Magnesium is a mineral that the body cannot produce on its own, therefore it is necessary to take it in through balanced diet. It is involved in hundreds of chemical reactions in your body and helps you maintain good health.
Magnesium helps your body make proteins, bones and DNA. Without magnesium, your muscles wouldn't be able to move as they should because your nerves wouldn't send and receive messages. Magnesium also maintains a steady heart rate, balanced blood sugar levels and healthy joint cartilage.
In the following lines, find out everything about the importance of magnesium in the diet, as well as which foods are rich in magnesium that you can include in your regular meal!
What is magnesium and what is the recommended daily dose?
Magnesium is found throughout the body. In fact, every cell in your body contains this mineral and needs it to function. About 60% of magnesium in your body is found in your bones, while the rest is found in your muscles, soft tissues, and fluids, including your blood.
Magnesium is included in more than 600 reactions in your body, including:
- Energy generation – converting food into energy
- Protein formation – creation of new proteins from amino acids
- Gene maintenance – helps make and repair DNA and RNA
- Muscle movements - help with muscle contraction and relaxation
- Nervous system regulation - regulation of neurotransmitters, which send messages to your brain and nervous system
You can easily meet your daily needs by eating a balanced diet, and here's how much magnesium you need per day for optimal functioning.
| Age | Men | Women |
| Up to 6 months | 30 mg | 30 mg |
| 7–12 months | 75 mg | 75 mg |
| 1–3 years | 80 mg | 80 mg |
| 4–8 years | 130 mg | 130 mg |
| 9–13 years old | 240 mg | 240 mg |
| 14–18 years old | 410 mg | 360 mg |
| 19–30 years old | 400 mg | 310 mg |
| 31–50 years old | 420 mg | 320 mg |
| 51+ years | 420 mg | 320 mg |
It's always best to get magnesium from food, but you can also get it from multivitamins and supplements. Too much magnesium, however, can cause nausea, stomach cramps, or diarrhea. In extreme cases, it can cause an irregular heartbeat or cardiac arrest.
Do not take magnesium supplements if you have certain health problems, but be sure to consult your doctor first!
What are the symptoms of magnesium deficiency?
An occasional magnesium deficiency usually has no symptoms, but a problem arises if you are consistently magnesium deficient.
Certain conditions (and some medications) can also make it difficult for your body to have adequate levels of magnesium. Early signs of magnesium deficiency include:
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Weakness
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Coronary spasms
- Numbness
- Muscle cramps and spasms
Foods rich in magnesium
Because food provides a variety of nutrients and other components that benefit health, nutritional needs should be met primarily through food.
In some cases, fortified foods and dietary supplements are useful when it is not possible to meet the needs for one or more nutrients otherwise (eg, during specific life stages such as pregnancy). Here are the foods rich in magnesium that you can buy in a nearby market.
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is as healthy as it is delicious, which is why it's at the top of our list.
It is very rich in magnesium, with 64 mg in a 28 gram portion, which represents 16% of recommended daily intake!
Dark chocolate is also rich in iron, copper and manganese and contains probiotic fibers that feed your healthy gut bacteria.
Moreover, it is full of beneficial antioxidants. These are nutrients that neutralize free radicals, harmful molecules that can damage your cells and lead to disease.
Dark chocolate is especially beneficial for heart health because it contains flavanols, which are powerful antioxidant compounds that prevent "bad" LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and sticking to the cells that line your arteries.
To maximize the benefits of dark chocolate, choose a product that contains at least 70% of cocoa solids.
Avocado
Avocado is an incredibly nutritious fruit and a delicious source of magnesium. One medium avocado provides 58 mg of magnesium, which is 15% of the daily recommended value.
Avocados are also rich in potassium, B vitamins and vitamin K. And unlike most fruits, they're high in fat — especially heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.
Plus, avocados are a great source of fiber, with 13 of the 17 grams of carbohydrates in avocados coming from fiber!
Studies have shown that consuming avocados can reduce inflammation, improve cholesterol levels, and increase feelings of satiety after a meal, and reducing appetite is one of the key factors to healthy weight loss.
Legumes
Legumes are a family of nutrient-dense plants that include lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas and soybeans.
For example, a 1-cup serving of cooked black beans contains as much as 120 mg of magnesium, which is 30% of the recommended daily intake.
Legumes are also rich in potassium and iron are the main source of protein for vegetarians.
Because legumes are high in fiber and have a low glycemic index (GI), they can lower cholesterol, improve blood sugar control, and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Cereals
Grains include wheat, oats and barley, as well as pseudo-grains such as buckwheat and quinoa.
Pseudograins like buckwheat and quinoa have more protein and antioxidants than traditional grains like corn and wheat. What's more, they are gluten-free, so they can be enjoyed equally by people who are sensitive to gluten.
Whole grains are an excellent source of many nutrients, including magnesium.
For example, a serving of 28 grams of dry buckwheat contains 65 mg of magnesium, which is 16% of daily intake.
Many grains are also rich in B vitamins, selenium, manganese and fiber.
In controlled studies, whole grains have been shown to reduce inflammation and the risk of heart disease.
Bananas
Bananas are among the most popular fruits in the world. Bananas are best known for their high potassium content, which can lower blood pressure and is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.
Bananas are also rich in magnesium - one large banana contains 37 mg, or 9% of the daily intake.
In addition, bananas provide vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese and fiber.
Ripe bananas have more sugar and carbohydrates than most other fruits, so they may not be suitable for people with diabetes. However, much of the carbohydrate in unripe bananas is resistant starch, which is not digested or absorbed. Resistant starch can lower blood sugar, reduce inflammation and improve gut health.
What are the health benefits of magnesium?
As we have already stated, magnesium plays many key roles in the body, such as supporting muscle and nerve function and energy production. Since low magnesium levels usually don't cause symptoms, it's crucial to get this mineral through your diet every day, and here are some other benefits of magnesium for your health.
It can strengthen bones and protect against osteoporosis
Numerous population studies have shown positive associations between magnesium intake and bone mineral density in both men and women. This is because magnesium participates in bone formation through its influence on bone turnover, as well as its role in vitamin D potentiation.
Adequate magnesium can also play a role in keeping our muscles strong and healthy; this is an important strategy for fracture prevention in the elderly population.
It can lower blood pressure.
For those with hypertension, magnesium can help regulate blood pressure. There are other benefits for cardiovascular health, with higher magnesium intake linked to a reduced risk of stroke.
May relieve premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
For many women of reproductive age, strains of cyclical anxiety, stress, mood swings and bloating, as well as menstrual migraines have a significant impact on quality of life. Studies show that magnesium alone and in combination with vitamin B6 can help alleviate some of these symptoms.
Conclusion
As we've seen in the text, magnesium is essential for maintaining good health and plays a key role in everything from exercise to heart health and brain function.
Enjoying a variety of magnesium-rich foods can ensure you get enough of this important nutrient in your diet. Spinach, chia seeds, peanut butter, and avocado are a few examples that make great additions to smoothies, snacks, and other meals.
Following a balanced diet is more important than focusing on one nutrient, and with an increasingly fast-paced lifestyle, you often don't have time to think too much about your meals.
That's why FitProTeam created nutrition programs for you healthy weight loss and body balance, and every day we deliver hot, healthy and tasty meals to your address. It's up to you to just enjoy them and watch the results come by themselves!
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