Report: Magnesium adds muscle to brain performance

A study shows that taking magnesium supplements can boost memory and learning. This study also supports the idea that a magnesium deficiency may cause faster deterioration of memory as we age.

In a published study in the journal Neuron, learning and memory improvements of old and young rats were observed by scientists when magnesium dosages were administered. This reported finding in Science Daily also supports the scientific belief that inadequate magnesium can lead to quicker deterioration of memory as humans age. It is reported that diet has a "significant impact on cognitive capacity". Specifically, the impact is seen in the communication of information between brain neurons. Tsinghua University in Beijing examined the effects of magnesium supplementation and found that it promoted the "synaptic plasticity" or neural capacity in a culture of brain cells. Effectively, more neural points became available when magnesium was administered, thereby enhancing learning and memory. Notably, magnesium supplementation was in addition to a normal diet that contains a sufficient amount of the mineral. Thus, to benefit from the effects of magnesium, a higher level of magnesium is required. One expert from the study, envisions the benefit from the outcome of the study, stating that "half the population of industrialized countries has a magnesium deficit." According to the U.S. Department in Agriculture, foods such as artichokes, buckwheat flour, almonds and spinach are high in magnesium