Increase Magnesium Intake and You May Reduce the Risk of Colon Cancer

An analysis of eight studies suggests that consuming more magnesium may reduce the risk of developing colon cancer by up to 11%.

The studies included 338,979 participants, 8,000 of whom had colon cancer. The researchers determined that the highest consumption of magnesium was associated with an 11% reduction in occurrences of colon cancer when compared with the lowest consumption. Additionally, the risk of rectal cancer was reduced by 6%.

Additionally, for every 50 mg of magnesium increase per day, the risk of colon cancer was reduced by 7%.

The study was conducted at the School of Public Health at Soochow University in China. It was published online ahead of print on October 3, 2012 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Previous studies have found that higher intakes of magnesium may reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and osteoporosis.

Eating more magnesium rich foods such as green leafy vegetables, meats, starches, grains, nuts and milk is one way to increase your magnesium intake. Taking a supplement is also a good option.