DNA is made up of molecules called nucleotides. Each nucleotide contains a phosphate group, a sugar group and a nitrogen base. The four types of nitrogen bases are adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G) and cytosine (C). The order of these bases is what determines DNA's instructions, or genetic code.
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of magnesium for young adults is around 400 mg/day for men and 310 mg/day for women. For adults over 30, the RDA is 420 mg/day for men and 320 mg/day for women. However, despite how easy it is to find magnesium, studies have shown that between 68% and 75% of American adults are magnesium deficient.
Magnesium is found in a wide variety of plant foods as well as certain types of fish. The Recommended Daily Value (DV) of magnesium for adult men is 420 mg; for adult women it is 320 mg. Foods that provide more than 20 percent of the DV of a nutrient are considered excellent sources of that nutrient.