Dementia is an incurable, debilitating disease that affects millions of people worldwide. While science continues to search for answers to treating disease, there has been a shift toward prevention.Research has provided new evidence for a link between magnesium intake and brain health.
Previous studies have shown that dietary magnesium intake is involved in biological processes associated with aging in the brain and may help prevent neurodegeneration that ultimately leads to dementia. increase.
The precise mechanisms underlying magnesium’s neuroprotective effects, particularly at what point magnesium intake begins to affect brain health, have not been clearly identified. It is important to know more about the role of magnesium as a preventive agent, as it is a significant risk factor.
A new study by researchers at the Australian National University looked at the relationship between brain volume and white matter lesions (WML) and dietary magnesium. They also looked at the associations between blood pressure and magnesium, and whether these associations differed between men and women.
Brain atrophy (atrophy) in people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease precedes the appearance of clinical symptoms, so brain volume is an important factor to consider. Atrophy of the hippocampus, a complex brain structure involved in learning and memory, is an early hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
White matter is found throughout the central nervous system, but mostly inside the brain. It consists of millions of bundles of nerve fibers that lead to the gray matter of the brain. WML is an abnormality that appears as a bright spot on his MRI scan of his brain. They may reflect normal aging and are of no clinical significance. Or it may indicate inflammation or damage to myelin, the insulating sheath around the nerve. WML is believed to be an early sign of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.
The current study included 6,001 participants obtained from the UK Biobank. Participants ranged from he was 40 to he was 73 and had no evidence of neuropathy. The participant asked him to complete his online questionnaire five times over a period of 16 months, and used the responses to determine how much Magnesium intake was calculated.
Researchers are the first to find that dietary magnesium is associated with increased brain volume and decreased WML, especially in gray and white matter. They found that the neuroprotective effects of magnesium are substantial but varied between different brain regions, being particularly strong in the gray matter and hippocampus.
People who consume more than 0.2 ounces (550 mg) of magnesium each day, compared to those with a normal magnesium intake of about 0.1 ounces (350 mg) per day, have a brain age about one year younger than their “body age.” By the time I turned 55.
“Our study shows that a 41% increase in magnesium intake may reduce age-related brain contraction, which is associated with better cognitive function and dementia in later life. It is associated with a reduced risk or delayed onset of cancer,” said Khawlah Alateeq, the study’s lead author.
Although the data showed a strong association between dietary magnesium and brain volume and WML among men and women, the potential neuroprotective effects of magnesium reached significance only in women. The effect was stronger in postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women, but researchers note that this may be due to magnesium’s anti-inflammatory properties. showed no relationship between dietary magnesium intake and blood pressure.
Based on their findings, researchers recommend increasing magnesium intake from a young age to prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
“This study shows that higher dietary intake of magnesium may contribute to neuroprotection early in the aging process, with protective effects likely beginning in the 40s or earlier. “This means that people of all ages should pay more attention to their magnesium intake.”
Bananas, green leafy vegetables, avocados, cashews, almonds, legumes, tofu, fatty fish, seeds, and whole grains seem to be on the menu. Dark chocolate is also rich in magnesium.
The researchers hope their findings will generate further research on magnesium’s benefits for brain health and be used to guide public health strategies focused on prevention.
“Our study has the potential to inform the development of public health interventions aimed at promoting healthy brain aging through dietary strategies,” said study co-author Erin Walsh. says.
This research European Journal of Nutrition.
Source: Australian National University
