Can Magnesium Help Fight Dementia?
Figure 1: Magnesium on the Periodic Table
More magnesium can in our daily diets leads to better brain health as we age, according to scientists from
the Neuroimaging and Brain Lab at The Australian National University. A study conducted with more
than 6,000 healthy participants aged between 40 to 73, found people who consume more than 550
milligrams of magnesium a day have a brain age that is approximately one year younger by the time t
hey reach 55. Magnesium may be the key to preventing dementia from an early age.
Dementia is not a specific disease but rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember,
think, and/or make decisions that interfere with daily activities. A proprietary form of magnesium
known as magnesium L-threonate is found to be exceptionally good at increasing brain magnesium
levels. Magnesium L-threonate is a form of magnesium bonded to the compound L-threonate.
It is currently the best magnesium supplement for improving brain function. Most other f
orms of magnesium commonly found in supplements do not efficiently cross the blood-brain
barrier and therefore don’t substantially increase levels of magnesium in the brain.
Figure 2: Magnesium L-threonate structure
According to Ph.D. researcher Khawlah Alateeq, “Our study shows a 41% increase in magnesium intake could lead to less age-related brain shrinkage, which is associated with better cognitive function and lower risk or delayed onset dementia in later life”.
It is estimated that the number of people worldwide who will be diagnosed with dementia is expected
to double in the next 30 years. In 2019 57.4 million people were diagnosed with dementia, and in 2050
that number is going to increase to about 152.8 million people, placing a greater strain on the health
and social services in the global economy. A greater focus must be placed on prevention since there
is currently no cure for dementia and pharmacological treatments have been unsuccessful thus far.
The study shows consuming magnesium from an early age may contribute to neuroprotection earlier
in the aging process and preventative effects may begin in our 40s or even earlier.
Figure 3: Dementia growth rate through age
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, April 5). What is dementia? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 18, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/aging/dementia/index.html
A higher dose of magnesium each day keeps dementia at bay. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2023, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230323103415.htm
Staff, U. H. N. (2021, January 19). Magnesium supplements may reverse memory loss in alzheimer's patients. University Health News. Retrieved April 18, 2023, from https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/memory/the-best-magnesium-supplement-for- reversing-memory-loss-in- alzheimers/#:~:text=A%20proprietary%20form%20of%20magnesium,important%20roles% 20in%20the%20brain.
Good title and opening graphic. Your lede paragraph is also good. It is concise and gets the main point across right away. The benefit of the magnesium and the evidence from the study are the first thing you want to get across. The second paragraph talks about a specific supplement and suggests that it is the most effective form of magnesium. I presume that is a conclusion from the study. If not some indication of the evidence for the efficacy of the supplement would be helpful. Since the supplement is proprietary it would be of interest to know that the study was independently funded and not sponsored by the owner of the rights to the supplement. If the evidence for the efficacy of the supplement and the funding of the study are not in the Science Daily article we should probably note that. Your summary of the increasing prevalence of dementia is clear and appropriate. Science Daily is probably not as widely read or as influential as more general interest sources. Overall an interesting and timely post.
ReplyDelete