Do calcium and magnesium deficiencies affect brain health?

Evan Walker
Evan Walker TheMediTary.Com |
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Do calcium and magnesium play a role in brain health? Image credit: Calysta Images/Getty Images.
  • Cognitive decline is a normal part of aging, but not everyone declines at the same rate.
  • A new study investigates the relationship between cognitive performance and levels of magnesium and calcium in the blood.
  • The researchers conclude that lower levels of these micronutrients are associated with poorer cognitive performance in people over 60.

A new study, published in the journal Nutrients, investigates factors associated with cognitive performance in older adults.

In agreement with previous research, it finds that age, body mass index (BMI), and chronic heart failure are all associated with changes in thinking skills.

They also showed that lower blood calcium and magnesium levels are linked to poorer performance in cognitive tests.

As we age, our body’s systems and organs slowly change, including the brain. Cognitive decline — a slow deterioration in thinking abilities — is common. However, it is not inevitable and some people maintain good mental performance well into their later years.

It is important to distinguish between cognitive decline, which is considered a normal part of aging, and dementia, which is not. Although dementia generally begins with cognitive decline, not everyone with cognitive decline will develop dementia.

Still, cognitive decline can make everyday life more challenging. So, as the average age in the West steadily increases, understanding the factors that contribute to cognitive decline is vital.

Recently, deficiencies in magnesium and calcium have grabbed researchers’ attention.

Previous research on this topic relied on assessing dietary intake of micronutrients using, for instance, food frequency questionnaires.

This approach, while useful, is open to bias — people may forget what they have eaten, for instance. Additionally, these questionnaires only provide a snapshot of an individual’s diet over a day or a week, and diets can change significantly over months and years.

The new study takes a more direct approach. It is the first of its kind to directly measure levels of calcium and magnesium in blood — a much more reliable method of assessing nutrient status. This, the authors hope, might provide clearer answers.

They recruited 1,220 participants in a hospital: 876 females and 344 males. All were aged 60 or older and hospitalized at the time of the study. The scientists had access to their medical history and blood samples.

They also measured their BMI and assessed cognitive performance using two different tests.

In agreement with previous research, the scientists found that higher age and the occurrence of heart failure were associated with poorer cognitive performance in the cohort. Also, a higher BMI was linked to better performance.

They also found that those with lower levels of magnesium or calcium in their blood performed worse on two different cognitive tests. Participants scored lower on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clock-Drawing Test (CDT).

Interestingly, those with healthy magnesium levels but low calcium levels also performed poorly. However, individuals with low magnesium but healthy calcium levels did not have such pronounced cognitive impairment.

Medical News Today spoke with Catherine Gervacio, a registered nutritionist, and diet consultant for WOWMD about these results.

Gervacio, who was not involved in this research, explained that:

“Among the groups, those with low calcium alone had the lowest scores on the cognitive tests. This suggests calcium might have a stronger individual link to cognitive health than magnesium. It’s particularly striking since many studies emphasize magnesium’s role in brain health, so this finding highlights calcium’s importance, too.”

Also, the researchers found that people whose scores indicated they had dementia had lower levels of magnesium and calcium than individuals who scored more highly on the cognitive tests.

When the authors examined the ratio between calcium and magnesium, unlike some earlier studies, they found no correlations with cognitive performance.

While this research is fascinating and provides potential new avenues to reduce the risk of cognitive decline, there are other, equally important matters to consider.

A large-scale study conducted over 25 years, and recently published in the journal Genomic Psychiatry, shows that intelligence as a child is tightly correlated with cognitive performance in older age. They also unearthed complex genetic influences on cognitive performance.

Although these are beyond our control, others can also make a substantial difference.

Kaiser, who was not involved in this study, highlighted to MNT the often-forgotten importance of social bonds. “The negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness are increasingly well understood and widely appreciated,” he explained.

“A growing body of evidence indicates that social isolation and loneliness increase risks of high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and even death,” Kaiser added.

He further told us that a lack of social connections is linked to an increased risk of early death on a par with smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Other factors he mentioned include: stopping smoking tobacco, managing stress levels, and minimizing junk food consumption.

Smoking damages many of the systems of the body, including heart health, which is intimately tied to brain health.

And while avoiding stress completely is impossible, how we manage it can make a difference to our overall health, and the health of our brain as we age.

For instance, “a robust and rapidly expanding body of research captures the numerous benefits of meditation,” Kaiser told MNT.

As for diet, according to Kaiser:

“There are well-established links between ultraprocessed food consumption and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, obesity, cognitive decline, and a broad range of chronic and age-related conditions.”

He suggests a trip to the “‘farmacy,’ where you can find the best medicine.”

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