Magnesium and Diabetes Prevention

In Japan, the respective prevalence of probable and possible diabetes increased respectively from 6.9 to 8.9 and from 6.8 to 13.2 million cases between 1997 and 2007 [1]. Probable diabetes cases are characterized by either high levels of glycated hemoglobin (≥ 6.1 %) or by receiving medication for type 2 diabetes. Possible diabetes cases are characterized by glycated hemoglobin levels ranging from 5.6 % to 6.1 % [1]. Within populations of Japanese men and women aged over 50 years, the prevalence of probable and possible diabetes has been reported to be as high as 30–40 % [1]. Although the prevalence of obesity (an important risk factor of type 2 diabetes) is lower in Japanese than in Western populations [2], the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is not dramatically lower [3]. While these epidemic proportions of type 2 diabetes among Japanese have mainly been attributed to genetic differences between Asian and Caucasian populations [4], some limited evidence also suggests the influence of environmental factors, such as diet. For example, magnesium is involved in glucose homeostasis and insulin action [5], and its protective effect against type 2 diabetes has been demonstrated by several prospective studies, including one involving a Japanese population.