In 3,142 older adults in Hong Kong, higher dietary magnesium lined up with better physical performance

What the research found

A cohort analysis was published on 12 November 2026. It used the Mr. OS and Ms. OS studies, which recruited 4,000 community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong. Complete baseline and 4-year data were available for 3,142 people. The cohort is older adults, so the age tag is 60 or older. Magnesium came from a food frequency questionnaire and was split into quartiles, including food sources. Models adjusted for dietary energy, protein intake, and other covariates, and were stratified by sex. Higher magnesium intake lined up with better physical performance. In men, moderate intake lined up with lower odds of incident sarcopenia at 4 years (quartile 2 odds ratio 0.57, 95 percent CI 0.33 to 0.97). Magnesium from fruits and legumes lined up with better physical function. In the prospective analysis, egg-derived magnesium lined up with lower sarcopenia odds only in quartile 3 (odds ratio 0.63, 95 percent CI 0.42 to 0.95), and that association was seen in men but not in women. The authors say the link was more consistent for physical function than for sarcopenia itself. Observational. Dietary magnesium, not a pill trial. DOI 10.3390/nu18223751. Not medical advice.

Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.

Read the original at Nutrients