Magnesium May Reduce Men’s Colon Cancer Risk

Magnesium is an important mineral that helps to maintain genomic stability, and it serves as an essential cofactor for DNA synthesis and repair.  In that previous studies have shown magnesium intake to be inversely associated with colorectal cancer, Enbo Ma, from Japan’s National Cancer Center (Tokyo, Japan), and colleagues examined the association between dietary intake of magnesium and colorectal risk among Japanese men and women.  Enrolling 40,830 men and 46,287 women, ages 45 to 74 years, and following them for a period of approximately eight years, the team found that those men who consumed at least 327 milligrams of magnesium per day slashed their risks of colon cancer by 52%, as compared to men whose magnesium intake was 238 mg or less.  There were no significant associations between magnesium intake and cancer risk in women.  The researchers conclude that: “Higher dietary intake of magnesium may decrease the risk of [colorectal cancer] in Japanese men.”