Can Magnesium Help Fight Cancer? Researchers decided to look at this issue. According to them, it is not out of the question. See the latest research results and find out why magnesium plays such an important role in our body.
Experts describe magnesium as an “essential macro mineral”. This means that people should consume relatively large amounts of it to stay healthy. In what foods is it found? What are the properties? And what role does it play in cancer treatment? You will find the answer below.
Sources of magnesium and its influence on the human body
What products contain magnesium? You can find it in almonds, cashews, peanuts, spinach and walnuts, among others. In 100 g of the latter, there is as much as 63 percent. recommended daily intake of magnesium.
Its proper amount in the diet has an impact on healthy bones and cardiovascular system. It is also associated with lowering the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Magnesium also plays a key role in muscle contraction, neurotransmission, regulation of blood pressure and immunity. However, there is little research into how this mineral supports a healthy immune system. You can buy natural magnesium in capsules at Medonet Market.
- See also: Symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Act immediately when you notice
It turns out that scientists in Switzerland have discovered that a type of immune cell, called a cytotoxic or “killer” T-cell, can kill cancerous or infected cells only in the presence of magnesium. Their research appeared in Cell.
Further part below the video.
Magnesium and cancer
The authors of this study found that magnesium activates a protein called LFA-1 on the surface of cytotoxic T cells, which they use to make contact with target cells. There must be enough of it for them to work. When scientists analyzed data from previous clinical trials of cancer immunotherapy, they found that low serum magnesium levels were associated with faster disease progression and shorter survival times.
In light of our experimental data and the retrospective analyzes we conducted in two clinical trials, magnesium deficiency is likely responsible for at least some of the ineffectiveness of immune therapy in cancer patients.
– says Dr. Hess in an interview with medicalnewstoday.com.
- See: Immunotherapy is the most promising in the treatment of cancer
The results of the colleagues’ research did not surprise Dr. Taylor C. Wallace, an associate at the Center for Education and Research on Magnesium in Hawaii and an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. “Magnesium is involved in over 600 enzymatic reactions in the body, many of which are related to the function of the immune system,” explains Dr. Wallace.
However, the scientist questioned one thing. Dr. Wallace doubts that the serum magnesium concentration, which researchers often use to measure the individual status of a mineral, is a reliable marker. He pointed out that in serum most of the magnesium is bound to protein albumin and therefore not as readily available to the body as another form known as blood ionized magnesium.
Nevertheless, Dr. Wallace believes that how extracellular magnesium affects immunity is an exciting and promising area of science. However, the scientific community needs to evaluate ionized magnesium in the blood at the same time (not common in research) to fully understand how diet or supplements can affect health, the researcher noted.
Dr. Hess and his colleagues are now looking for ways to increase the concentration of magnesium in patients’ tumors. Their goal is to test if they can use tiny portions of fat – lipid nanoparticles or liposomes filled with magnesium and coated with antibodies to improve the effectiveness of immune therapy. So far, they have shown that it is an effective strategy for mice.
Researchers will also test whether giving people with cancer a magnesium supplement in tablets or an injection could improve their outcomes with two immune therapies. Their clinical trials are at an advanced stage.
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