Anyone who’s ever sat through a middle school health class probably knows calcium is necessary for building strong bones and teeth. But what you probably don’t know is that it’s not the only mineral that plays a role in this critical task.
Meet magnesium, another whiz kid of the nutrition world. On top of bolstering bone health, this all-important nutrient serves a bunch of other important functions in your body. Read on to learn why it’s so essential to your health—plus pick up some recs for foods high in magnesium that can help boost your daily total.
What makes magnesium such a big deal?
Magnesium is integral to a massive number of the processes that keep you humming along. Take bone development: One 2022 meta-analysis published in the journal Bone concluded that people 60 and over who consumed more magnesium had higher bone mineral density in their hip area than those who took in less—a significant finding, since lower bone density can lead to osteoporosis, a disease that leaves you much more susceptible to fractures.
Besides the bone stuff, magnesium also helps with muscle contraction, nerve transmission, immune system support, heartbeat regulation, and blood sugar and blood pressure control. These benefits show up in your overall disease risk: Increasing your magnesium intake may reduce your odds of several health conditions, including stroke, heart failure, and type 2 diabetes.
Getting enough magnesium could enhance your immediate quality of life too. Separate research has linked the mineral to better exercise performance and improved sleep, among other potential perks. (Hence why everyone and their mother seems to take a magnesium supplement before bed these days!) Even your mood could see a boost: In fact, a 2023 review published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry found that adults with depression experienced an improvement in symptoms after taking magnesium supplements—and it might have a similar effect on anxiety, headaches, PMS, and menopause symptoms.
Unlike, say, vitamin D, our bodies aren’t capable of producing magnesium on their own, registered dietitian Vincci Tsui, RD, a certified intuitive eating counselor based in Canada, tells SELF, so it has to come from outside sources—like the food we eat. Given everything we’ve covered thus far, it’s vital to make sure your diet contains enough of it.
How much magnesium should you take in each day?
Per the National Library of Medicine, the recommended dietary allowance for magnesium (or the amount you should consume per day) is 400 to 420 milligrams (mg) for men and 310 to 320 mg for women. (However, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding may need up to 400 and 360 mg per day, respectively.) Meanwhile, the FDA’s recommendation, known as the daily value (DV), is slightly higher: 420 mg for adults and children four years old and up.
Even though magnesium is found in a wide variety of foods, research has consistently shown that many Americans don’t hit their daily goal. Still, because our bodies have built-in mechanisms for retaining the mineral, an actual magnesium deficiency is actually pretty rare, Janice Dada, MPH, RDN, a certified intuitive eating counselor based in California, tells SELF. But that doesn’t mean it’s something to take lightly: Low magnesium can cause symptoms like nausea, fatigue, weakness, and more. And chronic deficits have been linked to health problems like dementia, cancer, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease (including stroke, heart failure, and arrhythmia, the term for an abnormal heart rhythm).
Older men, adolescents, and people with certain GI conditions (like Crohn’s disease), type 2 diabetes, and alcohol use disorder are at higher risk for magnesium deficiency, so members of those demographics might want to “pay a little extra attention” to make sure they’re getting enough, Dada says. If that applies to you (or a loved one), the 10 foods below can come in handy.
What are the best magnesium-rich foods?
Here’s a few of the strongest food options in order of highest magnesium content to lowest. While they can’t fully stand in for a supplement if you have health issues or take medication that makes low blood levels of magnesium more likely, they can definitely help you make up the difference.
Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are an excellent natural source of magnesium, according to Tsui. Just one cup of dried pumpkin seeds contains around 764 mg of magnesium, per the USDA—close to twice the FDA-set DV—so even a quarter cup or so can play a big role in meeting your daily needs, Tsui says.
You can eat the seeds raw or roast them to bring out a little more flavor. From there, eat them as a standalone snack, or sprinkle them on your meal for more oomph. Tsui likes to use them as a topping to add “some extra flavor, texture, and nutrition” to dishes like yogurt, porridge, granola, and salads.
Think salad staples like spinach, kale, broccoli, and Swiss chard. One cup of raw spinach contains 24 mg of magnesium, according to the USDA (and if the spinach is boiled, that number climbs to 156 mg—48% of the DV, per the NIH). Still, “I love to have it raw on a sandwich or as the base of a salad,” Dada says. “I might add some arugula or some other types of greens, too, just for some variation in texture.”
If you need some salad inspo to put a fresh spin on the format or find that standard kinds tend to leave you craving more, check out this list of five original recipes that pull off the impressive feat of managing to actually keep you full. And if you’re just not feeling the raw route one day, keep in mind that you can always incorporate leafy greens into baked goods like egg bites and frittatas.
Soybeans are the face of this category—which you probably know best in edamame, their immature form. One cup contains 99 mg of magnesium, according to the USDA (100 mg per the NIH, or 24% of the DV).
While soybeans might be the best known bean source of magnesium, we’d be remiss not to mention that other types are packing too. In fact, the five most frequently purchased bean varieties in the US—pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, and chickpeas—all contain roughly between 79 to 120 mg per cup, according to the USDA (around 20 to 30% of the DV), with black and kidney beans at the high end. Meanwhile, lentils, another popular legume, fall slightly outside of that range, at 71 mg.
Next up is another type of seed: One ounce of chia seeds (roughly 1/8 cup) contains 95 mg of magnesium, according to the USDA (111 mg per the NIH, or 26% of the DV). What’s more, the seeds—not labeled a “superfood” for nothing—contain a bunch of other beneficial nutrients, including protein (which helps build muscle and boost recovery post-workout), fiber (which prevents constipation and makes pooping easier), antioxidants (which stave off cell damage), and omega-3 fatty acids (which support heart and brain health), Dada says.
Like pepitas, chia seeds also work well in tons of dishes, making them super easy to incorporate into your meals and snacks. You can add some to any salad for a little lunchtime crunch or stir them into smoothies or overnight oats for a low-effort and travel-friendly breakfast option, according to Dada. Oats paired with fun extras like chia seeds, fruit, milk, and peanut butter make a “great vehicle to get all of that nutrition in,” she says. And if you’re pressed for time or don’t have any oats on hand, you can always take advantage of the seeds’ famous gelling properties: Just combine them with hot water to make chia pudding—a great on-the-go meal.
Similar to seeds, legumes, and dark leafy greens, nuts tend to be high in magnesium all around. One ounce of dry-roasted cashews and almonds contains 74 and 80 mg, respectively, according to the NIH—around 20% of the DV. Just a little behind, a quarter-cup of oil-roasted peanuts clocks in at 63 mg—15% of the DV. For an even bigger punch, opt for Brazil nuts specifically: A 2022 study published in the journal Foods reported that Brazil nuts had the highest magnesium content out of all 10 types of nuts analyzed.
You don’t need to eat your nuts intact (or even solid) to reap these benefits either. Nut butters like almond butter, peanut butter, and sunflower seed butter can also deliver a hefty dose of magnesium. Two tablespoons of peanut butter contain 54 mg, according to the USDA (49 mg per the NIH, or 12% of the DV), for example.
If you prefer plant-based milks to the OG dairy, you might just have a rich source of magnesium sitting in your fridge: soy milk. One cup of the plain or vanilla kind contains 61 mg of magnesium, according to the NIH. (That said, Dada notes that regular dairy can actually be a good source of magnesium too. Case in point: One cup of plain low-fat yogurt contains 42 mg—10% of the DV.)
Other soy-based items are no slouch, either—like tofu, which is made with soy milk and either calcium or magnesium salt. When prepared with magnesium salt, it rings in at around 40 grams per quarter block, according to the USDA. For a magnesium-rich dinner idea, Tsui recommends miso soup, mapo tofu, or a basic stir-fry. (If you’re having trouble achieving that perfect crispy tofu texture, simply follow these steps.) You can even add some sweet dessert tofu to a smoothie to make the texture a little more creamy.
For many people, potatoes are a more appetizing vegetable than leafy greens, so the news that they also boast impressive magnesium stats might come as a welcome surprise. One medium-size baked potato (skin on) contains around 48 grams of magnesium, according to the USDA. Just keep in mind that it’s not always safe to eat a potato that’s sprouted eyes—otherwise, you might be in for nasty GI symptoms like nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea.
Not a potato person? Never fear: Several other root vegetables offer magnesium in a similar range. One cup of sliced beets contains around 40 mg, according to the USDA, for example. Coming in a bit further ahead, parsnips offer around 45 mg.
In case you thought vegetables had a monopoly on magnesium, some types of fruit offer a counterpoint—and bananas are chief among them. One banana contains 32 mg of magnesium, or 8% of the DV, according to the NIH. Plus, bananas are also famously rich in potassium, another essential mineral. (And if you find that yours always seem to turn brown before you have a chance to use them, try these easy hacks for slowing down the ripening process.)
Besides bananas, avocados (yep, the rough-skinned millennial mascots are technically classified as fruits!) are also a fruit source of magnesium, at 22 mg per half-cup of cubes—5% of the DV. (Check out this high-protein avocado toast variant if you want to put a protein-powered spin on the classic dish). Even some dried fruit is surprisingly magnesium-heavy, including raisins (23 mg, according to the NIH) and apricots (25 mg, according to the USDA).
While fish might be better known for omega-3 fatty acids than magnesium, many fatty kinds also supply the latter. Mackerel takes the cake: One standard-sized can of mackerel contains 28 mg, and one regular fillet has 49 mg, according to the USDA. (Time to jump on the tinned fish trend if you haven’t already…?)
Salmon (another fatty fish species) and halibut fall in the same ballpark. Three ounces of salmon and halibut contain 26 and 24 mg, respectively, according to the NIH. And if you’re worried about worms in salmon after watching those viral TikTok videos, rest assured that thorough cooking will kill off any potential parasites.
Depending on the specific food, common whole grains—which include rice, oatmeal, and bread—can offer anywhere from 2% to 15% of the magnesium DV, according to the NIH: 10 mg per half-cup of white rice, 23 mg of magnesium per slice of whole-wheat bread, 36 mg per packet of instant oatmeal, 42 mg per half-cup of brown rice, and 61 mg per two large shredded wheat biscuits, to name a few examples.
Some ready-to-eat breakfast cereals (including many bran flakes) are even fortified with magnesium, making them another strong source even though they don’t naturally contain the mineral. One serving contains 42 mg—equivalent to a half-cup of brown rice. (Yet another reason eating cereal for dinner isn’t the worst thing in the world.)
Remember, you don’t have to stick to any single one of these ten options—you can always combine them into a larger dish if you’re really looking to maximize your magnesium intake. Need a few examples? Blend dark leafy greens, bananas, and chia seeds together into a super-healthy green smoothie, or top a chia pudding with banana slices and a handful of nuts for a filling breakfast bowl sure to help you start your day on the right track. For dinner, try pairing spinach with edamame, tofu, and brown rice to make a stir-fry, or with lentils to imitate the Indian dish dal palak, or spinach dal. (And don’t forget that you can always experiment with developing your own recipes!)
And in case you were wondering, you don’t really need to worry about overloading on magnesium: For most folks, consuming more than the RDA doesn’t pose any health risk. With that established, go forth and load up—you don’t want to miss out on any of the benefits associated with this small but mighty mineral.
Related:
- The Best Iron-Rich Foods That Can Help Fight Fatigue and Boost Energy
- 11 Calcium-Rich Foods That Aren’t Just Dairy Products
- The Best Potassium-Rich Foods to Support Your Heart and Muscles
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