Make Sure to Get Plenty of Magnesium

Magnesium appears to influence bone health in myriad ways, many of which are not fully understood. Nevertheless, there's no question about the importance of getting enough of this mineral.

Researchers aren't exactly sure why magnesium promotes bone health, but they know that bones suffer without this magnificent mineral. So be sure to get a daily supply, says Robert K. Rude, M.D. And that's at least 320 milligrams a day, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA).

Magnesium is found primarily in legumes, vegetables, and whole grains. Make a magnesium-laden meal from bulgur wheat by preparing store-bought tabbouleh salad mix ac­cording to the package directions and adding great Northern beans for bulk, protein, and more magnesium.

Dr. Rude says people who are magnesium deficient are resistant to the bone-beneficial effects of parathyroid hor­mone and vitamin D, which boost the uptake of calcium and help deposit it in the bone. Other evidence links low magnesium intake with abnormal bone formation, and indicates that magnesium deprivation triggers bone loss.

—Robert K. Rude, M.D., is professor of medicine at the University of Southern California School of Medicine in Los Angeles.