Magnesium Intake Benefits Fracture Risk

by | Aug 21, 2017 | 2017, Bone Health, Magnesium, Minerals

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Participating subjects with the greatest levels of dietary magnesium experienced significantly less fractures than those with the lowest levels of dietary magnesium.

magnesiumMagnesium is a mineral that plays a pivotal role in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body 1. Fortunately magnesium is widely distributed in plant and animal foods, including green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Recommended Dietary Allowances range from 30 milligrams per day for infants to 420 milligrams per day for adults over the age of 50 2.

Low magnesium intake has been linked to a variety of diseases, including coronary artery disease 3, hypertension 4, metabolic syndrome 5 and diabetes 6. In a 2017 study 7, researchers investigated the effect of higher levels of magnesium on bone health in a large cohort of men and women who participated in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) over a period of 8 years. The 3,765 participating subjects (1577 men, 2071 women) between the ages of 54 and 66 completed food frequency questionnaires 8 that included magnesium intake. The entire cohort was divided into quintiles (Q) of magnesium intake according to sex using 205, 269, 323 and 398 milligrams/day for men and 190, 251, 306 and 373 mg/d for women.

Over the 8 years of follow up, 560 subjects (198 men and 368 women) developed a new fracture. The researchers noted that men in the highest magnesium intake group (averaging 488 mg/day) had a 53% lower risk of fracture compared to those with the lowest intake (averaging 162 mg/d) (p = 0.05) while women in the highest magnesium intake group (averaging 452 mg/d) had a 62% lower risk of fracture compared to those with the lowest magnesium intake (averaging 143 mg/d) (p = 0.01). 

Since height is a better predictor for risk fractures than BMI, a secondary analyses using height revealed that compared to those with the lowest magnesium intake, men with the highest magnesium intake had a non-significant association with incident fractures (P=0.75) while women with the highest magnesium intake had a significantly reduced risk for bone fractures.(P<0.0001)

The researchers proposed several mechanisms for magnesium’s positive effect on bone health. Magnesium has a “positive effect” on the bone-making (osteoblasts) and bone-resolving (osteoclasts) cells by affecting 2 hormones that regulate calcium levels, calcitriol and the parathyroid hormone 9, all of which help produce stronger bone. In addition, magnesium’s anti-inflammatory properties 10 and role as “an essential element supporting muscular strength” 11,12 may also contribute to stronger bones and reduced fracture rates.

The researchers went on to conclude that “higher dietary magnesium intake has a protective effect on bone osteoporotic fractures, particularly in women, suggesting an important role of this mineral in osteoporosis and fractures” and that “Further randomized controlled trials are needed to understand the possible role of magnesium in delaying fractures.”

Source: Veronese, Nicola, Brendon Stubbs, Marco Solmi, Marianna Noale, Alberto Vaona, Jacopo Demurtas, and Stefania Maggi. “Dietary magnesium intake and fracture risk: data from a large prospective study.” British Journal of Nutrition 117, no. 11 (2017): 1570-1576.

© The Authors 2017

Posted August 3, 2017.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com

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