Magnesium is in high demand by the body as it is involved in more than 325 different metabolic reactions! It helps the body to metabolize fat, protein and carbohydrate enabling it to get ‘energy’ from the food we eat. People who eat more foods that contain magnesium tend to be less at risk of diabetes. This magnificent mineral also aids in the proper functioning of your genes, DNA synthesis and for cell replication (your body’s cells are constantly being renewed). Magnesium helps to both relax and contract your muscles which is very important for those who exercise and especially so for athletes. Magnesium is good for your heart and blood vessels and its very important in bone health by helping calcium and phosphorus work to make a strong skeleton. People who get a lot of magnesium in their diet also tend to have lower blood pressure.
Despite magnesium’s vital role, most people aren’t getting enough from the foods that they eat. Based on analysis of dietary intakes, it’s estimated that we’re getting less than half the amount we did 100 years ago, down from about 500mg/day to 175-225mg/day. Worse, magnesium intake is still falling. We can blame this on modern day foods that are highly processed and refined. To make matters worse, researchers suggest that the amount of magnesium required for optimum health has been underestimated in the past. While there isn’t an easy test to determine magnesium status (i.e. a blood test), there are some nutritional risk factors and eating habits that are associated with low magnesium intake:
- If you eat more white flour products instead of 100% whole wheat
- If you don’t eat a lot of green leafy vegetables
- If you don’t eat many nuts, seeds, and legumes
- If you regularly eat or drink sugar or sugary products/beverages
- If you drink alcohol regularly
- If you follow a calorie-restricted or high-protein, low carbohydrate diet
How much magnesium do you need?
| Age |
Women |
Men |
| 14-18 |
360mg |
410mg |
| 19-30 |
310mg |
400mg |
| 31+ |
320mg |
420mg |
Magnesium is abundant in unrefined whole grain products, such as 100% whole wheat bread and cereals, green leafy vegetables (spinach and kale), nuts and seeds and legumes (lentils, kidney beans, chick peas etc). The following are good food sources.
| Food |
Magnesium content (per 100g or 3oz) |
| Pumpkin seeds |
532mg
(177mg/ 1/3 cup) |
| Almonds |
300mg
(100mg/23 almonds) |
| Brazil nuts |
225mg
(75mg/8 nuts) |
| Peanuts (roasted) |
183mg
(124mg/ ½ cup) |
| Walnuts |
158mg
(53mg/7 walnuts) |
| Rice (whole grain brown) |
110mg
(55mg/ ½ cup cooked) |
| 100% Whole grain bread |
85mg (about 3 slices) |
| Spinach |
80mg
(about ½ cup cooked) |
| Cooked legumes |
40mg
(about ½ cup) |
| Broccoli |
30mg
(about 1 cup chopped) |
| Banana |
29mg
(1 medium) |
What’s the bottom line? Given the potential for sub-optimal magnesium intake, anyone not already doing so should make a conscious effort to eat more magnesium-rich foods every day. Even simple changes like eating more 100% whole grain products and boosting your intake of nuts and seeds can make a big impact. In addition to eating more magnesium rich foods, reach for a multivitamin/mineral – look for one with at least 100mg of magnesium. A word of caution: taking more than 400mg of magnesium from supplements can cause diarrhea.
Essentiality
Magnesium is an essential element in human metabolism and is required for over 300 enzyme reactions and inadequate levels of magnesium can severely affect cardiovascular, neuromuscular, and renal functions.
Under normal conditions, magnesium levels are carefully regulated, and short-term dietary deficiencies can be overcome by the large available pool of magnesium in bone. However, depletion can occur as a result of vomiting, diarrhea, use of certain diuretics, alcoholism, and protein malnutrition. Deficiency produces weakness, mental disorder, lessening of muscle control, and gastrointestinal disorders. It has been suggested that long-term magnesium deficiency may be a factor in cardiovascular disease.