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Randomized Crossover Study of Magnesium Supplementation

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Inflammation
Interventions
Other: Placebo
Registration Number
NCT00737815
Lead Sponsor
University of California, Los Angeles
Brief Summary

The investigators recent epidemiologic work in several national surveys and cohorts of men and women have shown that dietary patterns high in plant-based foods and phytochemicals are associated with lower plasma levels of insulin, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein, and reduced risk of type 2 DM and CHD. While the physiologic impact of different foods on serum glucose and insulin is of critical importance, the extent to which specific dietary nutrients can modify insulin resistance is not well understood. Magnesium is a biologically active constituent in whole-grain, green leafy vegetables, and nuts and appears to play an essential role in hundreds of physiologic processes in humans. However, it remains uncertain whether magnesium intake can exert effects on insulin sensitivity and inflammation. Moreover, little is known of the extent to which magnesium intake elicits changes in the expression levels of key genes responsible for glucose homeostasis and systemic inflammation. The ultimate clinical question is whether magnesium supplementation would be clinically effective for the improvement of metabolic disorders in not yet diabetic but high-risk individuals, especially those who are susceptible to insulin resistance. Therefore, as a direct follow up on our previous work in studying the health benefits of plant-based foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, we propose a pilot randomized trial to unravel the metabolic and anti-inflammatory effects of magnesium supplementation versus placebo among overweight individuals with the metabolic syndrome who are particularly prone to the adverse effects of magnesium deficiency. Recent advancements in molecular genetics and genomic technologies have also enabled us to analyze the expression levels of thousands of genes simultaneously in different experimental conditions. The application of high throughput microarray technology in randomized-controlled setting when analyzed with novel statistical methods, will not only help our understanding of nutrient-disease relations, but also afford the investigators the opportunity to gain important insight into the molecular mechanism for complex biological systems of inflammation, insulin resistance, and metabolic abnormalities in response to nutrition intervention.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
14
Inclusion Criteria
  • Overweight individuals (with a BMI of ≥ 25 kg/m2)
  • Between the ages of 30 and 70 years
Exclusion Criteria
  • Concurrent documented cardiac, or renal disease as recorded by history of myocardial infarction or abnormal creatinine
  • History of known food allergy and/or dietary restriction
  • Diabetes requiring insulin
  • Pregnancy
  • Diarrhea defined as watery stools more than 3 times a day for more than 3 days

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
CROSSOVER
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
BPlaceboPlacebo pills
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Fasting insulin4 weeks
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Gene ExpressionOne month

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

UCLA General Clinical Research Center

🇺🇸

Los Angeles, California, United States

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