Magnesium is an essential mineral that supports several bodily functions. Not only does it help maintain nerve and muscle function, but it also keeps the heart rhythm stable and bones strong. But apart from that, magnesium is said to aid liver health, for reasons we are soon going to explore.
In an interaction with the OnlyMyHealth team, Dr Manek Kutar, Consultant - Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, sheds light on the role of magnesium for liver health and also decodes whether or not a magnesium deficiency can signal liver damage.
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Role Of Magnesium For Liver Health
Magnesium supports liver health in several ways. It helps in the production of glutathione, which is an antioxidant that helps the liver in the detoxification process. It is also essential in the production of bile, which is important for the digestion and absorption of fats, supporting the liver's metabolic processes. Additionally, magnesium also helps in regulating blood sugar levels, which reduces the metabolic workload on the liver, particularly important in conditions like Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).
Can Magnesium Deficiency Be A Sign Of Liver Damage?
According to Dr Kutar, magnesium is a vital ion in the human body, and it takes part in several cellular processes. "The liver is one of the most vital organs in the human body, being involved in a number of metabolic processes, immune responses, and the formation of a few complex biomolecules."
In addition, it also regulates the transportation and distribution of many trace elements, including magnesium.
Dr Kutar believes that the relationship between magnesium levels and liver disease is intriguing. Citing a study, he shares that in a number of liver diseases, patients are magnesium deficient, and insufficient magnesium levels in turn can aggravate these liver diseases. It has in fact been postulated that for every 100 mg increase in magnesium intake, there is a 49% decrease in the risk of mortality from all liver diseases.
Magnesium deficiency can be both a contributor to and a consequence of liver damage. Magnesium plays a vital role in cellular energy metabolism, antioxidant defence, and inflammation regulation—processes that are disrupted in liver injury. Moreover, low magnesium levels can exacerbate oxidative stress and inflammation, potentially accelerating liver damage.
What Could It Be If Not Liver Damage?
If not liver disease, a magnesium deficiency can signal other underlying health conditions:
Gut disorders: Chronic gastrointestinal conditions like Crohn’s disease, coeliac disease, chronic diarrhoea, and short bowel syndrome impair magnesium absorption in the gut.
Diabetes Mellitus Type 2: When poorly controlled, DM causes increased urinary loss of magnesium due to osmotic diuresis from high blood glucose levels.
Alcoholism: Alcohol reduces magnesium absorption, increases urinary excretion, and often leads to suboptimal dietary intake.
Renal disorders: While the kidneys normally conserve magnesium, certain kidney diseases or the use of diuretics can cause excessive magnesium loss in the urine.
Endocrine disorders: Conditions like hyperaldosteronism, hyperthyroidism, and hyperparathyroidism can disturb magnesium balance.
Overuse of certain medications: Prolonged use of diuretics, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), antibiotics, or chemotherapy agents can all deplete magnesium levels.
Also Read: 15 Amazing Health Benefits of Magnesium You Shouldn’t Ignore
Magnesium Supplements For Liver Health
Magnesium is widely found in plant and animal foods. Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, are packed with this essential nutrient. However, sometimes, food may not be enough to fulfil the daily count. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the daily recommended amount of magnesium is 420 mg for adults and children aged 4 years and above.
To tend to the required daily value, if foods aren’t able to satisfy it, supplementation can help.
A study published in the Annals of Translational Medicine concluded that magnesium supplementation can not only preserve liver function but also slow the progression of liver disease and reduce the mortality associated with it.
According to Dr Kutar, there are preliminary and experimental reports that magnesium supplements may help improve liver health, particularly in individuals with magnesium deficiency and chronic liver conditions like Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), alcoholic liver disease, or cirrhosis.
Magnesium plays a key role in decreasing oxidative stress, modulating inflammatory response, and supporting insulin sensitivity—all of the above being factors involved in the progression of liver disease.
Symptoms Of Liver Damage
Liver damage can show up in various ways in the form of symptoms. These include:
- Fatigue
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
- Abdominal pain, particularly in the upper right quadrant Swelling in the abdomen and legs
- Easy bruising
- Changes in stool or urine colour
- Itchy skin
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
In severe cases, liver damage can lead to confusion, internal bleeding, and even liver failure.
Tests To Confirm Diagnosis
“To determine if low magnesium is directly linked to liver damage, a doctor would typically perform a combination of both magnesium-specific tests along with liver function tests and liver imaging to determine liver health and establish a connection,” shares Dr Kutar. Some of the tests include:
Serum magnesium levels: While commonly used, it may not accurately reflect total body magnesium since most magnesium is stored in cells or bone.
Liver Function Tests (LFTs): Includes ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, bilirubin, and albumin levels. Abnormalities suggest liver injury or dysfunction.
Prothrombin time (INR): Is prolonged in liver disease. It indicates a long-standing liver disease and poor liver synthetic function of clotting factors.
Serum albumin: Often low in chronic liver disease and can indirectly suggest poor nutritional status, which may contribute to magnesium deficiency.
24-hour urinary magnesium: Helps differentiate between gastrointestinal loss (low urinary magnesium) and renal loss (high urinary magnesium), which is common in liver disease due to hormonal imbalances like secondary hyperaldosteronism.
Additionally, tests for vitamin D, calcium, phosphate, and potassium, which are often disturbed alongside magnesium in liver disorders, can also be conducted.
Together, these evaluations allow the doctor to determine if liver dysfunction is a likely cause of low magnesium and to rule out or identify other contributing conditions, the doctor concludes.