Magnesium: nutrition and metabolism

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0098-2997(02)00089-4Get rights and content

Abstract

Magnesium is an essential mineral that is needed for a broad variety of physiological functions. The usual daily magnesium uptake with a western diet is sufficient to avoid deficiency but seems not to be high enough to establish high normal serum magnesium concentrations that are protective against various diseases. Changes in magnesium homeostasis mainly concern the extracellular space, as the intracellular magnesium concentration is well regulated and conserved. The extracellular magnesium concentration is primarily regulated by the kidney, the mechanisms of this regulation have been elucidated recently. Due to the growing knowledge about the regulation of extra- and intracellular magnesium concentrations and the effects of changed extracellular magnesium levels the use of magnesium in therapy gains more widespread attention.

Section snippets

Organism distribution

As an essential mineral the amount of magnesium within an organisms must be continuously regulated and distribution to single cells must be guaranteed. The medicinal use of magnesium in the form of magnesium rich mineral waters, goes back into ancient times but it was in the 17th century, when magnesium sulphate was discovered to be the cathartic agent in mineral water (Epsom salt). The essentiality of magnesium to animals was first described by Leroy (1926) and in 1933 Kruse et al. induced

Intestines

Intestinal absorption of magnesium in humans takes place primarily in the ileum and jejunum, whereas in some monogastric animals also the colon and caecum may contribute to magnesium uptake; in ruminants the forestomachs are the place of magnesium absorption. In man the absorbed amount of magnesium is nearly linear proportional to the magnesium intake, only at low dietary intakes increased fractional absorption was observed (Kayne and Lee, 1993). In healthy men consuming a usual western diet a

Recommendations

The usual diet provides 2–7.5 mg magnesium/kg body weight. During recent years dietary reference intakes for magnesium have been revised by the US Institute of Medicine (1997) and also by the German, Austrian and Swiss nutrition societies (D-A-CH, 2000) (Table 2). For adults the recommended intakes of magnesium are between 300 and 420 mg/day.

The true intake of magnesium in various populations has been determined in various duplicate, shopping basket and balance studies with or without using

References (47)

  • S.B. Eaton et al.

    Paleolithic vs. modern diets-selected pathophysiological implications

    Eur. J. Nutr.

    (2000)
  • R.J. Elin

    Magnesium: the fifth but forgotten electrolyte

    Am. J. Clin. Pathol.

    (1994)
  • K.D. Fine et al.

    Intestinal absorption of magnesium from food and supplements

    J. Clin. Invest.

    (1991)
  • E.B. Flink

    Magnesium deficiency syndrome in man

    J. Am. Med. Ass.

    (1956)
  • K.B. Franz

    Influence of phosphorus on intestinal absorption of calcium and magnesium

  • L.A. Frassetto et al.

    Effect of age on blood acid–base composition in adult humans: role of age-related renal functional decline

    Am. J. Physiol.

    (1996)
  • M. Glei et al.

    Magnesium intake and balance in adults consuming self-selected mixed or vegetarian diets

    Trace Elem. Electrol.

    (1998)
  • T. Günther et al.

    Intracellular Ca2+–Mg2+ interactions

    Ren. Physiol. Biochem.

    (1994)
  • F.W. Heaton

    Distribution and function of magnesium within the cell

  • A.D. Hirschfelder et al.

    Clinical manifestations of high and low plasma magnesium: dangers of epsom salt purgation in nephritis

    J. Am. Med. Ass.

    (1934)
  • S. Iannello et al.

    Hypomagnesemia. A review of pathophysiological, clinical and therapeutical aspects

    Panminerva Med.

    (2001)
  • Institute of Medicine

    Dietary reference intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride

    (1997)
  • L.H. Kayne et al.

    Intestinal magnesium absorption

    Miner. Electrol. Metab.

    (1993)

    • Cited by (0)

    View full text
    Copyright © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.