Magnesium and Diabetes: A Review of Recent Studies on the Efficacy of Supplementation with Mg in Humans Suffering from This Chronic Metabolic Disease

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease which, if left untreated or poorly controlled, can lead to serious complications. This global public health challenge is frequently associated with a deficit of Mg, which is one of the most important elements in the human body and is indispensable for many metabolic processes and the maintenance of human health. Due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, its mitochondrial-supportive function, and its crucial role in the secretion and action of insulin as well as metal ion homeostasis, Mg may have great potential in the treatment of diabetes and diabetic complications. Therefore, we collected studies on a possible association between Mg and diabetes in humans. In other words, we intended to summarize data on the efficacy of oral Mg supplementation on glycemic and insulinemic parameters and Mg levels in biological specimens from humans with DM, gestational diabetes (GDM), insulin resistance (IR), and prediabetes (Pre-D). Our work indicates that, in some cases, supplementation with Mg may improve glycemic and/or insulinemic indices in hypo- or normomagnesemic individuals suffering from diabetes or IR. However, the results of certain studies did not show any beneficial effects of Mg intervention. Therefore, based on the findings presented in the current review, it can be concluded that further long-term studies on a larger population are required to demonstrate the efficacy of oral Mg supplementation in hypo- or normomagnesemic subjects with diabetes or at risk of developing the disease. It also seems justified to introduce routine determination of blood Mg levels (especially the ionized Mg form) in patients with diabetes and in those at risk of IR and glucose metabolism disorders. Moreover, it remains to be clearly determined which patients could benefit most from supplementation with this mineral, as its deficiency may impair insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake. To sum up, the results reviewed in the present report do not definitively indicate that supplementation with Mg may be regarded as a public health strategy for improving the outcomes of diabetes despite the fact that, in some cases, Mg has been reported to have a positive effect on the metabolic profile in subjects with diabetes and may be used as an adjuvant therapy of this modern-age disease.