How Does Magnesium Deficiency Affect Diabetes?

Insulin resistance and blood glucose control
Magnesium helps produce and secrete insulin. It is also needed by cells to create a larger number of insulin receptors to keep up insulin sensitivity. A lack of magnesium causes insulin resistance leading to high blood glucose.

Hypertension
To lower elevated blood pressure levels, the DASH diet suggests a diet rich in magnesium. Magnesium helps lower high blood pressure levels by relaxing blood vessels, minimizing insulin levels and maintaining normal potassium levels. When one has high blood pressure, one's cells have high sodium levels and low potassium levels, controlled by the pump of the cell membrane. Magnesium switches on this pump to get potassium into the cells and sodium out of them.

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