With a concerning and measurable global surge in dementia numbers, the link between nutrition and cognitive health has never been more important. Many recent studies have placed focus on how vitamins and minerals can shape our brain’s performance. New, groundbreaking research suggests that our daily intake of magnesium might play a pivotal role in promoting brain health and reducing the risk of dementia as we age.

The Study

Published in the esteemed European Journal of Nutrition, this research relied on data derived from the UK Biobank with over 6,000 participants, all cognitively healthy and aged between 40 and 73, which formed the study’s basis. The team used a 24-hour recall questionnaire, administered five times over a 16-month period, to estimate the daily magnesium intake of each participant.

The Results

The results were very telling: individuals who consumed over 550 milligrams of magnesium daily appeared to have a “brain age” nearly one year younger by the time they turned 55, as opposed to those who consumed the average magnesium dose of around 350 mg daily.

Doctor Khawlah Alateeq, Ph.D., from the ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, the study’s lead author, emphasized the significance of these findings in a recent press release: “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 a decreased risk or delayed onset of dementia in later life.”

Interestingly, the study also indicated that the brain-protective benefits of increased dietary magnesium were more pronounced in women—especially those post-menopause—than in men. Doctor Khawlah Alateeq theorizes that this might be attributed to magnesium’s anti-inflammatory properties.

Conclusion

While this newsletter is being published in November 2024, Plant Power Supplements would also like to remind everyone that when the sun is lower in the sky during fall and winter months, Vitamin D deficiency also increases, so always add your Vitamin D supplement to your daily routine when we are not exposed to the sunlight during summer months. There are many studies on the dangers of Vitamin D deficiency, and we’d like to remind everyone the Vitamin D is also vital to balanced health.

Find the complete study here: