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Approximately 70-80% of the US population does not meet the daily-recommended intake for magnesium. A new study has found that having the correct intake of magnesium may be needed to optimize vitamin D levels.
The study included 180 participants between the ages of 40 and 85 who were taking part in the Personalized Prevention of Colorectal Cancer Trial. Half of the participants took a magnesium supplement and half took a placebo. The amount of magnesium taken was personalized based on baseline dietary intakes and their calcium-to-magnesium intake ratio. The doses were designed to decrease the calcium-to-magnesium ratio to approximately 2:3. Changes in vitamin D status were tracked throughout the study.
The researchers found that the impact of magnesium supplementation was dependent on the initial levels of vitamin D. Participants with baseline vitamin D levels that were close to insufficient or lower (below 30 ng/ml), saw increases in vitamin D levels as a result of magnesium supplementation. However, participants with baseline vitamin D levels that were between 30 and 50 ng/ml saw decreases in vitamin D levels as a result of magnesium supplementation.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, It was published in the December 2018 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.