#nutrition#magnesium#dementia

Magnesium

The Link with Alzheimer's Disease

By Charles Li, MD

November 30th, 2020

Magnesium as a Nutrient

Magnesium is a metal that also functions as a key nutrient.

We need it to support functions throughout the body, in particular in the brain and your bones.

Nutrition Facts

key facts

Type
Element
Function
Enzyme Cofactor
Source
Diet

Appearance

used for

Bones

Mental Health

Energy

Magnesium is a metal that functions as an enzyme cofactor in your body. It plays key roles in Bone Health, Mental Health, and metabolism.

Alzheimer's Disease and Diet

While the research is still in the early stages, scientists have begun to detect a link between magnesium and Alzheimer's Disease.

We don't yet know what causes Alzheimer’s Disease, an irreversible form of dementia. However, it has been increasingly linked to diet.

What you eat early on in life can modulate your risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease later in life.

"The Mediterranean diet, the related MIND diet (which includes elements designed to lower blood pressure), and other healthy eating patterns have been associated with cognitive benefits in studies, though the evidence is not as strong as it is for other interventions like physical activity, blood pressure and cognitive training."

National Institute on Aging

Magnesium and Alzheimers

The way that diet affects Alzheimer's Disease risk is still unclear. One of the potential mechanisms examined is magnesium.

Studies looking at people with Alzheimer’s Disease have found that they typically have lower levels of magnesium in their brain. They also have less magnesium in their hair, suggesting that they may be more likely to be magnesium deficient.

Researchers have found that those with Alzheimer's Disease typically had lower:

Magnesium in the Brain

As measured in the cerebral spinal fluid

Lower

p=0.02

Magnesium in Hair

As an estimate of magnesium levels

Lower

p=0.0001

methods

Systemic Review

13 Studies

Veronese et al, 2015

A review of 13 studies found that overall, patients with Alzheimer's Disease had lower levels of magnesium in their brain and in their hair, suggesting a link between Magnesium deficiency and Alzheimer's Disease.

"In conclusion, AD seems to be associated with lower Mg status when compared to HCs, but not to medical ones, probably due to the scarcity of studies about these patients. Since both AD and poor Mg status are 2 common conditions in older people, further studies are needed to better understand the real pathophysiological role of Mg in AD."

Veronese et al, 2015

However, this correlation doesn’t necessarily indicate that magnesium protects against Alzheimer's Disease. It only shows a potential link.

Scientists have worked to confirm the mechanism behind this link. In one study on rats with Alzheimer’s Disease, scientist found that giving magnesium to these rats led to significant improvements.

When scientists gave magnesium to rats that had Alzheimer's Disease, they found:

Findings

Neuron Growth

in dendritic spines and synapses

Increased

p<0.05

Memory & Learning

measured by a maze

Improved

p<0.05

Tau Phosphorylation

A key molecular process in Alzheimers

Reduced

p<0.05

A study in rats round that giving magnesium to rats who had Alzheimer's Disease led to greater neuron growth, improved memory and learning, and reduced tau phosphorylation.

"In summary, we found that simultaneous intraperitoneal injections of magnesium sulfate significantly enhanced the brain magnesium levels, improved synaptic efficacy, and prevented memory and learning impairments through modifications of synaptic proteins and Tau phosphorylation in ICV-STZ rats. Our findings provide novel insights suggesting that magnesium treatment at the early stage may decrease the risk for cognitive impairment in AD."

Xu et al, 2014

Rats who were given magnesium showed stronger neurons in the memory center of the brain. The rats also showed better memory and cognition, as measured by their ability to go through a maze.

At this point, we still need more research in humans to see whether magnesium supplements are useful for preventing Alzheimer’s Disease. What we do know is that diet plays a significant role in brain health. Eating a healthy, balanced diet so that you don’t become deficient in nutrients such as Magnesium is one of the best ways to stay healthy in old age.