or full-blown type 2 diabetes by taking these nutraceuticals, each of which can improve your body's ability to deal with blood sugar. All of these can be found in your local grocery or health food stores and all are safe to take with Metformin.

Coenzyme Q10 (250–300 mg/day standard CoQ10 in divided doses, or 90–120 mg hydrosoluble CoQ10/day): improves insulin sensitivity, assisting in the lowering and stabilization of blood sugar. CoQ10 levels are usually low in diabetic patients due to the high levels of free-radical stress in their bodies, which use up this critical nutrient.

Chromium polynicotinate (400 mcg twice daily, 30 to 60 minutes before meals): has a favorable impact in the insulin resistance department. Research shows that muscle cells pretreated with chromium are more responsive to insulin.

Biotin (1,000 mg/day): promotes more effective glucose storage after meals.

Alpha lipoic acid (100–300 mg/day): helps reduce blood sugar, as well as ameliorate some of the complications of diabetes, particularly diabetic polyneuropathy (degeneration of the peripheral nerves).

Vitamin E (200 IU/day of a broad-spectrum preparation that includes tocotrienols): reduces free radical oxidative stress in diabetic patients. In a Scandinavian study, men with the lowest blood levels of vitamin E were more susceptible to developing diabetes than men with normal levels.

Omega-3 essential fatty acids (1,000 mg purified fish oil/day). Research shows that the highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) found in fish oil can lower rising blood glucose levels. A bonus is that the omega-3s are known to improve many of the adverse metabolic effects of insulin resistance, such as high blood pressure and high triglycerides.

Gymnema sylvestre (300 mg/daily) is used in India to help control diabetes. This herb acts much like modern-day diabetic drugs to enhance insulin responsiveness and stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas. In one Indian study, for example, patients given 400 mg of Gymnema sylvestre for 18 to 20 months were able to reduce or discontinue diabetic medications. The researchers considered this herb superior to standard medications to control blood sugar. Gymnema has no side effects.