Magnesium Research 2011; 24 (4): 156-62 SHORT REVIEW The role of magnesium in type 2 diabetes: A brief based-clinical review Martha Rodríguez-Morán 1 , Luis E. Simental Mendía 1 , Graciela Zambrano Galván 1, 2 , Fernando Guerrero-Romero 1 1 Biomedical Research Unit, Mexican Social Security Institute, Predio Canoas 100, Col. Los Angeles, 34067 Durango, Dgo. Mexico; 2 Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition, University of Durango, Av. Universidad and Fanny Anitua s/n, 34000 Durango, Dgo. Mexico Correspondence: Fernando Guerrero-Romero, MD, PhD, Siqueiros 225 esq/Casta˜ neda, 34000, Durango, Dgo., Mexico <guerrero_romero@hotmail.com> Abstract. A growing body of evidence from experimental studies that shows the essential role that magnesium exerts on glucose metabolism has been developed in last years, strongly suggesting that magnesium could plays an important roles in the reduction of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.In the clinical setting, large epidemiological studies show that low dietary magnesium intake is asso- ciated with the increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes; however, results from randomized controlled clinical trials that have evaluated the beneficial effects of magnesium supplementation on glucose metabolism and insulin sen- sitivity are controversial.In this article we searched (in the electronic databases of Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register up to June 2011) the evidence derived from epidemiological studies and clinical trials, about the relationship between magnesium and type 2 diabetes.The body of evidence from epidemiological studies consistently shows a strong inverse relationship between dietary magnesium intake and the risk of developing T2D; however, results from clinical trials are scarce and controversial. Key words: magnesium, type 2 diabetes, randomized controlled clinical trials, epi- demiological studies Introduction Although hypomagnesemia is a common feature in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), the hypo- magnesemia also has been proposed as a risk factor of developing T2D. Magnesium, the most abundant intracellular divalent cation [1, 2], is involved as an essential cofactor in the enzymatic process of high-energy phosphate, energetic metabolism [3, 4], and glucose metabolic pathways [4-7]. Furthermore, clinical studies show that serum magnesium concentration is inversely associated with serum levels of C reactive protein (CRP) [8, 9], suggesting that hypomagnesemia is related with the trigger- ing of low-grade chronic inflammatory syndrome, which is associated with the decrease of insulin sensitivity [10-17]. So, through impairment of enzymatic pathways involved in glucose transport and phosphorylation as well as by the triggering of low-grade chronic inflammation, magnesium deficiency is implicated in the decrease of insulin action [18]. In addition, it has been reported that among individuals with serum magnesium deficiency, the decrease in insulin sensitivity is not appropriately compensated by the increase of beta-cell function [19, 20] and, that oral magnesium supplementa- tion improves the ability of pancreatic -cells to compensate the decreases in insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic subjects with significant hypomag- nesemia [21]. These data strongly suggests that magnesium deficiency also is implicated in the decrease of insulin secretion. 156 doi:10.1684/mrh.2011.0299 To cite this article: Rodríguez-Morán M, Simental Mendía LE, Zambrano Galván G, Guerrero-Romero F. The role of magnesium in type 2 diabetes: A brief based-clinical review. Magnes Res 2011; 24(4): 156-62 doi:10.1684/mrh.2011.0299