I came across a research paper dating back to 2005. It was about the relationship between obesity in children, magnesium deficiency and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance (IR) precedes the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). A condition you do not want your child to acquire, especially at such an early age.

Mg deficiency and insulin resistance

The research suggests that a magnesium (Mg) deficiency has been associated with IR which is the precurser to T2D. The study was designed to determine whether children who are obese, do in fact have an underlying Mg deficiency.

48 participants

The research studied just 24 obese and 24 lean children, which is in itself, quite a modest number of participants for noteworthy research. Even so, it did produce much evidence to support the theory that obesity in children is a precursor to T2D.

Research conclusions

The conclusions of the research is given below: “The association between magnesium deficiency and IR is present during childhood. Serum magnesium deficiency in obese children may be secondary to decreased dietary magnesium intake. Magnesium supplementation or increased intake of magnesium-richfoods may be an important tool in the prevention of type 2 diabetes in obese children.”

Other research

As research has progressed, it is now commonly recognised that “diabetes is a magnesium deficiency state.” Words from the eminent diabetes researcher and expert Dr Jerry Nadler of the Eastern Virginia Medical School. He was given the ‘top scientist’ award for 2016. “the link between diabetes mellitus and magnesium deficiency is well known.” he states.

Their is a problem with this 2005 research

What worries me about this 2005 research is that the test they used to determine a Mg deficiency was the serum magnesium test.  Although this is commonly used to ascertain Mg in the body, it is known to be flawed. This is because we now know how the body distributes its Mg levels.

Dr Carolyn Dean

Dr Carolyn Dean states in her book “The Magnesium Miracle”  “medicine is still firmly locked into the highly inaccurate serum magnesium test.” She goes on to say “less than 1 percent of our body’s total magnesium can be measured in blood serum”. 

A health warning is necessary

A research group actually looked into this anomoly of inaccurate testing in 2010 and came to this conclusion: “The perception that “normal” serum magnesium excludes deficiency is common among clinicians. This perception is probably enforced by the common laboratory practice of highlighting only abnormal results. A health warning is therefore warranted regarding potential misuse of “normal” serum magnesium because restoration of magnesium stores in deficient patients is simple, tolerable, inexpensive and can be clinically beneficial.”

What if Mg was tested accurately?

If you look back at the 2005 research, even using this antequated testing, researchers still found Mg levels to be a symptom of IR in obese children. So what would be the result if the more accurate RBC test was done. This  tests around 40% of the body’s magnesium level. Then there’s the very accurate and easy to do, Buccal Cell Smear test (EXA Test). What would the true levels of Mg deficiency have been?

Going back to the levels of Mg in those 24 obese children, first in SI Units:

• The obese children were averaging 0.748 mmol/L
• The lean ‘healthy’ children averaged 0.801 mmol/L
• Optimum levels should be 2.6715 mmol/L

And now in Conventional Units:

• The obese children were averaging 1.180 mg/dL
• The lean ‘healthy’ children averaged 1.95 mg/dL
• Optimum levels should be 6.5 mg/dL

Obese and the control group all Mg deficient!

The 24 lean children, the supposed healthy children, had a Mg level not much better than the obese children. This goes to prove that all the children were well below par when it came to their Mg levels. All 48 of these children were seriously Mg deficient, the obese and the lean control group!

The inefficient serum test is causing problems

This Mg testing problem is giving medical practioners duff information about their patients’ Mg levels. Less than 1% (around 25mg) of the total Mg in the body (around 25 grams) is being tested. If the body is under stress it will pump Mg out of the cells and into the blood keeping serum levels steady, to protect the body. So a bodywide deficiency will be hidden by this inadequate test.

This test is worse than no test at all. This also explains why a large majority of the population has a Mg deficiency.

Brain illnesses in adults are known to be associated with low levels of Mg. Diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimers and other dementias. These erroneous test results are usually false positives. Consquently, Mg supplements are mostly never prescribed, only drugs. Drugs that just deplete Mg levels even further.

The main body of research regarding diabetes, is focused on adults but there is growing evidence that the situation in children can be equally problematic. Recent research shows that obese children “have early brain damage and it appears to be associated with attention deficit and memory problems.”  Overweight coupled with a diet rich in sugar and saturated fats affect the brain…

The growing brain

Don’t forget, this is a growing brain, a brain that needs all the proper nutrients, vitamins and minerals to keep it growing healthily. The last thing a child should be ingesting is junk foods which are devoid of healthful nutrients.

To make matters worse, obese children often become obese adults. It is only when that child becomes an adult that something may be done about the obesity. By that time, they are addicted to junk food which makes dieting immensely difficult for them. The next course of action if often bariatric surgery, but that miserable unhealthy child has become an unhealthy miserable adult. What a crying shame!

Don’t shorten a child’s life

It is very tempting to give your child everything they want. But in the case of junk foods and sodas, versus healthy foods and drinks, it is the parents’ job to make sure that their children do not become overweight and/or unhealthy. If the junk food is not in the house, the child can’t eat it.

Teach your child healthy habits

Teaching healthy eating habits from an early age sets down paradigms that will last for life. A life that will hopefully be long and disease free. When those youngsters have their own children, their good habits will then be passed on, a win, win situation!

80% deficient in Mg

The majority of the population including our children, has health that is under par.  This is why we see so much ADHD, ADD and other anxiety conditions in our kids. Conditions such as depression, asthma, seizures. This is as well as insulin resistance which a good diet and a quality Mg supplement will counteract.

Mg deprivation = unhealthy body

Putting Mg back into our Mg depleted sub-standard junk diet, would change the health of our children and the nation. Deprivation of this vital mineral will insidiously and slowly make you and your children unhealthy. As you age you will succumb to a plethera of diseases which will be controlled, not cured, with pharmaceutical drugs. This will further deplete your Mg levels and dangerously increase your Ca levels, a vicious circle of illness.

Spread the word!