In this review published in Nutrients, the authors discuss the importance of magnesium for the immune system and in the setting of infectious diseases. Reduced magnesium intake has been shown to contribute to deficiency in older adults. Chronic deficiency has been linked to age-related diseases, including infectious diseases. The functional importance of magnesium transport in immunity was realized with the description of the primary immunodeficiency XMEN (X-linked immunodeficiency with magnesium defect, Epstein-Barr virus infection, and neoplasia). There may be a role for magnesium deficit in COVID-19 and its complications.

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