A study conducted at Indiana University titled “Magnesium intake and incidence of pancreatic cancer: The Vitamins and Lifestyle study” was published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is a very aggressive disease that very few people recover from.

It’s currently the fourth leading cause of cancer death in both women and men in the USA. This was emphasised by co-author of the study, Ka He, chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington when he said “The five-year survival rate is really low, so that makes prevention and identifying risk factors or predictors associated with pancreatic cancer very important.”pancreatic-cancer

People with type 2 diabetes are much more prone to getting pancreatic cancer, and earlier studies have shown that magnesium reduces the risk of diabetes. 

However, this study showed a direct relationship between magnesium and reduced risk of pancreatic cancer. It analysed data from more than 66 thousand women and men, aged between 50 and 76. The researchers found that every 100 milligrams per day decrease in magnesium intake was associated with a 24 percent increase in the incidence of pancreatic cancer. The researchers went on to state: “For those at a higher risk of pancreatic cancer, adding a magnesium supplement to their diet may prove beneficial in preventing this disease”.

Magnesium is found in green leafy vegetables, nuts and muscle meat. It can be difficult to obtain enough in your diet because stress, caffeine and alcohol all deplete your body of this vital nutrient. Common symptoms of magnesium deficiency include muscle cramps or twitches, anxiety, fatigue or poor quality sleep. If you suffer with these symptoms, or if you have type 2 diabetes, a magnesium supplement in either powder or tablet form would help you.

Reference