Magnesium is one important mineral required by the body. For what? For normal muscle and nerve function, for a healthy immune system, for maintaining heart rhythm, and for making strong bones.
Can this mineral fulfill so many tasks?
Well, Magnesium can do much more than you thought.
Let’s find out.
How much magnesium do you need?
This table will tell you the quantity of magnesium you need to take on a daily basis. It is time you follow it in your daily routine.
Heard about the recommended dietary allowance (RDA)? It includes the magnesium you get on two levels – from the food you eat and the magnesium supplements you take.
Category | Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) |
---|---|
CHILDREN | |
1-3 years | 80 mg/day |
4-8 years | 130 mg/day |
9-13 years | 240 mg/day |
FEMALES | |
14-18 years | 360 mg/day |
19-30 years | 310 mg/day |
31 years and over | 320 mg/day |
Pregnant | Under 19 years: 400 mg/day 19 to 30 years: 350 mg/day 31 years and up: 360 mg/day |
Breastfeeding | Under 19 years: 360 mg/day 19 to 30 years: 310 mg/day 31 years and up: 320 mg/day |
MALES | |
14-18 years | 410 mg/day |
19-30 years | 400 mg/day |
31 years and Up | 420 mg/day |
Supposing your diet gives you plenty of magnesium (from food items itself), you need not take magnesium supplements.
Remember, excessive intake of magnesium supplements can prove to be toxic, so it is not advisable. Not at all. In fact, the highest dose of magnesium supplements you should take is:
- 65 mg/day for children aged 1-3 yrs.
- 110 mg/day for children aged 4-8 yrs.
- 350 mg/day for adults and children aged 9 yrs. and up
How to Increase Your Magnesium Intake
To get your levels of magnesium:
- Eat magnesium-rich foods
- Take oral magnesium supplements twice a day
- Combine foods rich in magnesium and magnesium supplements with “topical” form (e.g. rubbing magnesium oil into your skin) as it restores magnesium levels faster.
- For better utilization and absorption of magnesium, you need to get the maximum of these nutrients in your diet – Vitamin D3, Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin B6, Vitamin E and Selenium.
- There are good homeopathic Magnesium formulas too. One such homeopathic remedy is Mag Phos which allows Magnesium to be quickly absorbed into the cells again.
Foods High In Magnesium
Food | Serving Size | Mgm (per serving) | DV % | Cals |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sweet corn | 1 ear | 33 | 53 | 200 |
Pumpkin Seeds | 0.25 cup | 190.92 | 48 | 180.30 |
Spinach | 1 cup | 156.60 | 39 | 41.4 |
Raw Spinach | 1 cup (cooked) | 157 | 39 | 41 |
Chard | 1 cup | 150.50 | 38 | 35 |
Sesame seeds | 0.25 cup | 126.36 | 32 | 206.3 |
Black Beans | 1 cup | 120.40 | 30 | 227 |
Cashews | 0.25 cup | 116.80 | 29 | 221.2 |
Sunflower seeds | 0.25 cup | 113.75 | 28 | 204.4 |
Dark Chocolate | 1 square | 95 | 24 | 218 |
Brown Rice | 1 cup | 83.85 | 21 | 216.40 |
Almonds | 0.25 cup | 80 | 20 | Not known |
Oatmeal | 0.25 cup | 69.03 | 17 | 151.7 |
Tofu | 4 oz | 65.77 | 16 | 164.4 |
Flaxseed | 2 TBS | 54.88 | 14 | 15.74.8 |
Peas | 1 cup | 53.72 | 13 | 115.7 |
Yogurt or Kefir | 8 ounces | 50 | 13 | Not known |
Figs | 1/2 cup | 50 | 13 | Not known |
Avocado | 1 cup | 44 | 11 | 322 |
Dates | 1 cup (chopped) | 43 | 11 | 282 |
Banana | 1 medium | 32 | 8 | Not known |
Broccoli | 1 cup | 32.76 | 8 | 54.6 |
Legumes | 1 cup | 47.9 | Not known | Not known |
Some more details for you to munch on w.r.t the importance and value of Magnesium in food:
Spinach
Cooked spinach is highly healthy and a low-calorie super food which provides 157 milligrams of magnesium per cup.
Chard
Swiss chard packs an impressive amount of magnesium, apart from potassium, calcium, copper, and other vitamins and minerals.
Pumpkin seeds
A powerhouse of nutrition, it is wrapped up in a very small package. The seeds of pumpkin are exceptionally high in magnesium, one of the seven essential macro-minerals.
Yogurt or Kefir
Rich in calcium and magnesium, Kefir certainly helps in improving bone health.
Almonds
Include your favorite nuts – almonds – in your daily diet (or for gifting) and see how your health gets bonus points via the magnesium content in it.
Black Beans
Excellent source of magnesium, iron, and also very high in phosphorus, folate and B vitamins.
Avocado
Just add an avocado to your plate every day and see the plethora of health benefits they provide.
Figs
Dried figs are good-to-go when it comes to fulfilling your magnesium, manganese, and calcium needs. When you snack on figs, you get a low-calorie way to increase your intake of these essential nutrients.
Dark Chocolate
A 1.45-ounce chocolate bar gets you 13 milligrams of magnesium. Dark Chocolate is not just good for your heart, brain, and blood sugar; it is full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, including magnesium.
Banana
Go bananas. It is not only a good energy-boosting snack, it gives you 32 milligrams of magnesium, along with potassium, Vitamin C, fiber, and more.
Sesame seeds
These seeds may be tiny, but they are packed with stress-relieving minerals, magnesium and calcium.
Sunflower seeds
Did you know, ½ cup of sunflower seeds gets you 21% of the recommended daily amount of magnesium?
Cashews
Another way it is to get both magnesium and potassium. Keep munching cashew nuts to get the most of magnesium.
Tofu
Nothing can stop you from eating this vegetarian soy protein “Tofu” considering it is a good source of magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamin B1.
Flaxseed
Just 1 tbsp flaxseed provides you 10% of the recommended amount of magnesium per day.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal not only reduces cholesterol and high BP, it is high in fiber, and antioxidants. A 3/4-cup oatmeal serving gets s you 47mgm of magnesium.
Broccoli
It is a good source of magnesium which can be utilized in different ways. Serve broccoli in raw or cooked form.
Sweet corn
Just a cup of sweet yellow corn gives you over half the daily recommended amount of magnesium.
Peas
Green Peas? It is one of the world’s healthiest foods and a very good source of magnesium as well. The next time, you eat a peas pulao feel happy of the magnesium your body could be getting.
Raw Spinach
When you eat the cooked leaves of raw spinach, your body cannot thank you less on the amount of magnesium it is getting.
Brown Rice
It is a good source of minerals like magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, copper, etc.
Figs
Munch on figs (in your pastime or take it along in your picnic basket) and your health will be more than happy on getting the much-needed magnesium.
Dark Chocolate
Considered as a “cheat” food by chocolate-lovers, dark chocolate will not disappoint you when it comes to giving you the benefits of magnesium.
Legumes:
The legume family (including lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas and soybeans) are very rich in many different nutrients, including magnesium.
Dates
Not only are dates sweet and tasty, they are nutritious as well. Just a 100-gm serving of dates adds up to 11% of the average person’s daily magnesium needs.
Conclusion
I hope you have got a fair idea of the untold powers of Magnesium when taken in diet form. When are you including it in your food (if you haven’t already)?
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