HealthThis is the mineral you should take to prevent Alzheimer's and improve your brain health (especially if you are a woman).

This is the mineral you should take to prevent Alzheimer’s and improve your brain health (especially if you are a woman).

About 55 million people have dementia. worldwide, and the figure increases by 10 million cases each year, according to the WHO. Everything indicates that the number will reach 150 million people affected by the middle of the century, which is why science is stepping on the accelerator to achieve advances both in early diagnosis and in treatments, drugs and prevention methods.

Diet, along with sports and lifestyle habits, offers an important key to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s and improve cognitive function: in this sense, a study published in the journal European Journal of Nutrition sheds new evidence on the relationship between magnesium intake and brain health.

A preliminary note: Magnesium is responsible for about 300 biochemical reactions in your body. From the National Institutes of Health they explain that the mineral regulates muscle and nervous system function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressurein addition to contributing to the formation of protein, bone mass and DNA.

Previous studies already confirmed that the intake of magnesium in the diet intervenes in the biological processes related to brain aging: consuming it in adequate amounts is a key mechanism to prevent the neuronal degeneration that is behind dementia, collects New Atlas.

Now, the recent analysis prepared by scientists from the Australian National University has put the magnifying glass on brain volumes and white matter lesions (CML) and their association with dietary magnesium. The association between blood pressure and magnesium and the differences between men and women in this area were also studied.

Brain volume is an important factor to consider. The reason? Atrophy or shrinkage of the brain precedes the onset of clinical symptoms in Alzheimer’s patients. Specifically, the atrophy of the hippocampus —the complex brain structure involved in learning and memory—is an early feature of the pathology.

On the other hand, the white matter It is found throughout the central nervous system, but especially inside the brain, and is made up of bundles of millions of nerve fibers connected to the brain’s gray matter. CML (lymphocytic choriomeningitis) are abnormalities that appear as bright spots on MRIs of the brain.

they can either be a sign of the normal aging process and not clinically significant, or indicate inflammation and myelin damage, the insulating sheath that surrounds nerves. In some cases, CMLs are an early sign of conditions such as stroke or Alzheimer’s.

To delve into the role of magnesium as a preventive agent, we analyzed data from 6,001 people from the UK Biobank. They were participants aged between 40 and 73 years, and with no evidence of neurological disorders. They had to complete various questionnaires over 16 months and their answers were used to calculate their daily magnesium intake.

For the first time it was discovered that Magnesium intake is associated with higher brain volumes and lower CML, especially in gray and white matter. The neuroprotective capacity of the mineral varied according to the brain region, being especially intense in the gray matter and the hippocampus.

Increasing magnesium intake by 41% reduces age-associated brain shrinkage

Compared to a person with a normal magnesium intake of 350 milligrams per day, those consuming more than 550 milligrams of magnesium per day had a brain age about one year younger than their “body age” by age 55.

One of the main conclusions of the study is that increasing magnesium intake by 41% could reduce age-related brain shrinkage, improving cognitive function and reducing the risk of later onset dementia.

Omega-3s also have effects on your brain after age 40: higher intake is associated with better abstract reasoning and brain function in midlife

The effects were significant especially in women, especially those who were already in the postmenopausal phase. According to the researchers, this may be due to the anti-inflammatory properties of magnesium. The study did not reveal any relationship between dietary magnesium intake and blood pressure.

The Spanish Nutrition Foundation highlights that the 5 foods richest in magnesium are almonds, hazelnuts, wheat germ, soybeans or peanuts. You will also find it in bananas, green leafy vegetables like spinach, avocados, cashews, legumes, tofu, fatty fish, seeds, whole grains, and dark chocolate.

Based on the results, these scientists recommend increasing magnesium intake from an earlier age to ward off neurodegenerative diseases. According to Erin Walsh, co-author of the study, they hope the study will inform “the development of public health interventions aimed at promoting healthy aging of the brain.”

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