Having a diet rich in magnesium helps prevent the development of dementia.
- Consuming 550 milligrams of magnesium per day leads to better brain health as you age.
- Postmenopausal women benefit most from the benefits of magnesium on the brain.
- For the researchers, it would be necessary to recommend the higher consumption of magnesium from an early age to prevent dementia.
To keep a brain in good shape and reduce the risk of dementia as you age, you should not hesitate to put foods rich in magnesium on your plate such as spinach, flax seeds or even walnuts. These are the conclusions of a study conducted at the Australian National University and presented in the journal European Journal of Nutrition.
Magnesium helps fight age-related brain shrinkage
For this work, the researchers studied the files of more than 6,000 people aged 40 to 73 who joined the British study UK Biobank. Among other things, participants had to complete a questionnaire to estimate their daily magnesium intake.
The team found that individuals who consume more than 550 milligrams of magnesium per day have a brain age that is about a year younger by the time they reach age 55 compared to those with a daily intake of about 350 milligrams.
“Our study shows that a 41% increase in magnesium intake may lead to a reduction in age-related brain shrinkage, which is associated with better cognitive function and lower risk or delayed brain function. ‘onset of dementia later in life’says lead author Khawlah Alateeq in a communicated.
Dr. Erin Walsh who also worked on this research, says: “We also found that the neuroprotective effects of more dietary magnesium appear to benefit women more than men and more so in postmenopausal women than in pre-menopausal women, although this may be due to the anti-inflammatory effect of magnesium”.
Magnesium: increasing intake to prevent dementia
Faced with the absence of pharmacological treatments for dementia, researchers believe that it is necessary to promote prevention against neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive decline. For them, recommending to absorb more magnesium through our diet from an early age is one of the solutions to consider.
Khawlah Alateeq explains “the study shows that a higher dietary intake of magnesium may contribute to neuroprotection earlier in the aging process and that the preventive effects may begin in the 40s or even earlier”. She adds : “This means people of all ages should be more careful about their magnesium intake.”
