More magnesium, less copper in blood reduces cancer risk 50%

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

New study from France suggests high magnesium, low copper, adequate

zinc benefits the immune system, the inflammatory response, and

oxidative damage.

Copper doesn't usually get much attention from the press, except to

warn consumers that high zinc intake might make them copper

deficient, as the two minerals compete for absorbtion.

After seeing this I also remember now reading sometime ago of a mouse

study that associated copper intake with Alzheimers disease.

Dave

++++++++++++++++

Excerpt from new French study:

" . . . .Serum analysis of magnesium, copper and zinc levels showed

that highest serum level of magnesium (0.85 millimoles per litre or

more) compared to the lowest level (0.76 millimoles per litre or

less) was associated with a reduction in the risk of all-cause

mortality, death from cancer, and CVD of 40, 50 and 40 per cent,

respectively " .

link and full text below:

http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?

n=67682 & m=1NIE515 & c=lqeudkujayvvlpc

More magnesium, less copper could benefit health

15/05/2006- People with more magnesium and less copper in their blood

could reduce their risk of death from cancer by as much as 50 per

cent, says a new study from France.

High serum levels of the mineral were also linked to a 40 per cent

lower risk of all-cause mortality, and a reduction of similar

magnitude for cardiovascular deaths. High serum levels of both copper

and zinc however were associated with increased risk of death from

all-causes.

The research is important because dietary surveys show that a large

portion of adults do not meet the RDA for magnesium, found naturally

in green, leafy vegetables, meats, starches, grains and nuts, and

milk.

" It's the first epidemiological study which shows synergistic effects

on mortality of low serum zinc and high serum copper, as well as the

effects of low serum zinc and low serum magnesium and these

interactions may be physiopathologically plausible as these minerals

are involved in the immune system, the inflammatory response and the

oxidative damage, " lead author Dr Nathalie Leone from the Pasteur

Institute in Lille, INSERM Unit 744, told NutraIngredients.com.

The research, published in the journal Epidemiology (Vol. 17, pp. 308-

314), reports from the Paris Prospective Study 2, a cohort of over

4,000 men aged between 30 and 60 at the start of the study.

After 18 years of follow-up 339 subjects had died, with 176 due to

cancer and a further 56 from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Serum

analysis of magnesium, copper and zinc levels showed that highest

serum level of magnesium (0.85 millimoles per litre or more) compared

to the lowest level (0.76 millimoles per litre or less) was

associated with a reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality, death

from cancer, and CVD of 40, 50 and 40 per cent, respectively.

The highest serum levels of copper (16.4 micromoles per Litre or

more), associated with older age, high cholesterol and smoking, was

linked to a 50 per cent increase in all-cause mortality, 40 per cent

increase for cancer mortality, and a 30 per cent increase in CVD

deaths, compared to the lowest serum levels (13.5 micromoles per

litre or less).

This is not the first time that high copper levels have been linked

to negative health effects. In September, high copper intake was

linked to decreased lung strength, while recent research out of the

US suggested that the body could not excrete all of the copper when

taken in amounts higher than that found in the diet. Excess copper

could be associated with reduced immune function and lower

antioxidant status, according to a team from the Agricultural

Research Service.

It is these changes in oxidative stress and the resulting

inflammation that the mineral levels may be affecting health, suggest

the researchers.

Dr Leone stressed that the intake of the nutrients was not

studied: " So for the moment, we cannot conclude about a potential

causality link between these serum minerals and cancer or

cardiovascular mortality. Whether these minerals are partly

responsible for, or are biomarkers of, cancer and cardiovascular

disease remains to be established.

Further studies, in particular interventional studies, are needed to

confirm the interactions between serum zinc and serum copper or serum

magnesium and the prediction of all-cause, cancer and cardiovascular

mortality in clinical practice, " she said.