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Healthy Foods that Contain Magnesium
Posted By Dr. Ben Kim
Magnesium is one of seven minerals that you need in relatively large amounts for optimal health. Most of your body's magnesium is located in your bones and teeth. Your remaining magnesium is present in your soft tissues and the fluids that surround these tissues.
What Does Magnesium Do in Your Body?
- Helps to form tooth enamel, which helps to prevent cavities
- Provides structure to your bones
- Helps to convert carbohydrates, protein, and fats into energy
- Helps to make protein and genetic material for your cells
- Helps to regulate nerve signaling, muscle contraction and relaxation, and the rhythm of your heart
- Helps to reduce homocysteine levels, which lowers your risk of stroke, heart disease, cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's disease, and many degenerative diseases.
Here are some healthy, whole food sources of magnesium:
|Whole Food Sources||Serving||Magnesium (mg)|
|Brown rice, cooked||1 cup||83.8|
|Almonds, raw||1 ounce||81.1|
|Spinach, cooked||1/2 cup||78.3|
|Swiss chard, cooked||1/2 cup||75.2|
|Lima beans, cooked||1/2 cup||62.9|
|Peanuts*, raw||1 ounce||49.8|
|Hazelnuts, raw||1 ounce||49.0|
|Okra, cooked||1/2 cup||45.6|
|Black-eyed peas, cooked||1/2 cup||42.8|
*It is important to use organic peanuts only. If you use organic peanut butter, first discard the oil that has separated from the butter. This will reduce the likelihood of disrupting your omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio.
Signs of Deficiency
- Unexplained muscle spasms and/or weakness
- Irregular heart beat
- High blood pressure
- Depression and confusion
Risk Factors for Developing a Magnesium Deficiency
- Chronic alcoholism
- Long term use of a diuretic (water pill)
- Malabsorption syndromes and chronic diarrhea
- Supplementing with high doses of zinc
- Not having enough healthy protein in your diet
|Recommended Dietary Allowance for Magnesium - 1997|
|Life Stage||Age||Males (mg/day)||Females (mg/day)|
|Adults||31 years and older||420||320|
|Pregnancy||18 years and younger||-||400|
|Pregnancy||31 years and older||-||360|
|Breastfeeding||18 years and younger||-||360|
|Breastfeeding||31 years and older||-||320|
Magnesium doesn't pose a toxic threat to your body as long your kidneys are healthy enough to filter and eliminate excess amounts via your urine. Still, in order to spare your kidneys of unnecessary workload, I believe that it is best to avoid magnesium supplements and to obtain magnesiuim exclusively from whole foods.
Diagnostic Test for Magnesium
You can test your blood level of magnesium and other electrolytes via a routine blood test with your doctor or laboratory.
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