Magnesium helps the intestines produce vitamin D

Our body ages and reacts to external factors in different ways, but nutrition continues to be one of the main tools in the fight against diseases. Magnesium, which is most often known for its benefits for the heart and nervous system, unexpectedly showed another property — it affects the balance of the microbiota and helps synthesize vitamin D without sunlight.

A team of specialists conducted a clinical trial involving people with precancerous intestinal polyps in the past. The participants were divided into groups: one received magnesium supplements, and the other received a placebo. During the analysis of intestinal flora samples, it was observed that magnesium enhances the growth of the bacteria Carnobacterium maltaromaticum and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. It has already been shown that these microorganisms jointly increase the level of vitamin D and reduce the risk of malignant processes.

Interestingly, the effect was more pronounced in women. According to the authors, this is due to the peculiarities of how estrogen distributes magnesium between cells and the bloodstream. Such monitoring opens up prospects for a more personalized approach to prevention.

Another important conclusion concerns genetic characteristics. It turned out that in people with a specific variant of the TRPM7 gene, responsible for the absorption of magnesium and calcium, supplements are more effective. In such cases, magnesium not only increased the growth of beneficial bacteria, but also reduced the likelihood of recurrence of polyps during control colonoscopies.

A serious step has been taken towards understanding how minerals and microflora jointly form the body’s defense mechanisms. The data obtained can form the basis of new bowel cancer prevention programs aimed at specific groups of people at increased risk.