A Summary of a Magnesium Clinical Study by Abbasi et al. (2012)

Reviewed by Tamberlyn Blinsink, ND, MPH | Research & Development

Overview

The following summary reviews clinical research examining oral magnesium supplementation in the context of sleep quality and insomnia-related outcomes in older adult populations. Insomnia affects an estimated 40–50% of adults over the age of 60 and is associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment, falls, reduced physical function, and greater healthcare utilization.

Summary

The Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Primary Insomnia in Elderly: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Published in: Journal of Research in Medical Sciences

Study Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Participants: 46 elderly men and women volunteers (mean age 65 ± 4.6 years) with clinically confirmed moderate-to-severe primary insomnia and dietary magnesium intake below 75% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance

Dose: 500 mg elemental magnesium daily (administered as two 414 mg tablets of magnesium oxide) for 8 weeks

Outcome Measures: Insomnia Severity Index (ISI); sleep log (sleep time, total sleep time, sleep onset latency, early morning awakening, sleep efficiency); serum magnesium, renin, melatonin, and cortisol concentrations

What Was Studied: Researchers examined whether daily oral magnesium supplementation over 8 weeks would produce measurable changes in both subjective and objective indicators of sleep in elderly adults diagnosed with primary insomnia. The trial compared outcomes between participants randomly assigned to receive magnesium or placebo, with assessments completed at baseline and at the end of the 8-week intervention period. Subjective sleep measures were collected via validated questionnaire and daily sleep log, while objective measures included circadian-related biomarkers obtained from fasting blood samples analyzed for renin, melatonin, and cortisol. Dietary confounders including magnesium, calcium, potassium, caffeine, and total caloric intake were assessed via 24-hour dietary recall at baseline and end of study.

About the Reviewer

Name & Title: Tamberlyn Blinsink, Scientific Researcher at Solaray
Credentials: Naturopathic Doctor, Master of Public Health

Bio: Tamberlyn Blinsink, ND, MPH, a licensed naturopath who earned her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University and her Master of Public Health from Purdue University. In addition to her experience in private practice, Dr. Blinsink, ND, MPH is a researcher in the natural products industry. She believes in giving back and has served as a lecturer at continuing education conferences and as a board member at Naturopaths Without Borders and NC Association of Naturopathic Physicians.

References

Abbasi B, Kimiagar M, Sadeghniiat K, Shirazi MM, Hedayati M, Rashidkhani B. The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Res Med Sci. 2012;17(12):1161–1169. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23853635/

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Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a study “double-blind”?

In double-blind studies, participants and researchers are
both unaware of which participants are in the group taking the active
investigational product and which are part of a control group.

What makes a study “placebo-controlled”?

When studies are placebo-controlled one group takes an active
investigational product and the other group takes an inactive product that has
the same general appearances as the active treatment.

What is a placebo?

Placebos are inactive treatments. Researchers include placebos that have the same general characteristics as an active treatment.

They try to make them indistinguishable from the active treatment regarding
qualities like appearance, taste, and smell.

Why is statistical significance important?

Quality scientific studies look for more than just a numerical difference between treated groups and control groups. These studies also check mathematically for the possibility that any difference between groups might
happen by chance. A difference that is statistically significant is one where the change is not likely to be due to a chance fluctuation within a normal variance.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.