MAGNESIUM

Magnesium is one of the most abundant cations in the intracellular environment after potassium. Mg2+ is tightly regulated and kept at basal levels by normal Mg2+ intake, absorption, and metabolism under physiological conditions. Total magnesium levels in the hippocampus of AD patients decreased by 18% compared with that of normal subjects. Although the presence of magnesium deficiency in patients with AD is notable, its severity may be underestimated. The concentration of serum Mg2+ in healthy people ranges from 0.70 mM to 1.05 mM. Mg2+ deficiency is generally determined by measuring the total serum Mg2+ concentration, but it cannot accurately reflect the concentration of magnesium in the human body. Most Mg2+ is stored in bone, muscle, and soft tissue, and the proportion of serum Mg2+ is very low. Even if the human body is in a serious state of Mg2+ depletion, serum magnesium may also be in the normal range. Although the magnesium concentration in AD patients is reduced, the degree of deficiency cannot be accurately evaluated. It is not only difficult to evaluate magnesium deficiency, but also a reasonable supplement of magnesium. Slutsky et al found that following long-term magnesium supplementation, Mg2+ concentration in cerebrospinal fluid only increases by 15%. On one hand, systemic magnesium is closely regulated by renal function. On the other hand, the blood-brain barrier separates the brain from the daily fluctuations of blood magnesium. Hippocampal synapses are very sensitive to small changes in extracellular Mg2+ concentration (increasing the concentration of magnesium by 15% can increase the synaptic density by 50%). Encouragingly, compared with other Mg2+ compounds (such as magnesium chloride, magnesium citrate, and magnesium gluconate), dietary intake of magnesium L-threonate could significantly increase Mg2+ levels in the brain. Therefore, restoring brain magnesium may be a potential way to treat cognitive impairment in patients with AD. 

PUBLISHED ARTICLES :

** In: Magnesium in the Central Nervous System [Internet]. Adelaide (AU): University of Adelaide Press; 2011.

Magnesium in Alzheimer’s disease

** Nutrients. 2018 Jun 6;10(6):730.doi: 10.3390/nu10060730.

The Role of Magnesium in Neurological Disorders

** World J Psychiatry. 2022 Sep 19;12(9):1261-1263.doi: 10.5498/wjp.v12.i9.1261.

Magnesium may be an effective therapy for Alzheimer's disease

** Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Dec 23;24(1):223.doi: 10.3390/ijms24010223.

Magnesium and the Brain: A Focus on Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration

** Front Hum Neurosci. 2013 Oct 29;7:735.doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00735.

The role of iron-induced fibrin in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and the protective role of magnesium

** CNS Neurosci Ther. 2018 Jan;24(1):70-79.doi: 10.1111/cns.12775. Epub 2017 Nov 10.

Magnesium boosts the memory restorative effect of environmental enrichment in Alzheimer's disease mice