Tufts University. US: Getting enough magnesium in
the diet may reduce the risk of
diabetes, especially for those
who already show signs of
heading that way.
A Tufts study led by Adela Hruby, found that healthy
people with the highest magnesium intake
were 37 percent less likely to develop high
blood sugar or excess circulating insulin,
common precursors to diabetes.
Among
people who already had those conditions,
those who consumed the most magnesium
were 32 percent less likely to develop diabetes
than those consuming the least.
The
second association held true even when
researchers accounted for other healthful
factors, such as fiber, that often go along
with magnesium-rich foods.
The study, published in Diabetes Care, followed
2,582 participants in the Framingham
Heart Study Offspring cohort for seven years.
The study subjects had an average age of 54.
Only half of Americans get the recommended
daily amount of magnesium in
their diet, which is 400 to 420 milligrams
for adult men and 310 to 320 milligrams
for adult women.
You can find it in whole
grains, vegetables, fish, nuts and seeds and
dark chocolate.