Don't let diabetes cost you an arm and a leg

It is shocking to learn that somewhere in the world, a limb is lost every 30 seconds because of diabetes. If you are diabetic, you will probably be surprised to discover that a simple magnesium supplement will not only help you manage your disease, but it may well save you from losing one of your extremities. This under-estimated mineral is not only responsible for lowering blood sugar but also for nerve conduction, heart health and preventing atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries).

Numerous studies have shown a link between low magnesium levels and the development of diabetes (1,2,3,4) and up to 80% of diabetics are deficient in this mineral (5). In fact a study done by Dr Nadler found that even when healthy people were placed on a magnesium deficient diet, they became insulin resistant(6,7) When this happens, magnesium is excreted through the urine instead of being stored in the cells. Low magnesium levels within the cells is associated with impaired glucose tolerance and a decrease in insulin secretion (8,9,10).

“The link between diabetes mellitus and magnesium deficiency is well known. A growing body of evidence suggests that magnesium plays a pivotal role in reducing cardiovascular risks and may be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes itself”
Dr. Jerry L. Nadler

A vicious cycle: Insulin resistance and magnesium depletion

Magnesium is necessary for both production of insulin and ensuring its effectiveness. When we don’t get enough of this crucial mineral, our insulin sensitivity decreases, depleting magnesium levels further and causing a variety of other health problems. Magnesium relaxes both smooth and skeletal muscles and if we don’t have enough of it, our blood vessels constrict, increasing blood pressure. Other complications associated with low magnesium include osteoporosis, strokes, neuromuscular symptoms, cardiovascular disease, peripheral neuropathy and foot ulcers (11,12,13,14).

“Every step of the way, insulin is causing cardiovascular disease. It fills the body with plaque, it constricts the arteries, it stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, it increases platelet adhesiveness and coaguability of the blood.”- Dr. Ron Rosedale

So what will supplementing magnesium do?

Studies show that people with high levels of magnesium in their blood are less likely to develop diabetes in the first place. Those that already have the disease found their symptoms were alleviated when they increased their magnesium intake.(15) Complications of diabetes such as neuropathy, abnormal heart-rates (arrhythmias), high blood pressure and heart attacks can be prevented with prolonged use of magnesium (16,17). Research has shown that it also decreases triglyceride and cholesterol levels in the body(18,19), reduces blood sugar levels and reverses diabetic neuropathy (20,21,22).

“Every one with diabetes should be taking Mg supplementation to the point of one’s Maximum Tolerated Dose" - Dr. Herbert Mansmann, Director of the Magnesium Research Lab

How to get more magnesium:

Unfortunately, in our current age of toxicity, mineral-depleted soil, and highly processed foods, it is almost impossible for anyone to get enough magnesium from their diet. Combined with that, levels are further depleted by stress, caffeine, intense exercise, certain medications, diuretics, contraceptives, heavy metals, alcohol and smoking. One of the easiest ways to increase your magnesium stores, is through the skin (transdermally). This prevents the intestinal discomfort of high doses of oral magnesium, and allows you to correct a deficiency in as little as 3 months. As an added benefit, it can be directly applied to diabetic neuropathy. Anyone wanting to improve their overall health should consider supplementing this beautiful mineral but diabetics in particular cannot afford to be without it.

References:

[1] http://www.mgwater.com/diabetes.shtml
[2] Lopez-Ridaura R, Willett WC, Rimm EB, Liu S, Stampfer MJ, Manson JE, Hu FB: Magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in men and women. Diabetes Care 27:134–140, 2004
[3] Kao WH, Folsom AR, Nieto FJ, Mo JP, Watson RL, Brancati FL: Serum and dietary magnesium and the risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Arch Intern Med 159:2151, 1999
[4]Magnesium Deficiency Linked to Type 2 Diabetes
http://www.newstarget.com/006121.html
[5] Carper, J. Mighty Magnesium. USA Weekend. 2002 Aug 30-Sept 1.
[6] Paolisso G, Scheen A, D’Onofrio F, Lefebvre P: Magnesium and glucose homeostasis. Diabetologia 33:511–514, 1990[Medline]
[7] Nadler JL, Buchanan T, Natarajan R, Antonipillai I, Bergman R, Rude R: Magnesium deficiency produces insulin resistance and increased thromboxane synthesis. Hypertension 21:1024–1029, 1993
[8]Ma J, Folsom AR, Melnick SL, Eckfeldt JH, Sharrett AR, Nabulsi AA, Hutchinson RG, Metcalf PA: Associations of serum and dietary magnesium with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, insulin, and carotid wall thickness: the ARIC study. J Clin Epidemiol 48:927–940, 1985
[9] Rosolova H, Mayer O Jr, Reaven GM: Insulin-mediated glucose disposal is decreased in normal subjects with relatively low plasma magnesium concentrations. Metabolism 49:418–420, 2000[Medline]
[10] Resnick LM, Gupta RK, Gruenspan H, Alderman MH, Laragh JH: Hypertension and peripheral insulin resistance: possible mediating role of intracellular free magnesium. Am J Hypertens 3:373–379, 1990[Medline]
[11] Magnesium transport induced ex vivo by a pharmacological dose of insulin is impaired in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Hua, H : Gonzales, J : Rude, R K Magnes-Res. 1995 Dec; 8(4): 359-66
[12]Amighi J, Sabeti S, Schlager O, Mlekusch W, Exner M, Lalouschek W, Ahmadi R, Minar E, Schillinger M. Low serum magnesium predicts neurological events in patients with advanced atherosclerosis. Stroke. 2004 Jan; 35(1): 22-7. Epub 2003 Dec 04. Researchers conducted the study to see if magnesium levels were associated with stroke risk in patients with peripheral artery disease. The study authors followed 323 patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease and intermittent claudication (www. age was 68 years) for 12 to 25 months. Thirty-five of the subjects (11%) developed neurologic events such as strokes. Subjects who had the lowest magnesium serum levels had triple the risk for stroke and other harmful neurologic events compared to the patients with the highest serum magnesium levels.
[13] Endocrinology & Metabolism Clinics of North America. 24(3):623-41, 1995 Sep.
[14] Low serum magnesium levels and foot ulcers in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Rodriguez-Moran M, Guerrero-Romero F. Arch Med Res. 2001 Jul-Aug;32(4):300-3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop...
(15) Original Source: http://www.health24.com/dietnfood/General/15-742-775,31268.asp
[16] The effect of magnesium supplementation in increasing doses on the control of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 1998 May;21(5):682-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop...
[17] Long term magnesium supplementation influences favourably the natural evolution of neuropathy in Mg-depleted type 1 diabetic patients (T1dm); De Leeuw et al; Magnes Res. 2004 Jun; 17(2):109-14 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop...
[18] Yokota K, Kato M, Lister F, et al. Clinical efficacy of magnesium supplementation in patients with type 2 diabetes. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Oct;23(5):506S-9S.
[19] Rasmussen HS, Aurup P, Goldstein K, et al. Influence of magnesium substitution therapy on blood lipid composition in patients with ischemic heart disease. A double-blind, placebo controlled study. Arch Intern Med. 1989 May;149(5):1050-3.
[20] Guerrero-Romero F, Tamez-Perez HE, Gonzalez-Gonzalez G et al. Oral magnesium supplementation improves insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic subjects with insulin resistance. A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. Diabetes Metab. 2004 Jun;30(3):253-8.
[21] Rodriguez-Moran M and Guerrero-Romero F. Oral magnesium supplementation improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic control in type 2 diabetic subjects: a randomized double-blind controlled trial. Diabetes Care. 2003 Apr;26(4):1147-52.
[22] Herbert C. Mansmann Jr. MD. Honorary Professor of Pediatrics. P.O. Box 791, Rangeley, ME 04970 Associate Professor of Medicine (1968-03) Director of the Magnesium Research. Laboratory (1989-03) Thomas Jefferson University http://www.magnesiumresearchlab.com