Magnesium
and Strong Bones
Eating green, leafy vegetables; whole grains; nuts; meats; and milk can help
build stronger bones according a study in the Journal of the American
Geriatrics Society. These foods are all good sources of magnesium and
calcium. Magnesium helps the body use calcium, but most adults don’t get the
Recommended Dietary Allowance of this mineral—420 mg per day for men and 320 mg
per day for women. Getting enough calcium and vitamin D and regular
weight-bearing exercise such as weight training, walking, or jogging are proven
ways to boost bone health, but little research has been done on magnesium’s
effects on bone density until recently.
Researchers had over 2,000 black and white men and women, ages 70 to 79, fill
out a questionnaire which asked how often they ate certain foods. The
researchers took into account additional sources of magnesium from drugs and
supplements to determine the participants’ total magnesium intake. They found
that those who got the most magnesium had the highest bone density. Higher bone
density lowers risks of disease such as osteoporosis, which causes bone
fractures. This study showed a 1% increase in bone density for every 100 mg
intake per day of magnesium. But this result was seen only in the white men and
women. The bone density of the black men and women in this study did not
benefit from the magnesium. According to the researchers, a possible reason
that bone density did not increase for everyone is because calcium absorption
differs among races.
SOURCE: American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Health in Aging
www.healthinaging.org/agingintheknow/research_content.asp?id=31