Brain power Scientists increased magnesium intake in the diets of young and old rats, assessing them for memory recall. As magnesium levels decline as you age, and because it is so essential for brain function, the researchers hypothesised that bumping up the quantity could cause the older rodents to perform better in cognitive function tests. They did. But it’s no easy fix.
"Magnesium as a supplement is difficult for the body to absorb, which is why it’s best from dietary sources such as lean meat, brown rice, almonds and spinach," says nutritionist Carina Norris.
"Brown rice, for example, contains 42mg of magnesium compared to 13mg for white, per 100g. Until the scientists learn more about how to devise an easily absorbed supplement that delivers magnesium effectively to our brains, and also the correct, safe dosage to use for humans (after all, these studies were on rats), best to stick to magnesium-rich foods such as wholegrains."