Magnesium Enhances Memory

TEL AVIV, IsraelMagnesium may be even more critical than previously thought for the neurons of children and healthy brain cells in adults, according to new research from Tel Aviv University. The research focuses on a new magnesium supplement, magnesium-L-theronate (MgT), that effectively crosses the blood-brain barrier to inhibit calcium flux in brain neurons.

The study, published in the journal Neuron, found the synthetic magnesium compound works on both young and aging animals to enhance memory or prevent its impairment.

In the study, two groups of rats ate normal diets containing a healthy amount of magnesium from natural sources. The first group was given a supplement of MgT, while the control group had only its regular diet. Behavioral tests showed that cognitive functioning improved in the rats in the first group and also demonstrated an increase of synapses in the brain, the connective nerve endings that carry memories in the form of electrical impulses from one part of the brain to the other. The new compound showed improved permeability of the blood-brain barrier. After two weeks of oral administration of the compound in mice, magnesium levels in the cerebral-spinal fluid increased.