Magnesium & type 2 diabetes

Many people may think that diabetes is caused by consuming too many sweets. Unfortunately, however, it is not so simple that you can think that you can avoid diabetes simply by abstaining from something sweet. In this article, you will find out more about how diabetes (type 2) occurs and what the risk factors are, as well as what you can do to reduce your risk of developing the disease and why magnesium can play a significant role.

What is diabetes?

There are two types of diabetes; type 1, which is insulin-dependent, and type 2, which is non-insulin-dependent. Type 2 diabetes is the most common variant, and although it is non-insulin dependent, the disease is characterized by high blood sugar as a result of the pancreas having an impaired secretion of the blood sugar-lowering hormone insulin. In addition, tissues in the body can have a reduced ability to react to insulin, and thus blood sugar is kept high after eating food. In turn, this leads to insulin resistance, which can further lead to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

What are the risk factors for type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is caused by an interaction between genetics and environment, as well as other risk factors such as obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Consumption of low-fiber foods with a high glycemic index, as well as total fat and saturated fat, has been linked in studies to type 2 diabetes. Food of this nature is common in the Western diet that many people eat today, and in connection with people becoming increasingly sedentary have the prevalence (the proportion of a given population suffering from a given disease at a given time) of type 2 diabetes increased exponentially.

Other risk factors for type 2 diabetes are as follows:

- Smoking

- Alcohol

- Stress

Why is type 2 diabetes dangerous?

People with type 2 diabetes have a two- to four-fold increased risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease and stroke. In addition, the disease can lead to complications in both small and large blood vessels, which leads to an increase in atherosclerosis, which, among other things, can lead to coronary artery disease. Patients with diabetes type 2 have also been seen to have a higher proportion of various inflammatory markers in the blood.

Other complications that type 2 diabetes can lead to include:

• Neuropathy, i.e. disease in peripheral nerves. Signs of neuropathy can be impaired wound healing or decreased sensation in the feet. The disease also causes an increased risk of amputation of limbs, such as e.g. arms and legs.

• Nephropathy, or kidney disease, characterized by the protein albumin being excreted in the urine. Albumin is important for the transport of various substances in the body, including hormones, vitamins and enzymes. Albumin also ensures that the water in the blood does not leave the blood vessels, so that it instead ends up in the tissues where it can cause swelling, so-called oedema.

• Retinopathy, which is a disease of the retina of the eye and can lead to poorer vision.

What can be done to prevent type 2 diabetes?

To reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a healthy lifestyle consisting of physical activity, fiber-rich foods such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and whole grain products is essential. For general good health, the Swedish Food Agency also recommends replacing butter-based fats to plant-based dietary fats, and fatty dairy products to low-fat dairy products, as well as reducing your intake of red meat and cured meats, sugar, salt and alcohol.

Regarding physical activity, the World Health Organization, WHO, has developed guidelines that state that adults between the ages of 18 and 64 should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-high intensity physical activity a week, combined with strength training at least twice a week. If you follow these tips, you not only prevent type 2 diabetes, you also improve cardiovascular health, bone health, and increase muscle strength. Another big plus is that more muscle increases metabolism and burning!

The importance of magnesium for type 2 diabetes

Why is diet so important to counteract type 2 diabetes? Among other things, this is because whole grain products, vegetables and fruit are nutrient-dense and thus contain important vitamins and minerals. A mineral that has been shown in studies to have a significant effect on the occurrence of type 2 diabetes is magnesium, which is one of the body's most important minerals, after calcium, potassium and sodium. Magnesium is found together with, among other things, collagen in our dietary supplement Collagen sleep and relax.

Magnesium has many important functions in the body, including for the synthesis of DNA, RNA and several proteins. Therefore, this mineral has a significant role in the prevention and treatment of several different diseases.

Deficiencies in magnesium have, among other things, been linked to impaired insulin secretory ability, as intracellular magnesium has an important role in the activation of the insulin receptors in the pancreas. In addition, too low levels of intracellular magnesium can reduce the cells' utilization of glucose and trigger inflammation, which contributes to insulin resistance.

It is not only for preventive purposes that magnesium plays a role in type 2 diabetes. A study by ELDerawi et al. have shown that dietary supplementation with magnesium was able to reduce insulin resistance and improve long-term blood sugar in 42 patients newly diagnosed with the disease. Furthermore, magnesium deficiency has been linked to an increase in diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy, as mentioned earlier.

Common symptoms of magnesium deficiency

How do you know if you have a magnesium deficiency? The very best way to get an answer to that question is to take a blood test, but there are certain symptoms that can give an indication that you might be deficient in magnesium.

Early signs include:

- Fatigue

- Nausea

- Loss of appetite

- Vomiting

In case of a more serious deficiency, the symptoms are as follows:

- Numbness

- Muscle contractions

- Stitches

- Cramps

- Abnormal heart rhythm

Where is magnesium found in the diet?

According to the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2012, the daily recommended intake of magnesium is 280 mg for women and 350 mg for men. Dietary studies in both Europe and the United States have shown that magnesium intake is lower than recommended, and this is mainly seen in people who follow a typical Western dietary pattern.

In the diet, magnesium occurs above all in these sources:

- Water (both tap water and mineral water)

- Green leafy vegetables, for example spinach and kale

- Legumes, such as black beans and edamame beans

- Whole grain products

- Nuts and seeds, especially pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and almonds

- Dark chocolate

- Bananas

- Raisin

- Avocado

Of course, you can also take magnesium via dietary supplements. The most common forms of magnesium in dietary supplements include magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium oxide, magnesium lactate and magnesium chloride, where magnesium citrate, magnesium lactate and magnesium chloride seem to have the best absorption capacity. Something that is important to keep in mind, however, is that dietary supplements of zinc are thought to be able to reduce the absorption of magnesium, so it may be good to make sure not to take zinc and magnesium at the same time of day.