Magnesium could help build bone strength

Making sure young girls get enough magnesium may help keep their bones strong.
Magnesium plays a key role in bone formation, and many young women don't get enough of the mineral. To better understand the role of magnesium supplements and bone health in a healthy population, researchers from the Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut, USA, randomised 44 girls aged 8 to 14 to take 300 mg of magnesium daily for one year or a placebo. All of the girls had intakes of the mineral that were below 220 mg a day; the recommended daily allowance for magnesium is 240 mg for girls aged 8 to 13 and 360 mg for girls 14 to 18 years old.
The girls given magnesium showed significantly greater bone mineral content in the hip than those who took placebo, while their spinal bone mineral content also was greater, but not significantly so. No serious side effects from the supplements were seen, aside from diarrhoea in a few study participants, which could be addressed by phasing in the supplements slowly.
The researchers emphasised that the current study was done in girls who were deficient in magnesium, so it is not clear if the findings could be generalised to young women who are getting adequate amounts of the mineral. But there is strong evidence that young women aren't getting enough magnesium, and that the number who is deficient in the mineral is on the rise.
It may be increasingly important to look at this kind of research because of the decreased dietary intake that seems to be evident. Good dietary sources of the mineral include almonds, peanut butter, shellfish, and some leafy green vegetables. But the above findings are too preliminary for any blanket recommendations to be made on taking magnesium supplements for bone health.