Magnesium seems to optimize vitamin D, increasing the vitamin’s utilization for those with insufficient levels and decreasing it in those with excessive amounts. In a randomized trial of 250 people between ages 50 and 85 that were considered at risk for colorectal cancer, researchers at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center found that changes in blood levels of vitamin D were significantly affected by the intake of magnesium—a mineral in which 80 percent of Americans are deficient. In addition to supplements, magnesium-rich foods include dark leafy greens, beans, whole grains, dark chocolate, nuts, avocados and fatty fish such as salmon.

This article appears in the June 2019 issue of Natural Awakenings.