Magnesium In Diet Strengthens Bones

A magnesium-rich diet could strengthen your bones, especially if you are a white senior citizen, says a study.

Kathryn M. Ryder and other researchers asked over 2,000 black and white men and women aged between 70 and 79 years to complete a questionnaire to determine how much magnesium they were receiving from food and various supplements, according to research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Additionally, they performed bone mineral density tests on the participants. They found those who ingested more magnesium had significantly higher bone density than those who got the least amount of magnesium, reported science portal EurekAlert.

Magnesium is found in many green vegetables including spinach, collards, dandelion greens, peas, parsley, garlic, celery, cauliflower and cabbage.

Besides they are also found in brussel sprouts, asparagus, beetroot, sweet corn, avocados, bananas, blackberries, dates, figs, green olives, chives, dried prunes, raisins, kelp, wheat germ, soya beans, wild rice, almonds, cashews, brazil and peanuts.

For every 100 milligram per day increase in magnesium intake, data showed a one percent increase in bone density.

Previous research has demonstrated that black men and women may process vitamin D and other calcium regulating hormones differently than whites, thus possibly explaining the lack of association between magnesium and bone density among them in this study.

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"Although this one per cent increase seems small, increases across a population may have large public health impact," Ryder said.

The recommended daily allowance of magnesium is 320 mg/day for women and 420/mg day for men in this age group. Most people in this age group intake far less magnesium than this daily amount.

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--Edited IANS