The role of magnesium in fighting cancer and infections

Killer T cells attacking a cancer cell

Magnesium is a mineral that is needed by the body to help over 300 enzyme reactions, from helping your muscles to contract to making DNA. New evidence shows that nearly two thirds of the population of the western world is deficient in this important mineral (1). This is relevant to cancer patients because new research shows that magnesium can help to kill cancer cells (2).

Cancer cells are extremely clever at hiding from the body’s defences. A type of immune cell that can attack cancer cells is the killer T cell, a kind of white blood cell. On the outside of the killer T cell is a protein called LFA-1. When magnesium attaches itself to LFA-1, it helps the killer T cell to find the hidden cancer cells and eliminate them (2).

The research found that killer T cells in rats were only able to killer cancer cells or infected cells if the LFA-1 proteins had bound with available magnesium. The Swiss researchers examined past studies of cancer immunotherapies. They found that low magnesium levels were strongly linked to faster progression of disease. They also discovered that viruses, including influenza, spread faster in mice that were fed a magnesium deficient diet, meaning that the killer T cells are also able to eliminate the viruses too (2).

It isn’t difficult to incorporate sufficient magnesium into your diet. So why are so many of us deficient in it? Processed foods contain low levels of it, and staples like meat, sugar and white flour contributes only small amounts. Cooking vegetables reduces their magnesium content significantly. Low vitamin D levels reduce the body’s ability to absorb magnesium. A wide range of medications also reduce magnesium levels. These include:

·         H2 blockers

·         proton pump inhibitors. The FDA warns that supplementing magnesium won’t help; you have to stop the drug.

·         antacids

·         antibiotics, including most of the commonly prescribed ones

·         antihistamines

·         antivirals

·         anti-epileptic medications

·         blood pressure drugs

·         diuretics

·         digoxin

·         cardiac drugs

·         methylphenidate

·         cholesterol agents, cholestyramine and colestipol

·         corticosteroids, including inhaled ones

·         estrogens, including estradiol (found in the contraceptive pill) and HRT

·         cyclosporine and tacrolimus

·         anastrozole, an aromatase inhibitor used for breast cancer patients

·         raloxifene, used for osteoporosis treatment

·         SERMs (selective estrogen receptor modulators), including tamoxifen, raloxifene and toremifene

·         sulphonamides, including some antibiotics and some diabetic medications

·         nutraceuticals, including high dose calcium, high dose vitamin D, and caffeine.

Other things that can reduce your magnesium levels are:

·         some pesticides

·         drinking alcohol when you have type I or type II diabetes

·         smoking

·         poor farming techniques that reduce the soil levels of magnesium, so food grown on it is lower in magnesium

·         ageing, which reduces the body’s levels by up to 30%.

(1)

Quite often, there are no outward signs of magnesium deficiency. If you do get them, they usually include muscle weaknesses and tremors, cramps, heart arrhythmias and ECG changes, depression and agitation.

You need around 400 mg of magnesium a day to maintain your levels. Some of the foods containing high levels of magnesium are:

·         leafy greens, like spinach and kale

·         seeds, including chia, pumpkin and flaxseed

·         nuts, especially cashews and almonds

·         legumes, like black beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas and soybeans

·         tofu

·         avocado

·         fish, especially oily fish like salmon

·         wholegrains, such as quinoa, buckwheat, oats, and wheat and barley (if you are able to tolerate gluten)

·         dark chocolate.

All of these are healthy foods that are good to incorporate into your diet for other reasons as well. Getting your magnesium from food avoids the possibility of overdosing, which is possible with supplements.

If you need to supplement, choose the right type of magnesium and take between 300 and 1,200 milligrams (mg) per day. Start low and increase it slowly until your levels are normal, which your doctor or natural health practitioner can test. Magnesium oxide is not well absorbed by the body and can cause diarrhoea, which causes you to lose magnesium, making the deficiency worse. Magnesium citrate and magnesium lactate are much better options. Magnesium glycinate is also well absorbed and can help with sleep if you take it at night. Topical magnesium oil (which has an oily texture but is actually a magnesium chloride solution) and Epsom salt baths (which are magnesium sulphate) are also good options if you don’t absorb it well orally.

It’s wise to take a calcium supplement if you’re taking magnesium supplements because they need to be kept in balance. Take 1.7 mg of calcium for each mg of magnesium.

Higher levels of magnesium can also help with other conditions that affect cancer patients:

·         it reduces the incidence of diabetes

·         it can alleviate and prevent depression,

·         it reduces insomnia

·         it can help with stopping smoking

·         it helps prevent kidney stones

·         it can lower LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol and raise HDL (‘good’) cholesterol whilst lowering triglycerides

·         it reduces hot flushes, fatigue, sweating and distress in breast cancer patients on tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors

·         it reduces the risk of glaucoma and cataracts

·         it reduces stress

·         it improves muscle performance.

(1)

So there are many good reasons to ensure that your magnesium levels are optimal.

References

1.   Schwalfenberg G, Genuis S. The Importance of Magnesium in Clinical Healthcare. Scientifica (Cairo). 2017;2017:1-14. doi:10.1155/2017/4179326

2. Lötscher J, Martí i Líndez A, Kirchhammer N et al. Magnesium sensing via LFA-1 regulates CD8+ T cell effector function. Cell. 2022;185(4):585-602.e29. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2021.12.039