Summary
This narrative review examines the global burden of dietary magnesium deficiency, estimated to affect approximately 2.4 billion people (31% of global population). The authors identify converging risk factors including modern dietary patterns low in whole grains and vegetables, soil nutrient depletion from intensive agriculture, food processing losses, ageing populations, and socioeconomic disparities. The review synthesises evidence linking magnesium deficiency to elevated risks of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, bone loss, and neuropsychiatric conditions, and evaluates strategic interventions—dietary diversification, food fortification, biofortification, supplementation, and supportive public health policies—as pathways to enhance magnesium nutrition and reduce noncommunicable disease burden.
Regional applicability
Although the review is global in scope, magnesium deficiency patterns and interventions will differ across United Kingdom populations depending on soil nutrient status, dietary composition, food fortification policy, and demographic factors. The identified role of intensive agriculture and soil depletion may be relevant to United Kingdom farming contexts, and the review's discussion of fortification and public health policy could inform United Kingdom nutrition guidelines and agricultural practice.
Key measures
Estimated average requirement (EAR) for magnesium; recommended dietary allowance (RDA); prevalence of inadequate intake; population-level deficiency rates
Outcomes reported
The review synthesises evidence on magnesium's biological importance, global intake patterns, determinants of deficiency, and strategic interventions including dietary diversification, fortification, biofortification, supplementation, and public health policies to address magnesium deficiency.
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