Consuming Magnesium-Rich Food Crucial for Child's Bone Health

Calcium and vitamin D are thought to be the most important nutrients required for healthy bones. However, according to a new study, consuming calcium-rich food alone cannot help children build strong bones: magnesium, another vital mineral, is also required.

The role of magnesium-rich food in adulthood is well-known. At present, though, there hardly exists any clear data to highlight its importance in childhood. To examine the importance of magnesium in bone health during the early stages of growth, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine analyzed 63 healthy children aged between 4 and 8 years. None of the participants had been supplementing their food with multivitamins or minerals.

During the study period, researchers measured and recorded calcium and magnesium levels in the participants twice. For the procedure, participants stayed in hospitals overnight. Before their hospital admission, children provided details about the food items they consumed during the day. During their hospital stay, they were given food containing similar levels of calcium and magnesium. Apart from that, researchers recorded the weight of the food and beverages consumed, in order to keep a track of their total calcium and magnesium intake.

Parents recorded weight of the food given to their children three days after the first hospitalization and three days before the second hospitalization.

Using a technique called stable isotopes and a urine test, researchers measured the total amount of calcium and magnesium absorbed by the body. Mineral content of the bones and their density was also measured and taken into consideration.

At the end of the analysis, researchers found that the total amount of magnesium taken and absorbed by the body determined how much bone each child had.

"Lots of nutrients are key for children to have healthy bones. One of these appears to be magnesium," lead author Steven A. Abrams said in a news release. "Calcium is important, but, except for those children and adolescents with very low intakes, may not be more important than magnesium."

Findings of the study were presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC recently.

Dark green vegetables like okra and broccoli, leafy vegetables like spinach; nuts such as almonds and cashews; soy; oysters; rockfish; whole grain and fruits like banana, avocado and dried apricots are some of the dietary sources rich in magnesium.