Does magnesium help the brain?
Magnesium helps keep the brain younger and healthier. A recent Australian study shows this. How to take it, where it is found, and when you really need supplements
- The study: we need more magnesium
- Why magnesium is good for the brain
- What is magnesium good for?
- Where is it found in food?
- How much and how can supplements help?
- How much magnesium is needed to keep the brain healthy?
Increased magnesium intake is good for the brain and, in particular, for combating dementia. An Australian study, just published in the European Journal of Nutrition, says that increasing the amount of the valuable mineral can improve cognitive function.
The study: you need more magnesium
Researchers from the Neuroimaging and Brain Lab at the Australian National University looked at a sample of more than 6,000 cognitively healthy people aged 40 to 73. After having them take in an amount of 550 milligrams of magnesium each day, or about 41 percent more than normal, they observed that their brains were cognitively "younger" than those who were limited to 350 milligrams per day, which is the amount of magnesium that is contained in the average daily diet. This would have positive repercussions, then, in combating diseases such as dementia and improving brain function.
Why magnesium is good for the brain
"The study is certainly interesting and confirms similar conclusions that had been reached with other work. It would appear, then, that magnesium may have a protective role on the brain's white matter, as a neuroprotectant. Which also makes sense because it also acts, for example, in reducing blood pressure, which is known to be one of the causes of brain micro-damage," explains Luca Piretta, a gastroenterologist and nutritionist at the Campus Biomedico University in Rome. "Of course, every study has to be put in context. In this case there is the limitation of how it was carried out, that is, through recall, phone calls in which the sample of volunteers were asked what they had eaten, to infer the amount of magnesium. Clearly, it is difficult to draw a definite result. As mentioned, however, it is likely that as other work has shown, people who consume more magnesium also have greater brain "healthiness," less Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. This does not mean that we should rush to increase the amount," the expert adds.
What is magnesium good for?
"Magnesium is a mineral that is very beneficial to health. Its main function is to strengthen bone structure, along with calcium and phosphorus. But it also intervenes in other processes: for example, in protein and DNA synthesis, in the ability to harness the energy capacity of nutrients. It also enables proper blood pressure balance, muscle contraction, and allows the central nervous system to function properly," Piretta explains. Hence the importance of the right amount. But in what foods is it found?
Where is it found in food?
"A proper diet, particularly following the Mediterranean diet, makes it possible to meet the daily requirement, which is normally given as about 350 milligrams daily. The foods that contain the most are broad leafy green vegetables, because magnesium is found in chlorophyll, so lettuce, chicory, spinach and chard. It is also found a lot in bran, so it is important to eat whole grains, as well as a proper amount in nuts like walnuts and almonds, and in vegetable seeds. There is also in legumes and fish," suggests the nutritionist and gastroenterologist.
How much and how can supplements be helpful?
"Supplementation is always tricky. In fact, a balanced diet would be sufficient. The problem is that then in practice you often do not have a proper diet, you may experience deficiencies relatively frequently, and allo you resort to supplements. Other times, however, it may be useful to supplement magnesium intake, as in the case of particular physiological or pathological conditions: those who suffer from celiac disease or malabsorption or irritable colon, for example, may have magnesium deficiency. Or those who do a lot of sporting activity, such as athletes, especially in hot weather. It is wrong, however, to take a supplement, as one usually does especially during the change of season, if one feels tired or down in the dumps," Piretta explains. "Moderate supplementation doesn't hurt anyone, but it is often useless: the well-being one sometimes feels by taking supplements in many cases is due to something else.
How much magnesium is needed to keep the brain healthy?
"In this case it turns out that one would need to almost double the amount of magnesium normally taken through the diet, to 550 milligrams per day. But, as we said, it is difficult to give such a precise indication, because other factors may also have played a role in brain well-being. In any case, beware of overdosing: too much magnesium can also give intestinal problems such as diarrhea, so much so that in some cases it is prescribed as a laxative. In short, better to rely on proper nutrition and, if necessary, consult a specialist," concludes the gastroenterologist and nutritionist.
