There’s no getting around the fact that magnesium is one of the most compelling subjects of discussion in modern nutrition.
I want to start today’s post by acknowledging Canadian supplement brand Pure North Naturals, with whom I recently created content on collagen peptides with and who are the financial sponsor’s of this content.
That being said, the views and science presented in today’s piece remain my own.
Let’s get to the good stuff.
For me, there are two clear reasons why magnesium is so compelling:
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Many People Don’t Consume Enough
Case in point, a 2021 analysis of Canadian intake data indicated that >45% of Canadians have inadequate intakes of dietary magnesium.
Magnesium is spread across very important but very under appreciated food families including fish, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, leafy greens and dark chocolate.
Many of these foods are victim to misconceptions brought about by the confusing world of online nutrition messaging via social media.
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Not Consuming Enough Has Consequences
My clients and regular readers of my content will know this isn’t the first time I’ve spoken about magnesium, and it certainly won’t be my last.
In the past I’ve focused on the metabolic consequences of low dietary magnesium intake, particularly as it relates to increased risk of fatty liver disease and diabetes.
Unfortunately, there are also cognitive costs associated with poor magnesium intake.
Magnesium & Cognitive Health
Long-term cognitive health is a complex subject matter that will never boil down to one nutrient, but even so growing evidence implicates the important role of adequate magnesium intake in maintaining brain health.
Recently published evidence out of the Alzheimer’s Dementia journal observed that older adults (60+) in American with higher intakes of magnesium tended to have better cognitive function.
The positive influence of magnesium was most pronounced in those who with Vitamin D levels of ≥50 nmol/L.
Further to that point, a 2024 study out of the European Journal Of Nutrition found that in a sample of 5,000+ adults aged 40-73 those with higher magnesium intakes tended to have larger brain volumes and lower levels of inflammatory markers [particularly CRP].
Magnesium is considered an anti-inflammatory mineral as per the DII (dietary inflammatory index) and it’s possible that the minerals’ brain health benefits arise, in part, due to its anti-inflammatory influence.
The Magnesium L-Threonate Study
Given magnesium’s potential to be under consumed paired with its seemingly significant influence on cognitive health, the role of supplementation was always going to be a topic of great interest in this area.
Enter Magnesium L-Threonate (product picture will be here) – a unique form of supplemental magnesium that caught scientists interests in 2010 following evidence in animal trials that it has an enhanced bioavailability and may deliver magnesium to the brain cells more readily than other forms.
In 2022 that early enthusiasm was brought to life in a controlled human trial which provided Magnesium L-Threonate to adults aged 18-65 over a 30-day period – testing multiple aspects of memory and cognitive function before and after the intervention.
What It Means
The results were promising, with significant improvements noted in all categories tested with a clear trend demonstrating that the older adults in the trial experienced the most significant improvements.
For reference, the supplement provides 144 mg of elemental magnesium which is approximately 1/3 of the daily RDA for magnesium such that it allows for the boosting of magnesium intake without overt risks of overexposure.
While the human research in this area is in its infancy, taking together magnesium’s role in cognitive health and the fact it remains under consumed – it’s reasonable to suggest that those looking to utilize a magnesium supplement for the purpose of improved cognitive health look to L-threonate as a promising candidate.
Pure North Naturals
Pure North Naturals are proudly Canadian made with an emphasis on using only the highest quality ingredients and rigorous third-party testing.
A special thanks to their team for giving me further incentive to indulge my scientific side and explore this important and highly relevant topic in the world of skin health and anti-aging nutrition.
Their magnesium l-threonate product, linked above, offers magnesium in the same form and quantity as the landmark cognitive health trial I reviewed in today’s post.
I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed preparing it.
Until next time,
Andy De Santis RD MPH
