Time to make some dietary changes to boost energy and build a healthy immune system? While magnesium is considered a minor nutrient, it plays a significant role in your overall health and is essential to every function and tissue in the body.
In general, to provide magnesium to your body, the National Institutes of Health recommends looking for foods packed with dietary fiber, including:
Not only do magnesium-rich foods support a healthy immune system and improve bone health, they may play a role in preventing certain cancers, according to a study published in June 2017 in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. Foods with magnesium have been found to help improve heart health, prevent stroke, and even potentially reduce your risk of dying from a heart attack. Additionally, magnesium foods help to support normal nerve and muscle function and keep your heartbeat in sync.
A study published in October 2017 in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research found that a nutritionally balanced vegan diet filled with fresh fruit and vegetables lowered triglycerides, insulin, and cholesterol in study participants when compared with a healthy, controlled omnivorous diet (both plant and animal foods). A plant-based diet includes magnesium-rich fruit, vegetables, beans and peas, grains, soy, seeds, and nuts. A vegetarian diet is plant-based, but a vegan diet excludes all meat, dairy, and animal products, notes Medline Plus.
A study published in February 2014 in Diabetes Care reveals that a high daily magnesium intake may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 32 percent. Meanwhile, a 2013 article published in Pharmacological Reports reveals that supplementing with magnesium may help ward off depression.
RELATED: How Magnesium Keeps Your Heart Rhythm Healthy
How Can I Raise My Magnesium Quickly Through Diet?
Magnesium supplements are available over the counter at most supermarkets and pharmacies, but registered dietitians say it is preferable to eat whole foods containing magnesium naturally to prevent a magnesium deficiency.
While your body absorbs between 30 and 40 percent of the magnesium you eat, magnesium deficiency may happen due to an underlying health condition, alcoholism, or certain medication, per the National Institutes of Health.
In fact, nearly two-thirds of the Western world doesn’t get the recommended daily intake of magnesium, according to a September 2017 review published in Scientifica.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that American adults get between 310 to 420 milligrams (mg) of magnesium daily.
RELATED: Heart-Healthy Diet Makeovers
Check out the following foods high in the macromineral magnesium, including dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, fish, soybeans, avocados, bananas, dark chocolate, and fat-free or low-fat yogurt.
Just 1 ounce (oz) of dry roasted almonds contains 80 mg of magnesium, or about 19 percent of the DV. Other foods containing magnesium include cashews, peanuts, and pumpkinseeds, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Combine your favorite magnesium-rich nuts and seeds in a healthy homemade trail mix — the perfect afternoon snack to keep your energy up and hunger levels down. Just remember that nuts are also a rich source of calories, per past research, so a little goes a long way, especially if you’re watching your waistline.
Avocados are a good source of magnesium, as well as being loaded with vitamins, heart-healthy nutrients, and disease-thwarting chemical compounds. Magnesium-rich avocados are one of the most nutritious and versatile produce picks around. Add 1 cup of cubed avocado to your salad or sandwich at lunch, and you’ll easily consume 11 percent of the DV of magnesium, according to the USDA. Like nuts, avocados are also rich in healthy fats, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which makes them a concentrated source of calories. So keep portion size in mind when you're enjoying this healthy delight.
Think of dark chocolate as a great way to get your magnesium fix while also indulging. One oz, or about one square, of 70 to 85 percent dark chocolate provides 64.6 mg of magnesium, which is 15.4 percent of the DV, for 170 calories, per the USDA. Furthermore, dark chocolate offers flavanols, which are a type of antioxidant that may help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, and lower inflammation, according to a past study.
Nonfat or low-fat yogurt is a great source of magnesium: Expect roughly 32 mg (7.6 percent DV) in just one 6 oz container, according to the USDA. Yogurt is also high in protein (9.7 g for 19.4 percent of the DV). Past research suggests that high-protein meals can make you feel fuller longer, which may help you eat fewer calories overall, ultimately leading to weight loss. Pair yogurt with a fiber-rich fruit for an easy, healthy breakfast.
Additional reporting by Debbie Strong.
Magnesium is an important mineral for many bodily functions, so including lots of magnesium rich foods in our diets is important to make sure we’re getting sufficient amounts. Magnesium is used to convert the energy in our food into a usable format so that we can use it as fuel. We store some magnesium in our skeleton, but we need to ensure that we are constantly replenishing this supply as it is used up.
The daily recommended intake of magnesium is 400-420 mg daily for men and 310-320 mg for women, with pregnant women requiring a little more. Most of us get sufficient magnesium from our diets by consuming magnesium rich foods, but certain health conditions can cause nutrient malabsorption, meaning that magnesium supplements may be necessary for some people.
Below, you’ll find a range of magnesium rich foods that are worth adding to your diet.
1. Nuts
Nuts are a great source of magnesium, with most nuts containing an abundance of minerals. This makes them a great snack for supporting your body. Whether you’re eating raw nuts or nut butters, your body will thank you for the magnesium boost.
- Cashews – 292mg per 100g
- Almond butter – 270mg per 100g
- Pistachios – 121mg per 100g
2. Seeds
Similar to nuts, seeds make great snacks, being high in plant based protein, vitamins and minerals to support healthy bodily function. We recommend you try roasting your own seeds for snacking instead of buying roasted and salted seeds from the supermarket to avoid consuming more than the recommended amount of sodium. You can also sprinkle them on salads, oatmeal or even try making your own chia pudding.
- Sesame seeds – 351mg per 100g
- Chia seeds – 335mg per 100g
- Sunflower seeds – 129mg per 100g
Leafy greens are a great component for lots of meals. You can wilt them down and season them as a side dish, eat them raw as a base for salads, or even crisp them up in the oven for a healthy alternative to potato chips. Not all leafy greens are created equal when it comes to magnesium content. Dark leafy greens have a higher magnesium content then lighter greens such as lettuce.
- Spinach – 79mg per 100g
- Beet leaves – 70mg per 100g
- Kale – 47mg per 100g
4. Legumes
Legumes are a fantastic source of plant-based protein as well as magnesium and other vitamins and minerals. Soy-based products such as tofu are also a great, low-fat alternative to red meat and you can add canned or dried beans to soups or stews to give them a hearty boost.
- Black beans – 180mg per 100g
- Red kidney beans – 164mg per 100g
- Edamame beans – 65mg per 100g
5. Grains
The USDA (opens in new tab) dietary guidance for 2020-2025 recommends you base your meals around starchy carbohydrates, like whole grain pasta, rice or bread. Whole grains are a great source of fiber, as they contain the entire unprocessed kernel instead of part of the grain being processed out, as they are with refined white grains. As a result, they tend to be higher in magnesium than their refined counterparts. Swap out your white toast for some whole grain toast with nut butter for a magnesium-rich breakfast.
- Wholegrain bread – 76.6mg per 100g
- Rye bread – 40mg per 100g
- Brown rice – 39mg per 100g
6. Oily fish
Oily fish is a fantastic source of polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as being rich in vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium. These fatty acids are important for many functions in the brain, much like magnesium. So, for a happy, healthy brain, try to eat at least two portions of oily fish per week.
- Salmon - 95mg per 100g
- Herring - 46mg per 100g
- Sardines - 39mg per 100g
- Related: What is dietary fat?
7. Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is a great source of magnesium and you’ll find the darker the chocolate, the richer it is in magnesium. Cocoa beans are a bit of a misnomer as they are neither a bean or legume, but are in fact the seed of the Theobroma cacao tree. Add some dark chocolate to your chia pudding for a magnesium-packed dessert or breakfast that tastes fantastic.
- 45-50% cocoa solids - 146mg per 100g
- 60-69% cocoa solids - 176mg per 100g
- 70-85% cocoa solids - 228mg per 100g
8. Avocados
An avocado contains 29 mg of magnesium per 100g, with the average avocado weighing around 170g. Avocados are packed with good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are also great for brain function. Avocado is also quite a neutral-tasting fruit, which makes it great for adding to salads, mashing onto toast, or even dropping into cold pasta dishes for a bit of texture.
Cristy Dean, registered dietician and owner of Fettle and Bloom Nutrition (opens in new tab), tells us that some people must be extra careful to avoid deficiency and that eating magnesium rich foods may not be enough.
“Those with Crohn's or coeliac disease, type 2 diabetes, alcoholism and the elderly are more at risk of magnesium deficiency,” she says.
Dean also notes that magnesium toxicity is a risk, but not from dietary sources. “Magnesium that is naturally present in food is not harmful and does not have to be limited as our body has a way of getting rid of any excess via the kidneys. However, supplementation can be harmful if taken in the wrong dose.
“The best way to meet requirements is by eating a variety of foods. If you are worried about your magnesium levels or suspect you may be deficient, speak to a medical professional about supplementation.”
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.