There is chronic latent magnesium deficiency in apparently healthy university students.

Introduction: Magnesium is an essential micronutrient for human body, and its deficiency has been associated with risk of non-communicable diseases.

Objective: Assessment of magnesium status, and evaluation of the frequency of magnesium deficiency in a group of healthy adults.

Methods: Plasma and erythrocyte magnesium levels, and magnesium intake were determined in 115 students (55 women and 60 men), from a public university in Brazil.

Results: The medians of magnesium concentration in plasma (0.76 mmol/L), erythrocyte (1.97 mmol/L), and of dietary daily intake (8.84 mmol/d) were low. Forty two percent of participants had plasma or erythrocyte magnesium below the limit of 0.75 and 1.65 mmol/L, respectively. A high percentage showed high probability of inadequate magnesium intake.

Conclusions: There was a high frequency of subclinical magnesium deficiency in the adults assessed, that could be related to low dietary magnesium intake.