Regular consumption of magnesium-rich foods, such as legumes, whole grains, and green vegetables, may cut down metabolic syndrome risk in older Americans.
Legumes, whole grains, and green vegetables are rich in magnesium. This study was carried out to determine the relationship between dietary ingestion of magnesium and metabolic syndrome risk. Researchers examined the dietary magnesium intake of 535 60-year old adults living in Boston Massachusetts for 3 years. Relevant biomarkers of metabolic syndrome, such as body mass index (BMI) and plasma fasting glucose concentrations, were also assessed in all the subjects.
Researchers observed a low incidence of metabolic syndrome is subjects who regularly consumed large quantities of magnesium-rich foods, such as green vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. High intake of dietary magnesium was found to reduce BMI and serum concentrations of fasting blood glucose in this study. The findings of this study show that increased consumption of diets rich in magnesium may protect older Americans against the development of metabolic syndrome.