Beneficial effects of adding magnesium to desalinated drinking water on metabolic and insulin resistance parameters among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled clinical trial

• Published in: npj clean water Vol. 5; no. 1; p. 63
• Main Authors: Albaker, Waleed I., Al-Hariri, Mohammed T., Al Elq, Abdulmohsen H., Alomair, Nuhad A., Alamoudi, Ahmed S., Voutchkov, Nikalay, Ihm, Seungwon, Namazi, Mohammed A., Alsayyah, Ahmed A., AlRubaish, Fatima A., Alohli, Fadwa T., Zainuddin, Fatma A., Alobaidi, Anwar A., Almuzain, Fatimah A., Elamin, Mohamed O., Alamoudi, Naela B., Alamer, Mashael A., Alghamdi, Abdulrahman A., AlRubaish, Nafie A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-01-2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 704/242; 704/844/1759; Aquatic Pollution; Blood glucose; Bottled water; Clinical trials; Consumption; Desalination; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Dietary supplements; Drinking water; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Evaluation; Glucose; Glucose metabolism; Homeostasis; Indicators; Insulin; Insulin resistance; Lipids; Low level; Magnesium; Magnesium chloride; Metabolism; Nanotechnology; Parameter sensitivity; Patients; Waste Water Technology; Water Industry/Water Technologies; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Hydrology; Psychology and behaviour
• ISSN: 2059-7037; 2059-7037
• DOI: 10.1038/s41545-022-00207-9

There is evidence that increasing the consumption of water containing magnesium can improve glucose metabolism and insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This trial was undertaken with the objective of evaluating the effect of adding different concentrations of magnesium chloride to the desalinated drinking water on the glycemic, metabolic, and insulin resistance parameters among patients with T2DM. A randomized cross-sectional controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding magnesium chloride supplement to desalinated drinking water consumed by patients with T2DM on the glycemic and metabolic parameters and indicators of insulin sensitivity. The total number of patients with T2DM who successfully completed the trial is 102. Patients were randomly allocated into three groups: the first group received bottled water without added magnesium (0 mg/L) (Group A,
n
 = 37); the second group received bottled water with a low level of magnesium (20 mg/L) (Group B,
n
 = 33); and the third group received drinking water with a high level of magnesium (50 mg/L) (Group C,
n
 = 32). The daily consumption of elemental magnesium for a period of 3 months resulted in significant improvement in HbA1C (8.0 vs 8.2%,
p
 = 0.04), insulin level (7.5 vs 9.9 μIU/mL,
p
 = 0.03), and homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA.IR) (2.5 vs 2.9,
p
 = 0.002) in group C. However, there was no significant improvement in fasting blood glucose (FBS) level or lipid profile. The results of this study suggest that oral magnesium supplementation at the given dose of 50 mg/L daily added to drinking water could improve long-term glycemic control indicators and reduce insulin resistance in patients with T2DM.