Magnesium Found to Benefit Gallbladder Health

by | Jul 2, 2008 | 2008, Magnesium, Men's Health, Minerals

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Study shows that those with the highest intake of magnesium (more than 409 mg per day) had a 33% reduced risk of gallstones compared to those with the lowest magnesium intake (less than 288 mg per day).

Gallstones are a common medical problem affecting 10 to 15 percent of the population of the United States or more than 25 million people.  They are defined as “pieces of hard solid matter in the gallbladder” that may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball.  The exact cause of gallstones isn’t exactly known, but it is thought that high cholesterol levels play a role, since 80% of people with gallstones have cholesterol stones (1).

Established risk factors for gallstones include obesity, rapid weight loss and weight cycling (losing or regaining weight repeatedly) (2).  While both surgical and non-surgical approaches are available to help treat gallstones, a new study (3) has found that magnesium, known mostly to help with inflammation (4), blood sugar health (5) and lung health (6), may also help gallbladder health.

In the study, researchers analyzed data from the Health Professionals follow-up study that used a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (7) to assess nutrient intake, including magnesium.  They found that those with the highest intake of magnesium (more than 409 mg per day) had a 33% reduced risk of getting gallstones compared to those with the lowest magnesium intakes (less than 288 mg per day).

These results led the researchers to “suggest a protective role of magnesium consumption in the prevention of symptomatic gallstone disease among men.”

Source: Tsai, Chung-Jyi, et al. “Long-term effect of magnesium consumption on the risk of symptomatic gallstone disease among men.” The American journal of gastroenterology 103.2 (2008): 375-382.

© 2008 The American College of Gastroenterology

Posted July 2, 2008.

References:

  1. “Gallstones” posted on the American Gastroenterological Association website.
  2. “Dieting and Gallstones” posted on the Weight Control Information Network.
  3. Tsai CJ.  Long-Term Effect of Magnesium Consumption on the Risk of Symptomatic Gallstone Disease Among Men.  Am J Gastroenterol 2008 Feb;103(2):375-82. Epub 2007 Dec 1
  4. King DE.  Magnesium supplement intake and C-reactive protein levels in adults.  Nutr Res 2006; 26(3): 193-196
  5. Van Dam RM.  Dietary Calcium and Magnesium, Major Food Sources, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in U.S. Black Women.  Diabetes 2006; 29(10): 2238-2243
  6. Gontijo-Amaral C.  Oral magnesium supplementation in asthmatic children: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial.  Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jan;61(1):54-60. Epub 2006 Jun 21.
  7. Tsai, CJ.  Long-Term Effect of Magnesium Consumption on the Risk of Symptomatic Gallstone Disease Among Men.  The American Journal of Gastroenterology 103 (2), 375-382.  doi: 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2007.01696.x