Magnesium-zinc-calcium-vitamin D co-supplementation improves glycemic control and markers of cardiometabolic risk in gestational diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

To the best our knowledge, data on the effects of magnesium-zinc-calcium-vitamin D co-supplementation on glycemic control and markers of cardiometabolic risk in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are scarce. The purpose of this study was to establish the effects of magnesium-zinc-calcium-vitamin D co-supplementation on glycemic control and markers of cardiometabolic risk of GDM patients. Sixty patients with GDM, aged 18-40 years, were randomized into 2 groups to intake either magnesium-zinc-calcium-vitamin D co-supplements or placebo (n = 30 each group) for 6 weeks in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and week 6 to quantify related markers. After the 6-week intervention, compared with the placebo, magnesium-zinc-calcium-vitamin D co-supplementation resulted in significant reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-0.37 +/- 0.09 vs. + 0.01 +/- 0.09 mmol/L, P = 0.003), serum insulin levels (-21.0 +/- 4.8 vs. + 7.2 +/- 4.8 pmol/L, P < 0.001), homeostatic model of assessment for insulin resistance (-1.0 +/- 1.1 vs. + 0.3 +/- 1.3, P < 0.001), and a significant increase in quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (+ 0.02 +/- 0.03 vs. -0.002 +/- 0.03, P = 0.003). In addition, magnesium-zinc-calcium-vitamin D co-supplementation significantly decreased serum triglycerides (-0.25 +/- 0.10 vs. + 0.34 +/- 0.10 mmol/L, P = 0.001) and very-low-density-cholesterol concentrations (-0.11 +/- 0.04 vs. + 0.15 +/- 0.04 mmol/L, P = 0.001) compared with the placebo. Overall, the results of this study demonstrated that magnesium-zinc-calcium-vitamin D co-supplementation for 6 weeks among patients with GDM had beneficial effects on glycemic control and few markers of cardiometabolic risk.