For what they report to be the first time, researchers from the University of South Australia demonstrated a potential ink between low magnesium, DNA damage, and a higher level of a genotoxic amino acid called homocysteine, leading them to conclude that this mineral may help to reduce the risk of DNA damage and chronic degenerative disorders.
 
In the study, which was published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 172 middle-aged adults submitted blood samples for analysis, which were used to establish the correlation between magnesium concentrations and other biomarkers. The combination of low magnesium and high levels of homocysteine may lead people to be more susceptible to a number of conditions, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, gastrointestinal diseases, a range of cancers, and diabetes, the authors of the study said.
 
While a low intake of magnesium, approximately less than 300 mg per day, has been linked to a number of adverse health conditions in observational studies, this study was the first to establish a correlation between low magnesium levels of blood and increased DNA damage, even after adjusting for gender and age, noted Permal Deo, PhD, molecular biologist at the University of South Australia.
 
“Blood levels of magnesium, homocysteine, folate and vitamin B12 were measured, showing an inverse correlation between magnesium and homocysteine and a positive correlation between magnesium, folate and vitamin B12. This indicates that sufficiently high magnesium levels in the blood are essential to protect our genes from toxicity caused by homocysteine, which is increased when folate and vitamin B12 are deficient,” said Deo.
 
Michael Fenech, co-author and professor at University of South Australia, said that chronic magnesium deficiency is likely to disrupt the body’s ability to product energy and power cells, causing accelerated tissue aging and making people more susceptible to early onset of many diseases.
 
The authors noted that more than 600 enzymes require magnesium as a co-factor and almost 200 require it to activate critical processes in the body.
 
“The next step is to determine the optimal dietary intake of magnesium, either through food or supplements and how this could impact the onset or progression of cancer and other chronic diseases,” said Fenech.