Issue 152 Item 7 Magnesium Supplement Helpful in Diabetes Control

Oral magnesium supplementation improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic control in certain type 2 diabetics, researchers report in the April issue of Diabetes Care. Drs. Martha Rodriguez-Moran and Fernando Guerrero-Romero of the Mexican Social Security Institute, Durango, note that hypomagnesemia is frequently found in diabetes and “could be involved in the development of poor metabolic control and chronic complications.” However, randomized, controlled studies on this subject, they add, are “scare and controversial.” “It is unfortunate that the “magnesium ion is a typically overlooked electrolyte.” To further investigate whether oral magnesium supplementation might be helpful in type 2 diabetics with decreased serum magnesium levels, the researchers conducted a double-blind trial involving 63 such subjects.

They were randomized to receive a daily treatment with a solution containing 2.5 g of magnesium chloride or to placebo. At the end of the 16-week treatment period, compared to the placebo group, those who received the supplement had significantly higher serum magnesium concentration (0.74 versus 0.65 nmol/L) and lower values (3.8 versus 5.0) for the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). There was also a reduction in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels (8.0 versus 10.1%).

These results, Dr Rodriguez-Moran continued, “show the indubitable benefits of oral magnesium supplementation as an adjuvant therapy for reducing fasting glucose, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR index in subjects with type 2 diabetes. ” Taking into account the low cost and safety of magnesium supplementation, she concluded, it appears that “oral magnesium could be a useful therapeutic tool for achieving metabolic control in subjects with diabetes.” Diabetes Care 2003;26:1147-1152