Dietary calcium and magnesium may protect Chinese women from developing type 2 diabetes, according to researchers at Shanghai Cancer Institute in China.

First, the details.

• 64,191 nondiabetic, healthy women living in Shanghai participated.
• Dietary intake, physical activity, and anthropometric measurements were assessed.

And, the results.

• Higher intakes of calcium and magnesium were significantly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Milk intake was also inversely associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The bottom line?
The authors concluded, “Calcium and magnesium intakes may protect against the development of type 2 diabetes in this population.

Similar results have been reported with Caucasian women. Among black women there is an inverse correlation between magnesium intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes but not with calcium intake.

2/23/09 19:43 JR