Are you feeling fatigued, experiencing muscle cramps, or struggling to manage stress? The answer might lie in your diet, specifically in your intake of magnesium-rich foods.
Magnesium is a vital mineral that plays a crucial role in over 300 biochemical reactions in your body, including energy production, muscle function, and nervous system regulation. However, many people don’t get enough magnesium from their daily diet.
Rather than reaching for a supplement, in this article, we’ll explore a variety of dietary sources of magnesium to help you boost your intake and enhance your overall health.
Discover how you can easily incorporate these nutrient-packed foods into your meals for optimal wellness, from leafy greens and nuts to whole grains and seeds.
- Top Foods High in Magnesium (Per Serving)
- Top Magnesium Rich Foods (Per Calorie)
- Magnesium-Rich Foods Chart
- Magnesium-Rich Recipes
- How Much Magnesium Do You Need?
- Benefits of Magnesium: Why You Need It
- Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency
- Factors Increasing Your Demand for Magnesium
- Magnesium Upper Limit, Toxicity, and Side Effects
- Magnesium Availability in the Food System
- Synergistic Nutrients with Magnesium
- Magnesium Absorption
- Storage of Magnesium in the Body
- Optimal Calcium: Magnesium Ratio
- Magnesium Bioavailability
- Magnesium Supplements
Top Foods High in Magnesium (Per Serving)
If you find yourself falling short of the recommended magnesium intake, it’s time to focus on foods high in magnesium that pack in more magnesium per serving, like:
- buckwheat groats
- pili nuts
- bananas
- natto
- oatmeal (steel cut)
- spinach
- pumpkin/squash seeds
- cashews
- trail mix
- turkey breast
- almonds
- ribeye filet
To help you get started, the infographic below shows the magnesium provided by popular foods in the average serving sizes consumed by our Optimisers.
Once you’re ready to revitalise your diet with a wider variety of high-magnesium foods, download our printable list of foods with more magnesium per serving here.
Top Magnesium Rich Foods (Per Calorie)
Once you know you’re getting the minimum amount of magnesium your body needs, the next step is to zero in on magnesium-rich foods that deliver more magnesium per calorie to increase your satiety and nutrient density further, like:
- spinach
- arugula
- hemp seeds
- zucchini
- pumpkin/squash seeds
- kale
- cucumber
- lettuce
- green beans
- flax seeds
- butternut squash
- sauerkraut
The infographic below shows popular foods that provide more magnesium per calorie.
For more variety, check out our printable list of magnesium-rich foods per calorie.
Magnesium-Rich Foods Chart
Magnesium-dense foods can be found in plant or animal foods. However, magnesium is a vital component of chlorophyll, which gives plants their green colour, so magnesium is particularly rich in vegetables, particularly green ones.
Are you curious about how your favourite foods stack up in the magnesium game? Dive into our dynamic chart showcasing popular foods, comparing magnesium content per calorie and per serving. For an immersive experience, check out the interactive version of this chart.
Magnesium-Rich Recipes
Elevate your culinary game with our chart, showcasing over 1400 NutriBooster recipes used in our Micros Masterclass. We’ve plotted these recipes based on magnesium content versus protein percentage. The further right you go, the more magnesium you can enjoy with fewer calories.
Explore our array of magnesium-rich meals that are both nutritious and delicious. Dive into the details with our interactive Tableau chart on your computer. Click on each recipe to uncover the magic behind it, and feast your eyes on mouthwatering pictures!
How Much Magnesium Do You Need?
Our satiety analysis reveals that your body craves at least 200 mg of magnesium per 2000 calories. However, achieving the Optimal Nutrient Intake of 420 mg per 2000 calories from food (which aligns with the Dietary Reference Intake) corresponds to a 21% reduction in energy intake.
Benefits of Magnesium: Why You Need It
Magnesium:
- is involved in more than 300 essential metabolic reactions in your body,
- is necessary for muscle activity and nerve impulses,
- metabolises glucose and helps to normalise blood sugar,
- aides in protein synthesis,
- is required to detoxify hormones like estrogen,
- modulates the release of stress hormones and regulates them,
- helps produce DNA, RNA, and the master antioxidant glutathione,
- plays a role in transporting calcium and potassium into and out of the cell,
- allows muscles to relax,
- transports ions like calcium and potassium,
- is required to produce ATP,
- is active in cell signalling,
- breaks down old neurotransmitters like histamine,
- helps synthesise collagen,
- regulates body temperature and blood pressure,
- normalises bowel movements,
- plays a crucial role in the structure of cell membranes and chromosomes,
- is necessary for detoxification and helps to detoxify substances like oxalate and salicylate, and
- aids in creating strong bones and teeth.
Getting adequate magnesium is helpful for:
- exercise performance,
- stress management,
- fighting depression,
- regulating anxiety,
- hormonal imbalances,
- muscle soreness and chronic pain,
- fluid balance,
- constipation,
- managing insulin resistance and Type-2 Diabetes,
- lowering blood pressure,
- reducing inflammation,
- helping you to get a better night’s sleep,
- Energy production,
- heart health,
- immunity,
- detoxification,
- preventing migraines, and
- improving PMS symptoms.
A lack of magnesium is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown people who die of heart attacks often have low magnesium levels.
However, getting adequate magnesium has become difficult as our soils have become depleted and void of many nutrients, including magnesium, from soil degradation and over-farming.
Because magnesium is rapidly used up to metabolise glucose, and in times of stress, the modern food environment and the go-go-go of the Western world have further exacerbated deficiency.
Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency
Because magnesium plays a role in so many vital functions, lower intakes of magnesium are associated with a wide range of conditions, including:
- insulin resistance and hyperglycaemia,
- Type-2 Diabetes,
- oxidative stress,
- hormonal imbalance,
- depression or anxiety,
- a pro-inflammatory state,
- atherosclerosis,
- anaemia,
- anxiety,
- cold hands and feet,
- chronic fatigue,
- adrenal imbalances,
- concentration issues, ADD, or ADHD,
- seizures,
- depression,
- hypothermia,
- hypertension,
- insomnia,
- kidney stones,
- water retention,
- muscle cramps,
- premenstrual syndrome (PMS),
- irregular heartbeat, and
- neurotic behaviour.
Factors Increasing Your Demand for Magnesium
You may need more magnesium if you:
- are very active,
- drink a lot of alcohol,
- suffer from chronic fatigue,
- have metabolic acidosis,
- suffer from metabolic syndrome,
- have fibromyalgia,
- have any muscle pain or soreness,
- eat a high-fat ketogenic diet,
- have epilepsy,
- are chronically stressed,
- have an inflammatory condition,
- are depressed or anxious,
- consume excessive phytates from cereals,
- have heart disease,
- are breastfeeding, or
- have high blood pressure.
Magnesium Upper Limit, Toxicity, and Side Effects
An Upper Limit for magnesium from supplements of 350 mg is set based on gut tolerance. While higher magnesium levels from food are not a problem, you could spend extra time on the toilet if you overdo your magnesium supplementation.
Magnesium draws water into the large intestine, forcing a bowel movement (when taken in high amounts). Because excessive amounts of magnesium prompt a run to the bathroom, magnesium is an active ingredient in many laxative supplements.
Magnesium Availability in the Food System
The amount of magnesium in the food system has declined since the widespread implementation of chemical fertilisers in the 1940s. We now need to consume an extra 23% energy to get the same amount of magnesium that we did in the 1940s!
Magnesium-rich products are often unprocessed foods. Thus, someone whose diet revolves around processed foods would struggle to get enough magnesium.
Synergistic Nutrients with Magnesium
Magnesium works synergistically with vitamins B1, B6, C, and D, potassium, boron, calcium, and glucose. This means it needs adequate amounts of these minerals (not just one) to work properly.
Thus, magnesium supplementation often isn’t very effective. Instead, magnesium-rich foods usually contain the remaining spectrum of nutrients for this mineral to do its job.
Magnesium Absorption
Magnesium is absorbed in your duodenum and ileum. Typical absorption rates are 30 to 40%. Excess magnesium is excreted in the urine (and faeces, if in excess). As noted above, magnesium is known to have an acute laxative effect, meaning supplemental magnesium is often not absorbed well.
Storage of Magnesium in the Body
Magnesium is stored in your bones, teeth, muscles, liver, pancreas, and non-muscular soft tissue. The body regularly releases this mineral into the bloodstream to buffer and maintain a constant pH.
Optimal Calcium: Magnesium Ratio
Calcium and magnesium are closely interrelated. Your body needs adequate magnesium to use calcium properly, and vice versa. Magnesium deficiency, therefore, affects calcium metabolism and alters certain hormones that regulate calcium.
At the same time, calcium and magnesium compete with one another and interfere with the other’s functions if they are out of balance.
High intakes of calcium through supplementation interfere with magnesium status by reducing intestinal absorption and increasing urinary losses. Additionally, magnesium deficiency is known to induce calcium deficiency. Excess magnesium may prevent calcium from contracting muscles when the ratio of magnesium to calcium is imbalanced and when magnesium levels are far too high.
Our satiety analysis shows that people who get more calcium than magnesium tend to eat less. So, if weight loss is your goal, you should prioritise getting adequate dietary calcium.
In our Micros Masterclass, Optimisers use Nutrient Optimiser to help you manage your calcium:magnesium ratio to ensure you’re not emphasising nutrients that exacerbate existing imbalances.
Magnesium Bioavailability
Minerals like magnesium are likely plentiful in fresh and raw meat. However, processing and cooking can remove minerals from animal foods’ blood and juices.
However, magnesium absorption does not appear to be affected by consuming a plant-based versus animal-based diet. Magnesium is a nutrient absorbed similarly from plant and animal foods whether you consume a carnivorous or plant-based diet.
Magnesium Supplements
Magnesium is a nutrient worth supplementing if you consistently fall short of your recommended daily intake from your diet. However, this can be challenging because you must consume a quantity of powder or pills to boost your magnesium intake if your diet is low.
This can be problematic because this is a large volume of powder. Secondly, it may give you diarrhea if your body is not used to absorbing magnesium in this form or this quantity, particularly if you have digestive issues. Hence, you should strive to get as much magnesium as possible from food and only use supplements to top up, if necessary. As always, start slowly.
Does Magnesium Help with Keto Constipation?
A ketogenic diet is known to have diuretic effects, resulting in someone following the diet peeing out many of their electrolytes, such as magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium.
Because magnesium is harder to find on a ketogenic diet that does not emphasise non-starchy vegetables and is excreted more rapidly, we can see symptoms of low levels like constipation.
As a result, supplying the body with adequate magnesium can help to regulate bowel movements.
How Can I Calculate if I’m Getting Enough Magnesium?
Curious about your magnesium intake? Take our Free 7-Day Nutrient Clarity Challenge and discover if you’re hitting the magnesium sweet spot in your diet.
After just one week of tracking your daily meals with Cronometer, Nutrient Optimiser will unveil a personalised roadmap, your guide to a healthier, more nutrient-rich lifestyle.
You’ll receive a curated list of foods and tantalising NutriBooster recipes that not only fill your magnesium gaps but also ensure you’re not missing out on critical nutrients.
Ready to unlock your nutrient potential? Join the challenge and journey towards a brighter, healthier you!
Nutrient Density Starter Pack
Ready to supercharge your nutrition? Get our Nutrient Density Starter Pack – your all-access pass to a healthier, more vibrant you!
In our quest to make Nutritional Optimisation a breeze, we’re thrilled to offer you this treasure trove of tools and resources when you join our vibrant Optimising Nutrition Community:
- Food Lists: Discover our carefully crafted lists optimised for each essential nutrient, tailored to your goals, preferences, and unique conditions.
- The Healthiest Meal Plan in the World: Peek into a week of mouthwatering, nutrient-dense meals that’ll satisfy and energise you.
- Recipes: Download delectable samples from our NutriBooster recipe books, designed to elevate your nutrition while tantalising your taste buds.
- 7-Day Nutrient Clarity Challenge: Unearth your priority nutrients and pinpoint the foods and meals that pack a nutrient punch so you can kickstart your journey to better health.
Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to transform your nutrition effortlessly. Join our community and unlock your path to a healthier, more vibrant you!
What are your favourite magnesium-rich foods? Share your recipes and tips in the comments below!