Magnesium-Rich Diet Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

A magnesium-rich diet has been linked to better brain health, an outcome that may help lower dementia risk, new research suggests.

Investigators studied over 6000 cognitively healthy individuals, aged 40-73, and found that those who consumed more than 550 mg of magnesium daily had a brain age approximately 1 year younger by age 55 years, compared with a person who consumed a normal magnesium intake (~360 mg/day).

“This research highlights the potential benefits of a diet high in magnesium and the role it plays in promoting good brain health,” lead author Khawlah Alateeq, a PhD candidate in neuroscience at Australian National University’s National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, told Medscape Medical News.

Clinicians “can use [the findings] to counsel patients on the benefits of increasing magnesium intake through a healthy diet and monitoring magnesium levels to prevent deficiencies,” she stated.

The study was published online March 10 in the European Journal of Nutrition.

Promising Target

The researchers were motivated to conduct the study because of “the growing concern over the increasing prevalence of dementia,” Alateeq said.

“Since there is no cure for dementia, and the development of pharmacological treatment for dementia has been unsuccessful over the last 30 years, prevention has been suggested as an effective approach to address the issue,” she added.

Nutrition, Alateeq said, is a “modifiable risk factor that can influence brain health and is highly amenable to scalable and cost-effective interventions.” It represents “a promising target” for risk reduction at a population level.

Previous research shows individuals with lower magnesium levels are at higher risk for AD, while those with higher dietary magnesium intake may be at lower risk of progressing from normal aging to cognitive impairment.

However, most previous studies included participants older than age 60 years, and it’s “unclear when the neuroprotective effects of dietary magnesium become detectable,” the researchers note.

Moreover, dietary patterns change and fluctuate, potentially leading to changes in magnesium intake over time. These changes may have as much impact as absolute magnesium at any point in time.

Association, Not Causation

Commenting for Medscape Medical News, Yuko Hara, PhD, director of Aging and Prevention, Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) noted that the study is observational and therefore shows an association, not causation.

“People eating a high-magnesium diet may also be eating a brain-healthy diet and getting high levels of nutrients/minerals other than magnesium alone,” suggested Hara, who was not involved with the study.

She noted that many foods are good sources of magnesium, including spinach, almonds, cashews, legumes, yogurt, brown rice, and avocados.

“Eating a brain-healthy diet (eg, Mediterranean diet) is one of the Seven Steps to Protect Your Cognitive Vitality that ADDF’s Cognitive Vitality promotes,” she said.

Open Access funding was enabled and organized by the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) and its Member Institutions. Alateeq and co-authors and Hara declare no relevant financial relationships.

Eur J Nutrition. Published online March 10. 2023. Full text