The Study
Effects of Magnesium Deficiency on Mechanisms of Insulin Resistance in Type 2 Diabetes: Focusing on the Processes of Insulin Secretion and Signaling
This study is like a summary of other people's science experiments about magnesium and diabetes, but it didn't do any new experiments itself. It says 'maybe magnesium affects insulin in these ways,' but it can't prove that magnesium actually causes diabetes to get worse.
Analysis score
Maximum 5 for a narrative review.
Where the score came from
Magnesium is a tiny mineral that helps your pancreas release insulin and your muscles take in sugar. If you don’t get enough, your body struggles to control blood sugar, which can lead to diabetes.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 51 / 100
Quality score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — even small, long-term magnesium shortfalls can make it harder for your body to use insulin properly, increasing diabetes risk over time.
- 2People who eat less than 30% of the recommended daily magnesium are much more likely to get type 2 diabetes.
- 3Low magnesium also messes up insulin release, insulin signaling, and increases inflammation.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Year
2019
Authors
K. Kostov
Related Content
Claims (6)
Low magnesium levels are linked to reduced insulin signaling in muscle and fat cells, resulting in lower movement of glucose transporters to the cell surface and decreased glucose uptake.
Low magnesium levels are linked to reduced insulin release from pancreatic cells because of altered regulation of ion channels that control insulin secretion, which leads to slower responses to glucose and is associated with type 2 diabetes.
In people with type 2 diabetes, low magnesium levels are linked to decreased function of enzymes that process glucose, resulting in less efficient glucose use by the body.
Low magnesium levels are linked to higher levels of specific inflammatory markers and are associated with increased insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes.
In people with type 2 diabetes, low magnesium levels contribute to insulin resistance, and insulin resistance causes more magnesium to be lost in urine.
People who consume less than 30% of the recommended daily amount of magnesium from food have a higher rate of type 2 diabetes compared to those who consume more.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.