Magnesium helps many of your bodily processes so it’s very important that you’re getting enough in your diet. Find out our top 9 best foods for magnesium.
Magnesium is an incredibly important mineral that helps your body to perform over 300 enzymatic processes. Not only does it support with the body’s basic functions such as muscle contraction and heart rhythm, but it also helps to control blood sugar and pressure, supports bone health, protein production and even assists with making DNA and creating energy.
As it assists with so many bodily processes, it’s super important that you’re getting enough of it each day by including plenty of foods rich in magnesium in your diet. Keep reading to find out the best foods for upping your intake and learn how much you should be getting per day.
The amount of magnesium you need per day varies by gender; the table below shows the current recommended daily intake:
| Men | 400 – 420mg |
| Women | 310 – 320mg |
If you’re looking to add more of the vitamin into your diet there’s loads of foods rich in magnesium, some of which you may not expect! Here’s our top 9:
This one may surprise you but dark chocolate is actually rather good for you. For one, it’s rich in magnesium and has a whopping 64mg in just a 28g serving which equates to 16% of your RDI. Not just that but it also happens to be high in iron, copper, manganese and also contains prebiotic fibre for healthy gut bacteria. Did we mention that it’s packed full of antioxidants too?
To get the most nutrients from dark chocolate, look for a bar that contains at least 70% cocoa solids.
Nuts and seeds are some of the best foods for magnesium, here’s some of the richest:
Seeds and nuts are also super high in fibre, rich in iron, omega 3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fat, so they’re a great addition to your diet!
Avocados have fast become one of the most popular fruits in the UK and are often seen smashed on top of toast or mixed together to make a delicious guacamole. But did you know they’re also a superfood? One medium avocado has 58mg which is around 15% your RDI and is also packed full of potassium, B vitamins, vitamin K and is high in fibre too.
Legumes refers to a family of plants that produce pods with seeds inside. Many of the foods in this group are high in nutrients including potassium, iron, protein and magnesium. Some of the most magnesium rich legumes being:
Tofu is prized throughout the vegetarian and vegan world for its high protein content, but it also benefits from being high in magnesium too! Each 100g of the versatile curd has 53mg of magnesium which works out to about 13% of your RDI.
6. Whole grainsWhole grains are a fantastic addition to your diet and are widely available in everything from breads to cereals. Some of the best whole grains for upping your magnesium intake are as follows:
If you need more of a reason to add whole grains to your diet, they’re also high in B vitamins, selenium, fibre and manganese too.
Fish is a great source of magnesium, with fatty fishes tending to be more nutrient rich that leaner types. Here’s some of the best types of fish for magnesium:
On top of being full of magnesium, fatty fishes are also high in protein, potassium, B vitamins and selenium!
Another incredibly popular fruit, bananas are praised by everyone from commuters to school children due to the fact they’re relatively no fuss, tasty and good for you too! Bananas are a great food for magnesium and you’ll expect to find 37mg in one large banana which is about 9% of your RDI. When you’re tucking in to the tasty fruit, you’ll also be ingesting lots of vitamin C, B6, fibre and manganese too.
You’re probably no stranger to hearing “eat your greens,” when you were a child, but there’s good reason for that! Leafy greens are incredibly nutrient rich and are full of iron, manganese, vitamin A, C and K and of course they’re one of the best foods for magnesium too. Here’s some of the most magnesium rich leafy greens:
If you’re struggling to get enough magnesium from your diet, speak to your doctor. Certain conditions such as Crohn’s Disease, Celiac Disease, Chronic Diarrhoea, Alcoholism and Type 2 Diabetes and some medications can make it more difficult to absorb magnesium from your diet. Where the odd day without a magnesium rich diet is unlikely to cause an issue, if you’re struggling to get enough long-term, it could lead to a deficiency and serious health issues. Your doctor will be able to look for any underlying issues and recommend a supplement tailored to your needs.
That’s our guide to the best foods for magnesium! Want to find out more about getting enough essential vitamins in your diet? Read our guide on the best foods for selenium, next.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-foods-high-in-magnesium
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15650-magnesium-rich-food
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/foods-that-are-high-in-magnesium/
https://www.webmd.com/diet/magnesium-and-your-health#
https://www.everydayhealth.com/pictures/foods-high-in-magnesium/
https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/high-magnesium-vegetables.php
