Healthcare providers know the importance of assessing vitamin D status on their patients. When vitamin D levels are low, supplementation is recommended or the dosage is often increased. More and more research demonstrates the intricate interrelationships with other nutrients. It is important to maintain optimal levels of all the fat soluble vitamins but one cannot forget magnesium either.
According to a new randomized published earlier this month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers demonstrated that magnesium influences vitamin D status. Magnesium had a regulatory effect and a magnesium deficiency shuts down the vitamin D synthesis and metabolism pathway.
The research team became interested in a role for magnesium because people synthesize vitamin D differently with levels of the vitamin in some individuals not rising even after being given high dosage supplements.
This randomized study included 250 patients 40 to 85 years of age at risk for developing colorectal cancer because of either risk factors or having a precancerous polyp removed. Doses of magnesium and placebo were customized based on baseline dietary intake.
Magnesium supplementation increased vitamin D 25-OH levels but not 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D when baseline levels were less than 30 ng/mL but decreased both in a dose dependent manner when levels were between 30 to 50 ng/mL. As a result, optimal magnesium status is important and plays a role in optimizing vitamin D status.
Vitamin D and magnesium insufficiency are a common issue among many patients. Over 75% of individuals have calcium to magnesium ratios greater than 2.5 and up to 80% of people do not consume enough magnesium in a day to meet the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) and most of these individuals are also vitamin D deficient.
It is essential to recommend patients consume foods including dark leafy greens, beans, whole grains, dark chocolate, fatty fish such as salmon, nuts and avocadosas deficiencies in magnesium and vitamin K can contribute to vascular calcification andsupplement with vitamin D accordingly.
Source:Qi Dai, Xiangzhu Zhu, JoAnn E Manson, YiqingSong, Xingnan Li, Adrian A Franke, Rebecca B Costello, Andrea Rosanoff, HuiNian, Lei Fan, Harvey Murff, Reid M Ness, Douglas L Seidner, Chang Yu, Martha JShrubsole. Magnesium status and supplementation influence vitamin D statusand metabolism: results from a randomized trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2018; 108 (6):1249 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy274Learn more about the functional medicine approach for many other chronic health conditions from Dr. Michael Jurgielewicz, and others, through the educational platform Functional Medicine & Nutrition Virtual Classroom with Dr. David Brady & Friends at OnlineCE.com/DrBrady