Dietary Magnesium Intake and Metabolic Syndrome in the Adult Population: Dose-Response Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression
What this study found
Dietary magnesium intake is inversely associated with metabolic syndrome. The pooled RR for a 150 mg/day increase is 0.88 (95% CI 0.84-0.93) with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 36.3%). The relationship appears linear across intake levels, with higher magnesium intake linked to lower metabolic syndrome risk. Authors suggest focusing on magnesium-rich foods rather than supplements and call for longitudinal studies and randomized trials to establish causality and evaluate supplementation.
- Study & population
- Meta-analysis of observational studies (10 articles: 8 cross-sectional, 2 prospective cohorts) including 30,092 participants.
- Key limitation
- Moderate heterogeneity across studies (I2 36.3%); variability in dietary magnesium assessment methods (FFQ, 24-hour recalls, and 3-day records); residual confounding inherent to observational designs; exposure measured primarily at baseline; data for higher intake levels (>450 mg/day) were sparse; cannot assess…
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
Increasing evidence has suggested an association between dietary magnesium intake and metabolic syndrome. However, previous research examining dietary magnesium intake and metabolic syndrome has produced mixed results. Our objective was to determine the relationship between dietary magnesium intake and metabolic syndrome in the adult population using a dose-response meta-analysis. We searched the PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library databases from August, 1965, to May, 2014. Observational studies reporting risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for metabolic syndrome in ≥3 categories of dietary magnesium intake levels were selected. The data extraction was performed independently by two authors, and the quality of the studies was evaluated using the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Nonrandomized Studies (RoBANS). Based on eight cross-sectional studies and two prospective cohort studies, the pooled relative risks of metabolic syndrome per 150 mg/day increment in magnesium intake was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.84–0.93; I2 = 36.3%). The meta-regression model showed a generally linear, inverse relationship between magnesium intake (mg/day) and metabolic syndrome. This dose-response meta-analysis indicates that dietary magnesium intake is significantly and inversely associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome. However, randomized clinical trials will be necessary to address the issue of causality and to determine whether magnesium supplementation is effective for the prevention of metabolic syndrome.