Magnesium Deficiency Linked to Osteoporosis 35926

Magnesium Deficiency Linked to Osteoporosis

TEL AVIV, Israel & LUEBECK, Germany--Prolonged magnesiumdeficiency leads to osteoporosis in rats, according to a recent study publishedin the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, (23, 6:704S-711S,2004) (www.jacn.org).

Supplemental magnesium (Mg)--used as the only treatment in postmenopausalosteoporosis--has been shown to cause a significant increase of bone density(BD) so the scientists wanted to test its preventive role in the degenerativedisease.

Sprague-Dawley female rats fed a Mg-adequate diet (2,000 ppm--[group A])daily were compared with rats fed a Mg-deficient diet (200 ppm Mg--[group B])over a period of one year. Urine samples were collected every three months andblood samples at end of the trial. After sacrifice, the rats vertebrae (L3L5)and the femoral regions were examined for BD and the bones' mineral contentsestimated.

The mean BD of the L3L5 vertebral bone was significantly higher in group Athan in the Mg-deficient group B. The BD of the femoral region was alsosignificantly higher in group A. The stiffness of the femur, as determined byresistance to bending, was slightly greater in group A than in group B, butafter correction to diminish the influence of the difference in bone dimensionsin the two groups, the stiffness (i.e. loss of elasticity) in group B becamesignificantly greater than that in group A. The force needed to break the bone(F-max) was significantly higher in group A than in group B and remained soafter correction, although no longer significantly. In Group B, the diminutionof the trabecular bone volume, in relation to tissue volume and the increase inthe degree of trabecular interconnection, indicated osteoporosis. In addition,the researchers noted focal osteoporosis of the metaphyseal spongy bone was seenon microscopy.

The scientists concluded experimentally induced prolonged Mg deficiencycauses osteoporosis in rats.