Effect of magnesium supplementation on plasma glucose in patients with diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Magnesium depletion and/or deficiency are known feature of diabetes mellitus, and could lead to increased insulin resistance and diabetic complications. This study therefore looked at the potential benefit of magnesium administration on the management of diabetic mellitus. Twelve apparently healthy and 6 non-insulin dependent diabetic (NIDDM) subjects received 15mmol (360 mg) elemental magnesium as NUG2 (Meram Laboratories, France) in 500 ml of 0.9% saline intravenously over four hours. Blood samples were collected at baseline and at hourly intervals. The diabetic subjects had lower ionized (0.41±0.03 vs 0.48±0.01 mmoIAL; P< 0.05) and total (0.73±0.04 vs 0.88±0.02 mmol/L; P< 0.05) plasma magnesium concentrations than the non-diabetic subjects, reflecting a depletion of body magnesium. The administration of magnesium led to a significant increase in ionized and total plasma magnesium in both non-diabetic and diabetic subjects. Similarly, plasma glucose and insulin were significantly decreased, and homeostasis model assessment showed an increase in insulin sensitivity in diabetic subjects. In established cases of magnesium depletion and/or deficiency in diabetes mellitus, magnesium supplementation could be of great benefit in diabetic management