10 Magnesium-Rich Foods You Should Eat for Better Health (2024)

Eating foods high in magnesium is crucial if you want to stay energized and healthy. Magnesium keeps nerves and muscles working and regulates your heartbeat and blood pressure. This essential mineral also strengthens your bones and immune system.

Though magnesium is readily found in foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, leafy greens, and seafood, most adults in the United States don't meet the daily requirement of this vital nutrient.

10 Magnesium-Rich Foods You Should Eat for Better Health (1)

Magnesium-Rich Food Sources

The highest sources of magnesium are healthy foods that contribute to a well-balanced diet. Here are the top 10 foods, their overall nutritional value, and the amount of magnesium in a typical serving.

1. Seeds

Seeds are small but they're good sources of magnesium, with one serving providing a significant portion of the recommended daily intake.

Here's the magnesium and the percentage of the daily value (DV) found in a 1-ounce serving of three types of seeds:

  • Pumpkin seeds: 156 mg (37% DV)
  • Chia seeds: 111 mg (26% DV)
  • Sunflower seeds: 36 mg (9% DV)

As a group, seeds are sources of fiber, protein, minerals, and heart-healthy unsaturated fats.

2. Nuts

Adding nuts to your daily diet boosts magnesium. This is the amount you'll get in a 1-ounce serving of three good sources:

  • Almonds: 80 mg (19% DV)
  • Cashews: 74 mg (18% DV)
  • Peanuts: 48 mg (12% DV)

You can also get magnesium from nut butters. Two tablespoons of peanut butter have the same amount as a serving of whole peanuts.

The healthy unsaturated fats in nuts may also lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

3. Beans

Beans are good sources of magnesium, with a one-cup serving (cooked) providing:

  • Kidney beans: 69 mg (16% DV))
  • Baked beans: 69 mg (16% DV)
  • Lima beans: 126 mg (30% DV)

Beans also provide B vitamins, iron, potassium, plant protein and fiber, including soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar.

4. Soy Products

Soy is filled with nutrients, including magnesium. Here's the amount of magnesium in various soy products:

  • Firm tofu (1/4 block): 47 mg (11% DV)
  • Soymilk (1 cup): 61 mg (15% DV)
  • Soy nuts (1 ounce): 41 mg (10% DV)
  • Edamame (1/2 cup cooked):50 mg (12% DV)

Soy is also one of the few plant sources of high-quality protein, which means it contains all the essential amino acids. Other nutrients in soy include folate, calcium, potassium, and zinc.

5. Seafood (fatty fish)

Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, and trout are known for their healthy omega-3 fatty acids, but they also provide magnesium.

This is the magnesium in a 3-ounce serving of four types of fatty fish:

  • Atlantic salmon (cooked): 26 mg (6% DV)
  • White tuna (canned): 28 mg (7% DV)
  • Yellowfin tuna (cooked): 36 mg (9% DV)
  • Atlantic mackerel (cooked): 83 mg (20% DV)

Healthy fatty fish are high in protein and one of the few food sources of vitamin D.

6. Whole Grains

Whole grains are important sources of dietary fiber and magnesium. Boost your daily magnesium with the following:

  • Quinoa (1 cup cooked): 118 mg (28% DV)
  • Brown rice (1 cup cooked): 86 mg (20% DV)
  • Shredded wheat (2 large biscuits): 61 mg (15% DV)
  • Whole wheat bread (1 slice): 23 mg (5% DV)

Choosing whole grains ensures you get a wide range of nutrients, such as B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, and zinc. By comparison, white flour and white rice (refined grains) lose the fiber and most of the nutrients during milling.

7. Leafy Greens

Leafy greens (spinach, kale, romaine, collard greens, watercress, and Bok choy, to name a few) contain varying amounts of magnesium.

Kale and spinach illustrate the range of magnesium in one serving of leafy greens and the difference between fresh and cooked greens:

  • Kale (1 cup raw): 5 mg (1% DV)
  • Spinach (1 cup raw): 24 mg (6% DV)
  • Spinach (1/2 cup cooked): 78 mg (19% DV)

Leafy greens are a good choice for increasing your daily intake of fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E, and K, iron, and potassium.

8. Fruits

The fruits highest in magnesium, bananas, raisins, and avocados, are also good sources of potassium and B vitamins.

This is the amount of magnesium you'll gain by Including these fruits in your diet:

  • Banana (1 medium): 32 mg (8% DV)
  • Raisins (1/2 cup): 23 mg (5% DV)
  • Avocados (1/2 cup): 22 mg (5% DV)

9. Dairy Products

Dairy products made from whole and low-fat milk deliver the following amount of magnesium:

  • Milk (1 cup): 24-27 mg (6% DV)
  • Plain yogurt (8 ounces): 42 mg (10% DV)

Milk-based products also rank among the best sources of calcium. They're also high in proteins and contribute to your daily potassium.

10. Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is a good source of magnesium. One ounce has 42-65 mg of magnesium, which is 10-15% of the DV. You'll get the most magnesium from dark chocolate with the highest percentage of cocoa content.

Chocolate is made from cocoa beans. Dark chocolate is labeled with the percent of cocoa it contains. By comparison, milk chocolate isn't labeled with a percentage because it retains significantly less cocoa.

Cocoa beans are packed with beneficial plant-based substances called flavonoids. Flavonoids may reduce inflammation, protect nerves, and help lower the risk of heart disease and cancer. Like magnesium, the higher the cocoa content, the more flavonoids in your dark chocolate.

Beverages High in Magnesium

In addition to consuming magnesium from food sources, some drinks can offer similar benefits, including:

  • Tap, mineral, or bottled water (magnesium content varies by brand and water source)
  • Orange juice
  • Soy milk

Reasons to Pay Attention to Magnesium Intake

The organs in your body need magnesium to function properly. But estimates suggest that roughly 60% of adults in the United States don't consume enough of this vital nutrient.

Though it's rare, if you have a chronic magnesium deficiency, it's possible to experience symptoms such as:

  • Fatigue
  • Muscle cramping, spasms, or weakness
  • Convulsions
  • Abnormal eye movements (nystagmus)

What's the Best Way to Get Magnesium: Food or Supplements?

The best way to get magnesium depends on several factors, like age, diet, and health. Most people should be able to get enough magnesium from their diet alone. Others may require a magnesium supplement to help boost nutrient levels.

If you're looking into supplementation, keep in mind that there are different forms of magnesium supplements. Supplements to increase magnesium if your diet falls short typically contain magnesium citrate, magnesium oxide, and magnesium chloride.

Magnesium's form and uses include:

  • Magnesium oxide: Used to help treat magnesium deficiency or issues like constipation
  • Magnesium citrate: A laxative that can help with occasional constipation
  • Magnesium chloride: Used to help boost magnesium levels and may be beneficial for other conditions like prediabetes
  • Magnesium glycinate: Used for magnesium deficiency and recommended to support a calm, restful night's sleep

Check with a healthcare provider before introducing any new supplements into your routine.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements the way it regulates prescription drugs. That means some supplement products may not contain what the label says. When choosing a supplement, look for third-party tested products and consult a healthcare provider, registered dietitian nutritionist (RD or RDN), or pharmacist.

How to Improve Magnesium Absorption

Certain medical conditions and medications can reduce magnesium absorption, which means it's harder for your body to maintain adequate levels of the mineral. The following individuals are at higher risk for problems with magnesium absorption:

  • Older adults
  • People with gastrointestinal diseases, like Crohn's and celiac disease
  • People with diabetes
  • People with alcohol dependence
  • People with hypertension
  • People who take diuretics (water pills) to treat high blood pressure
  • People who take proton pump inhibitors (or PPIs) to reduce stomach acid

To help improve the way your body absorbs magnesium, experts may recommend:

  • Avoiding taking a zinc supplement together with magnesium, as zinc may interfere with magnesium absorption
  • Choosing supplements containing magnesium citrate, magnesium lactate, or magnesium aspartate, as these forms are better absorbed in the small intestine
  • Choosing a time-release magnesium supplement, as it improves absorption
  • Taking supplemental B vitamins (B-vitamin complex or a multivitamin with B vitamins), as the level of vitamin B6 in your body affects magnesium absorption

Magnesium-Forward Meal Ideas

To incorporate more magnesium into your diet, experts recommend the following options:

  • For breakfast: Low-fat Greek yogurt with a banana or a fortified breakfast cereal
  • For a snack: An ounce of almonds or pumpkin seeds
  • For lunch: Half an avocado on a piece of whole grain toast or a salad
  • For dinner: A piece of salmon with brown rice and a raw kale salad
  • For dessert: A square of dark chocolate

Risks of Too Much Magnesium

The magnesium obtained from food doesn't put you at risk of getting too much magnesium. However, it's possible to develop dangerously high blood levels from magnesium supplements.

The tolerable upper intake levels — the most magnesium that’s safe to get through supplements — vary by age:

  • Birth to 12 months: Don’t use supplements without consulting your primary care provider
  • One to three years: no more than 65 mg daily
  • Four to eight years: no more than 110 mg daily
  • Nine years and older: no more than 350 mg daily

Since magnesium is a natural laxative, you may have diarrhea and cramping if you get too much from supplements. High blood levels of magnesium may also lower your blood pressure.

While this may be a health benefit for those with hypertension, it can cause side effects if your blood pressure is in the healthy range. A sudden drop in blood pressure due to magnesium supplements may cause dizziness, confusion, and fainting.

While rare, magnesium can become toxic if you consume extremely large doses (more than 5,000 mg a day) through supplements. Signs of toxicity include dizziness, nausea, and an irregular heartbeat.

Summary

Magnesium is a mineral that your body needs to function. It's found in various foods, like vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and dairy. However, many adults in the United States don't get enough of this nutrient in their daily diet.

Experts recommend making some simple adjustments to your diet to boost magnesium levels. Check with a healthcare provider before adding a magnesium supplement to ensure the quality and dosing are right for you.

10 Magnesium-Rich Foods You Should Eat for Better Health (2024)
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