Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 20, 2025 1 hour, 40 minutes ago
Medical News: Colorectal cancer remains one of the most common and deadly cancers worldwide, despite advances in screening and early detection. Now, new research suggests that a simple and widely used dietary supplement may help reduce the risk of this disease by working quietly inside the gut. Scientists have found that magnesium supplementation can change the balance of gut bacteria in ways that may slow or inhibit the development of colorectal cancer, particularly in certain people.
Magnesium supplements may reshape gut bacteria to help reduce colorectal cancer risk through vitamin D pathways
This
Medical News report highlights findings from a precision-based clinical trial led by researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in the United States.
Understanding the link between magnesium and gut health
Magnesium is an essential mineral involved in hundreds of processes in the human body, including muscle function, nerve signaling, and vitamin D metabolism. Previous studies have already shown that magnesium can raise vitamin D levels in the blood, especially in people who are deficient. However, the new study reveals something more surprising. Magnesium also appears to encourage the growth of specific gut bacteria that can produce vitamin D directly inside the colon.
These bacteria include Carnobacterium maltaromaticum and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Earlier laboratory research showed that these microbes work together to create active vitamin D in the gut without the need for sunlight. This locally produced vitamin D does not enter the bloodstream but instead acts where it is made, helping to regulate inflammation and suppress cancer-related changes in colon cells.
Why genetics and gender matter
The researchers examined data from the Personalized Prevention of Colorectal Cancer Trial, a double-blind randomized controlled study involving nearly 240 participants with a history of colorectal polyps. Participants were divided into magnesium and placebo groups and further classified based on variations in a gene called TRPM7, which controls how the body absorbs and regulates magnesium.
The study found that people with normal TRPM7 function experienced an increase in beneficial gut bacteria when taking magnesium supplements. This effect was strongest in women. Scientists believe estrogen may help explain this difference, as it influences how magnesium moves from the bloodstream into cells, potentially enhancing its effects on gut microbes.
In participants with a specific TRPM7 genetic variant, magnesium supplementation actually reduced levels of certain bacteria in the colon lining. This may sound negative, but it could still be protective, as high levels of these microbes in colon tissue were linked to a higher risk of developing new polyps.
From gut bacteria to cancer prevention
Over a follow-up period of about three and a half years, researchers monitored participants who underwent repeat colonoscopies. They disco
vered that changes in gut bacteria were closely linked to the risk of developing additional polyps, which are precursors to colorectal cancer. These findings suggest that magnesium may help fine-tune the gut environment in a way that reduces cancer risk, depending on a person’s genetics and biological sex.
Importantly, this research supports the idea of precision nutrition, where supplements and dietary choices are tailored to individual genetic profiles rather than applied broadly to everyone.
Conclusions
This study provides strong evidence that magnesium supplementation can influence gut bacteria involved in vitamin D production and colorectal cancer prevention. The findings suggest that magnesium may help lower cancer risk in specific high-risk groups, particularly women and individuals with certain genetic profiles. While magnesium is not a cure or standalone solution, it may become an important part of personalized strategies aimed at reducing colorectal cancer risk through safe and accessible nutritional interventions.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916525005271
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/cancer
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/supplements
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