Research appearing in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2007;61:54–60) examined the effect of magnesium supplementation in children with asthma. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study involved 37 subjects between the ages of 7 and 19, who were randomly assigned to receive either 300 mg of magnesium per day or a placebo for two months.
Bronchial reactivity was assessed using a methacholine challenge test (PC20), which measures how easily the airways become constricted. The group receiving magnesium showed significant improvement in bronchial reactivity, while no improvement was seen in the placebo group. In addition, children receiving magnesium experienced 28% fewer days of severe asthma symptoms and reduced their use of asthma medications by approximately 40%.
As a secondary finding, the magnesium-supplemented group also demonstrated reduced sensitivity to allergens, as measured by skin testing, suggesting a broader effect on airway and immune responsiveness.
