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Meta-Analysis
. 2022 Feb 5;14(3):679.
doi: 10.3390/nu14030679.

Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Inflammatory Parameters: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Nicola Veronese  1 , Damiano Pizzol  2 , Lee Smith  3 , Ligia J Dominguez  1   4 , Mario Barbagallo  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Inflammatory Parameters: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Nicola Veronese et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Magnesium (Mg) may have several beneficial effects on human health outcomes. One hypothesized mechanism eliciting such effects is the action of Mg on serum inflammatory parameters. However, studies on this topic to date have several important limitations. Therefore, the present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the current state of the art of all randomized control trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of Mg supplementation versus placebo on serum parameters of inflammation. We searched several databases until 23 November 2021 for RCTs. Eligible studies were RCTs investigating the effect of oral Mg supplementation vs. placebo and having serum inflammatory markers as an outcome. Among 2484 papers initially screened, 17 randomized controlled trials (889 participants; mean age: 46 years; females: 62.5%) were included. Generally, a low risk of bias was present. In meta-analysis, Mg supplementation significantly decreased serum C reactive protein (CRP) and increased nitric oxide (NO) levels. In descriptive findings, Mg supplementation significantly reduced plasma fibrinogen, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase type 5, tumor necrosis factor-ligand superfamily member 13B, ST2 protein, and IL-1. In conclusion, Mg supplementation may significantly reduce different human inflammatory markers, in particular serum CRP and NO levels.

Keywords: C reactive protein; inflammation; magnesium; meta-analysis; randomized controlled trial; tumor necrosis factor.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow-chart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forrest plot of the effect of magnesium versus placebo on serum C-reactive protein [17,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,35,36,38,39].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forrest plot of the effect of magnesium versus placebo on serum nitric oxide [17,32,33].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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