The effect of magnesium supplementation on anthropometric indices: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of clinical trials

Dietary intervention in depression - a review

Depression is a mental illness that affects the normal lives of over 300 million people. Unfortunately, about 30% to 40% of patients do not adequately respond to pharmacotherapy and other therapies. This review focuses on exploring the relationship between dietary nutrition and depression, aiming to find safer and efficient ingredients to alleviate depression. Diet can affect depression in numerous ways. These pathways include the regulation of tryptophan metabolism, inflammation, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, microbe-gut-brain axis, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and epigenetics. Furthermore, probiotics, micronutrients, and other active substances exhibit significant antidepressant effects by regulating the above pathways. These provide insights for developing antidepressant foods.

Magnesium Status and Ca/Mg Ratios in a Series of Children and Adolescents with Chronic Diseases

Magnesium (Mg) is an essential divalent cation involved in various enzymatic reactions that regulate vital biological functions. The main goal was to evaluate Mg status and its association with nutritional indicators in 78 children and adolescents with chronic diseases. We assessed anthropometric, biochemical, diet, body composition, and bone densitometry valuations. Serum Mg and Ca levels were determined using the standardized method and diet calcium (Ca) and Mg consumption by a prospective 72 h diet survey. Mean serum Ca (9.9 mg/dL), Mg (2.08 mg/dL) dietary Ca (102% DRI: Dietary Reference Intake), and Mg intake (105% DRI) were normal. A total of 45% had hypomagnesemia, 12% had hypermagnesemia, and 26% and 24% had inadequate and high Mg intake, respectively. Only 6% of patients had poor Mg intake and hypomagnesemia, and 54% and 90% of our series had an elevated serum Ca/Mg ratio > 4.70 (mean 4.79) and a low Ca/Mg intake ratio < 1.70 (mean 1.06), respectively. Both Ca/Mg ratios were linked with the risk of developing other chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, syndrome metabolic, and even several cancers. Therefore, 79% of children and adolescents with chronic diseases were at elevated risk of having abnormal Mg status and developing other chronic illnesses.

No association between dietary magnesium intake and body composition among Iranian adults: a cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

Obesity is becoming more prevalent worldwide. Magnesium (Mg) intake may play a role in the regulation of energy metabolism and body weight. Therefore, in this cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate the association between dietary Mg intake and body composition among healthy adults.

METHODS

A total of 778 adult men and women aged 18-59 years who attended health care centers in Tehran, Iran, entered the final analysis. Dietary intake was assessed with a validated and reliable food frequency questionnaire with 168 items and the dietary Mg intake was estimated using Nutritionist IV software. Anthropometric measurements and blood samples were collected and body composition was evaluated employing the Body Mass Index (BMI), A Body Shape Index (ABSI), Body Adiposity Index (BAI), Body Roundness Index (BRI), Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI), Lipid Accumulation Index (LAP), and Triglyceride-Glucose index (TyG). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the association of the dietary Mg intake with body composition indices.

RESULTS

The mean daily dietary Mg intake was 294 ± 140 mg in men and 262 ± 112 mg in women. Unadjusted linear regression showed that dietary magnesium intake is significantly associated with a waist to hip ratio (WHR) and total cholesterol (TC) in men, and hip circumference (HC) in women. After adjusting for potential confounders including age, education, marriage, occupation and smoking, total energy intake, and activity score, there remained no significant association between dietary Mg intake and any of the body composition indices including BMI, ABSI, BAI, BRI, VAI, LAP, and TyG neither in men nor women.

CONCLUSION

Higher Mg intake was not associated with anthropometric indices in Iranian adults, according to our findings. Additional observational studies would be beneficial in clarifying the existing findings.

The Role of Magnesium in the Pathogenesis of Metabolic Disorders

Magnesium (Mg) is an essential nutrient for maintaining vital physiological functions. It is involved in many fundamental processes, and Mg deficiency is often correlated with negative health outcomes. On the one hand, most western civilizations consume less than the recommended daily allowance of Mg. On the other hand, a growing body of evidence has indicated that chronic hypomagnesemia may be implicated in the pathogenesis of various metabolic disorders such as overweight and obesity, insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension (HTN), changes in lipid metabolism, and low-grade inflammation. High Mg intake with diet and/or supplementation seems to prevent chronic metabolic complications. The protective action of Mg may include limiting the adipose tissue accumulation, improving glucose and insulin metabolism, enhancing endothelium-dependent vasodilation, normalizing lipid profile, and attenuating inflammatory processes. Thus, it currently seems that Mg plays an important role in developing metabolic disorders associated with obesity, although more randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating Mg supplementation strategies are needed. This work represents a review and synthesis of recent data on the role of Mg in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders.

Effects of diet on obesity-related anthropometric characteristics in adults: a protocol for an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials

INTRODUCTION

There have been many meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials on the influence of different diets on obesity-related anthropometric characteristics in adults. However, whether diet interventions can effectively decrease obesity-related anthropometric characteristics remains unclear. The objective of this study is to summarise and synthesise the evidence on the effects of diet on obesity-related anthropometric characteristics in adults by an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will first retrieve English articles only published before 15 December 2021 by searching PubMed, Embase and Web of Science. Only articles that are meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials will be included. Three researchers will independently screen the titles and abstracts of retrieved articles and check the data extracted from each eligible meta-analysis. In each meta-analysis, we will consider calculating the effect size of the mean difference of the effect of each diet on obesity-related anthropometric characteristics in adults using a random-effect model or a fixed-effect model according to heterogeneity. Study heterogeneity (Cochrane's Q and I² statistics) and small-study effects (Egger's test or Begg's test) will be considered. Evidence of each effect size will be graded according to the NutriGrade scoring system. We will use AMSTAR-2 (A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews V.2) to assess the methodological quality of each meta-analysis.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This umbrella review will provide information on the effects of different diets on obesity-related anthropometric characteristics in adults. Ethical approval is not necessary for this study. We will publish the completed umbrella review and related data online.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021232826.