Taking magnesium supplements during adolescence may help
girls build stronger bone, an effect that may last beyond menopause, according
to results of a trial by researchers at Yale University School of Medicine.
The placebo-controlled, randomized and double blind trial
found that girls who took magnesium supplements regularly significantly
improved their bone mineral density, an indicator for bone health.
For the 12-month trial, Thomas Carpenter and colleagues
assigned 300 mg of magnesium or a placebo daily to 120 healthy Caucasian girls
age 8 to 14 who would otherwise took less than 220 mg per day.
At the end of the trial, bone mineral content significantly
increased in the hips of the girls on magnesium supplements compared to those
treated a placebo.
The lumbar spine bone mineral content also increased, but not as significantly.
No serious adverse side effects were observed.
Mild diarrhea was experienced by some girls.
“Oral magnesium oxide capsules are safe and
well tolerated,” the researchers write in their report, which was published in
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Magnesium is an important element in the human body,
participating in more than 300 reactions.
Sufficient amounts of magnesium help maintain normal physiological
functions.
The daily recommended allowance for magnesium is 240 mg for
girls age 9 to 13 and 360 mg for girls age 14-18 years.
Magnesium is found rich in bran cereal, oat bran, shredded
wheat, brown rice, almonds, peanuts, lima beans, black-eyed peas, chopped
spinach and chopped Swiss chard.
