Hello Yanick. Magnesium increases the activity of the immune system involved in the formation of antibodies and acts on cells making them more tonic, helping to protect themselves from attacks (microbes, bacteria, viruses). It also would own an antiallergic and anti-inflammatory action.

Thank you Islande for your your reply. Do you find article about relationship between magnesium and immune system please? I am very interrested.

Hello Yanick:

I am sending a reliable reference about magnesium and its role as a co-factor in the immune response.

Thank you very much Carmen

You’re welcome. I am sending another scientific article about your topic.

Thanks a lot Carmen.

There is a strong relation between Mg and the immune system. Several groups leading in Nutrition and Immunology have shown evidence that magnesium plays a key role in the immune response; that is, as a co-factor for immunoglobulin synthesis, C'3 convertase, immune cell adherence, antibody-dependent cytolysis, IgM lymphocyte binding, macrophage response to lymphokines and T helper–B cell adherence (Galland, 1988).

Several studies evidence close relations between Mg and the inflammatory response in rodents. Increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-) have been reported in animals under Mg deprivation for 3 weeks (Weglicki et al, 1992).

Six cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms have been shown to hydroxylate vitamin D. Four of these, CYP27A1, CYP2R1, CYP3A4 and CYP2J3, are candidates for the enzyme vitamin D 25-hydroxylase that is involved in the first step of activation. Effect of vitamin D on immune system has already been well established. All of these enzymes require magnesium as cofactors. Infact there is quite a long list of enzymes which require magnesium as cofactor. These are, Carboxylase, Transketolase, Phosphatases and Peptidases, Adenylyl cyclase, Ribonuclease and Kinases.

Kinases, for example are crucial in activating immune cells, leading to diverse immune defense mechanisms. Chief among these pathways is the activation of MAPKs, which are crucial for transcriptional and nontranscriptional responses of the immune system and T lymphocytes. Cytokines and their receptors regulate the growth and differentiation of many lineages of cells within the immune system. One of the key events following stimulation of cytokine receptors is the activation of Janus kinases (Jaks).

There is some evidence (from intrapartum studies) that reduction in neutrophil functional activity is directly correlated with serum magnesium levels (Mehta & Petrova 2006).

To delve fully into the various immunological effects of magnesium would take too much space for here, but hope you got some ideas to work on.