Magnesium may protect the brain from age-related volume losses, a new study showed. People with the highest magnesium intake had larger brain volumes than those with lower intake – a protective effect that corresponded to roughly one year less aging.

The study involved more than 6,000 adults between the ages of 40 and 73 years enrolled in the UK Biobank study. The participants completed questionnaires about their typical daily magnesium intake. They also underwent brain scans that measured their brain volumes and identified the presence of white matter lesions – areas in the brain that often indicate cerebral small blood vessel disease, a risk factor for dementia.

The scans revealed that participants with the highest magnesium intake – 550 milligrams or more daily – had larger gray matter and hippocampal volumes than those with normal intake (about 350 milligrams daily). In middle-aged adults, this effect on brain health corresponded to about one year of aging. The protective effects of magnesium were more pronounced in women than in men.

Magnesium is an essential mineral. It is found in green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, and is widely available as a dietary supplement. Evidence suggests that low magnesium levels are involved in the pathogenesis of various age-related brain disorders. In addition, people with Alzheimer’s disease often have lower magnesium levels than healthy people. More than half of people living in the United States likely have magnesium deficiency

These findings suggest that magnesium protects the brain against age-related volume losses, which are associated with dementia. It also aligns with other research showing that people who follow the MIND diet, which emphasizes the consumption of magnesium-rich green leafy vegetables, were 40 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

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