THERE IS A LINK BETWEEN DIETARY MAGNESIUM, larger brain volumes, and fewer white matter lesions in people 37 to 73. That’s the finding of a recently published study from Canberra (Australia). Today we look at magnesium and your brain.
Magnesium is a crucial mineral that plays a vital role in numerous physiological processes in the human body. This essential nutrient is required for the proper functioning of the heart, muscles, and nervous system and also helps regulate blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and energy metabolism.
The mineral is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, and deficiency of this mineral has been linked to various health conditions, including the following:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Osteoporosis
- Migraine headaches.
Adequate magnesium intake through a balanced diet or supplementation can provide numerous benefits, including improved bone health, reduced risk of chronic diseases, better sleep quality, and enhanced athletic performance.
Magnesium and your brain
But what about your brain? A new study suggests an association between dietary magnesium and better health, especially among women. Moreover, dietary magnesium intake is linked to larger brain volumes.
“I consider that a man’s brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across so that the knowledge that might be useful to him gets crowded out or, at best, is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so he has difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic.
He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. Therefore, it is important not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet
Who might benefit most from magnesium?
Let’s begin with a quiz: Who might benefit the most from high magnesium intake (and a potential reduction in dementia risk), according to new research?
- Premenopausal women
- Postmenopausal women
- Men younger than 50
- Men over 65
If you guessed postmenopausal women, that’s a bingo! A recently reported Australian study examined the association between dietary magnesium intake and brain volumes and white matter lesions in people aged 37 to 73 at baseline. No participants had neurologic disorders.
Here are the research findings after the study subjects had a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study:
Individuals with higher baseline dietary magnesium intake had larger brain volumes and fewer white matter lesions, suggesting better brain health.
This improvement varied by brain area but appeared particularly strong for gray matter and the hippocampus. The link was particularly strong in women, especially postmenopausal women.
The hippocampus is a brain structure deep in the temporal lobe of each cerebral cortex. It is an essential limbic system component, a brain region regulating memory, motivation, learning, and emotion.
Let’s get back to the study. Participants consuming more than 550 milligrams (mg) of magnesium daily had a brain age one year younger by age 55 (compared with someone consuming a typical 360 mg daily).
Those getting at least 550 mg are predicted to have a 0.2 percent larger gray matter and a 0.5 percent larger right hippocampus. In a population with a mean age of 55, this effect corresponds to approximately one year of typical aging.
Even an increase of one milligram of magnesium per day (above 350 mg/day) appeared to be associated with differences in brain volume, especially in women.
Magnesium and the brain — Study details
Researchers analyzed the dietary magnesium intake of 6001 individuals from the United Kingdom Biobank. They prospectively analyzed subjects from 2005 to 2023.
The authors note that historical research showed that people with lower magnesium levels appear to have a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, those with high magnesium intake may have a lower chance of progressing from normal aging to cognitive impairment.
Most of the previous research included subjects over 60. Over time, dietary patterns (including magnesium intake) may have changed.
However, most previous studies included participants older than 60 years, and because dietary patterns change and fluctuate, levels of magnesium intake may also change over time.
The current analysis considered sex, age, education, health conditions, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake, and physical activity.
Over 16 months, volunteers completed an online food questionnaire five times. The researchers used this data to calculate daily magnesium intake, focusing especially on magnesium-rich foods, including leafy green vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and seeds.
Notably, men and postmenopausal women had a slightly higher prevalence of blood pressure medication use and diabetes than premenopausal women.
My take — Is magnesium good for your brain?
The current study highlights the potential upsides of consuming a magnesium-rich diet. Still, this observational study aligns with historical research suggesting brain benefits from eating well.
It reminds me to continue my uphill climb to incorporate my leafy greens, seeds, nuts (including almonds and cashews), avocados, brown rice, yogurt, and whole grains into my diet.
In summary, the study shows an association between magnesium intake and brain health but is observational; the study establishes no causal relationship. Folks eating a high-magnesium diet may also be eating a brain-healthy diet and getting high levels of nutrients/minerals other than magnesium alone, suggested Yuko Hara, Ph.D., director of Aging and Prevention, Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.
She adds this reminder: “Eating a brain-healthy diet (for example, the Mediterranean diet) is one of the Seven Steps to Protect Your Cognitive Vitality.”
A brief note on observational studies
In observational studies, scientists observe big groups of individuals to discover traits and choices correlating with disease versus health. For example, a research investigation might identify 10,000 women between the ages of 55 to 60 to answer the question, “Does smoking correlate with a higher risk of dementia over 10 years in this group of people?”
Such studies can provide cost-effective and detailed information, but we must interpret them cautiously. Observational studies are often biased, or “confounded,” by factors other than those of interest (e.g., people who smoke tend to exercise less, a risk factor for dementia).
Due to potential biases, observational studies cannot prove whether a treatment causes or protects from disease. (Randomized controlled trials can prove causation.) Observational studies can, however, identify patterns across large and diverse groups exposed to treatment or substances for long durations.
The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider for medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.
Thank you for reading “Magnesium and Your Brain.”
