Abstract
Background
A large proportion of adults in North America are not meeting recommended intakes for magnesium (Mg). Women and people of South Asian race may be at higher risk for Mg deficiency because of lower Mg intakes relative to requirements and increased susceptibility to diabetes, respectively.
Objective
This study compared serum Mg concentrations in South Asian (n=276) and white (n=315) Canadian women and men aged 20–79 years living in Canada's Capital Region and examined the relationship with diabetes, glucose control, insulin resistance, and body mass index.
Results
Serum Mg concentration was lower in women of both races and South Asians of both genders. Racial differences in serum Mg were not significant after controlling for use of diabetes medication. A substantial proportion of South Asian (18%) and white (9%) women had serum Mg <0.75 mmol/L indicating hypomagnesemia. Use of diabetes medication and indicators of poorer glucose control, insulin resistance, and obesity were associated with lower serum Mg in women, but not in men.
Conclusions
These results suggest that the higher incidence of diabetes in South Asians increases their risk for Mg deficiency and that health conditions that increase Mg requirements have a greater effect on Mg status in women than men.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Reiko Nagasaka, Claude Gagnon, Kurtis Sarafin, Isabelle Rondeau, Isabelle Massarelli, Winnie Cheung, Paula Roach, Patrick Laffey, Sylvie Faucher, Keith Snider, Marie-France Verreault, Marcia Cooper, Francoise Cain, Marcia LeBlanc, Judy Green, Sarah Hatt, Laura Kenney, Emilie Hebert, Danu Mohottalage, Medhani Mohottalage, Susantha Mohottalage, Denuka Samarawickrama, Charith Jayatilake, Chattali Jayatilake, Sajani Samarawickrama, Rajitha Widyaratne, Isuri Vidyaratne, Sasha Senarath, Dinu Heiyanthuduwa, Halima Eljack-Bansajaya, Udula Ratnayake, Ayesha Ratnayake, and Indee Ranasinghe for their assistance with this study. The authors are also grateful to all the study participants.
Conflict of interest and funding
This research was funded by the Bureau of Nutritional Sciences, Health Canada. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.