Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Magnesium deficiency promotes a pro-inflammatory state by increasing cytokine production (IL-6, TNF-alpha) and oxidative stress, while adequate Magnesium levels help regulate inflammation and support T-cell function.
If you have chronic low-grade inflammation, check your Magnesium levels. Ensuring adequate intake through foods like spinach, nuts, and seeds may help lower inflammatory markers like CRP. Do not self-prescribe high-dose supplements without testing, as balance is key.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Mg deficiency seems to favor an overfunction of the innate immune defense, with simultaneous deficiency of the adaptive immune defense... Mg deficiency leads to increased production of interleukin (IL)-β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α.
Why this rating
Strong mechanistic evidence from in vitro and animal studies; human metanalysis shows reduced CRP with supplementation, but sample sizes were small.
Source
The Role of Minerals in the Optimal Functioning of the Immune System
Christopher Weyh et al. · Nutrients · 2022
DOI 10.3390/nu14030644
narrative_reviewCited 312×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Mineral deficiencies (specifically Magnesium, Zinc, Iron, Copper, and Selenium) impair immune competence by disrupting innate and adaptive immune cell function and inflammation regulation, whereas maintaining adequate levels through a balanced diet supports optimal immune defense.Good
- Zinc supplementation (>75 mg/day) significantly reduces the duration of common colds, and adequate Zinc status is critical for T-cell maturation and preventing thymic atrophy, though excessive doses (>40 mg/day long-term) can cause immune dysfunction.Good
- Iron status has a dual role in immunity: deficiency impairs immune cell function (B-cells, T-cells), but excess iron during infection can be exploited by pathogens, leading to an evolutionary mechanism of hypoferremia (iron withdrawal) during acute infection.Good
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