You don’t want to lose Magnesium from your body; trust us on this one. It’s responsible for tons of chemical reactions in your body. Yes, it does vary from children to adults, but no matter what, you need Magnesium to stay healthy, that’s for sure.
If you want to have the perfect amount of Magnesium inside your body, you need to know which foods contain Magnesium and how you can eat them. Well, here, we’ll talk about 15 foods that are highest in Magnesium.
Daily Recommended Allowance of Magnesium – How Much Do We Need?
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in our body. It plays a crucial role in our body and brain function. Here is the daily recommended allowance of Magnesium for every human being so that you can understand your body’s requirements.
Children
- 1-3 Years – 80mg/Day
- 4-8 Years – 130mg/Day
- 9-13 Years – 240 mg/Day
Female
- 4-18 Years – 360mg/Day
- 19-30 Years – 310mg/Day
- 31 Years and Over – 320mg/Day
Pregnant Women
- Under 18 – 400mg/Day
- 19-30 Years – 350mg/Day
- 31 Years and Over – 360mg/Day
Male
- 4-18 Years – 410mg/Day
- 19-30 Years – 400mg/Day
- 31 Years and Over – 420mg/Day
But most people fail to intake the proper amount of Magnesium; thus, many health issues may occur. Therefore, we need to add an adequate amount of this mineral to avoid bad health conditions.
Benefits of Magnesium – Why Do We Need It?
This mineral comes with tons of benefits, such as lowering our blood pressure and reducing our health risks. Let’s get to know about the advantages it offers to us so that you can understand its potential.
Ensures Proper Biochemical Reactions
Every cell in our body requires Magnesium to function properly. It helps convert food into energy, creates new proteins from the amino acid, and aids in repairing DNA and RNA.
Moreover, 60% of Magnesium in our body is found in bones, indicating that it helps in bone and muscle formation. And it is also responsible for regulating neurotransmitters which ensure that our brain and nervous system are functioning in good order.
Fights Depression
Depression is one of the most common illnesses we see these days. And Magnesium allows us to have a good fighting chance against it. Researches show that the lowest Magnesium intake people had a 22% greater risk of suffering from this mental illness.
Therefore, a proper dosage of this mineral is required to maintain a sound mind and body.
Helps to Control Type-2 Diabetes
People who have type-2 diabetes will get benefit from this mineral. Almost 48% of people with this disease suffer from Magnesium deficiency. And due to this lacking, the insulin in our body can’t work effectively to keep the blood sugar level low.
Moreover, suppose you maintain an accurate level of Magnesium. In that case, you will have a 47% less chance of getting affected by this disease.
Lowers High Blood Pressure
Studies have proven that Magnesium can effectively lower blood pressure levels. You can see significant changes in blood pressure regulation. So, by adding this mineral to your diet, you can avoid many heinous health issues caused by high BP.
Anti-inflammatory Benefits
If you are suffering from chronic inflammation, Magnesium will aid you in preventing that situation. As many obese or aged people go through this condition, you need to be sure that your blood contains a precise amount of this mineral.
Prevents Migraines
Migraines are one of those diseases that don’t have any solid treatment. Therefore, people who suffer from this illness keep looking for ways to avoid its severity of it.
So if you don’t want to depend solely on painkillers, you can try to maintain Magnesium’s proper dosage to keep migraines in control.
Improves PMS Symptoms
Every woman wants to keep their PMS symptoms in control, but it’s not that easy! However, Magnesium has been shown to be effective in improving these symptoms, which sounds like a miracle, to be honest.
As you can see the fantastic benefits of this mineral, let’s find out which Foods Have Magnesium so you can add them to your routine!
Here is the list of 15 Foods that are Highest in Magnesium. Now take a look at them and try to add them to your regular meal.
Leafy Greens
We all know that leafy greens are the superfoods that aid us in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But as they are not as tasty as pizza, we often avoid them, which is a crime, to be honest.
Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and turnip greens are excellent sources of Magnesium and many other nutrients. You will get approximately 157mg of Magnesium from one-cup cooked spinach. Therefore, adding it to your diet will protect you from many health issues, which is a relief.
Almonds
Almonds are a great source of protein and fiber. On top of that, it delivers up to 80mg of Magnesium per serving. So you can snack on this delicious nut to balance the nutrients in your body.
Tofu
Vegan or not, anyone can enjoy the deliciousness of Tofu. It is an outstanding source of protein, and it can be taken in many forms. You can try hundreds of delectable tofu recipes for a change.
It contains 37mg of Magnesium per serving. So, just toss some tofu in your Pad Thai next time to enjoy your meal and keep your system on the right track.
Dark Chocolate
Who doesn’t love dark chocolate? And we all know it comes with plenty of anti-oxidants, so you can focus much on this for more excellent health benefits.
Dark chocolate contains 50mg of Magnesium per serving. Hence, enjoy a piece of chocolate every now and then to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Avocados
Avocados are one of those foods that come with healthy fat. It’s great for your skin and supplies 44mg of Magnesium per serving. So, you can take avocados on toast in the morning or make some guacamole for evening snacks, whichever you prefer the most.
Bananas
Bananas are full of nutrients such as potassium and iron. It is also enriched with Magnesium and delivers 32mg of this mineral per serving. Therefore, if you feel hungry, try to eat a banana instead of something greasy or deep-fried.
Beans
Including fibers and protein, beans are also known as the powerhouse of Magnesium. Once you add this food to your diet, your dietary needs will be fulfilled perfectly.
A cup of kidney beans contains 74 mg of, and a cup of black beans contains 120mg of Magnesium. So try some delicious bean recipes to have a hearty meal and maintain a super healthy lifestyle.
Pumpkin Seeds
Roasted pumpkin seeds are one of the favorite snacks of many genius people. As a small snack pack offers 168mg of magnesium, you should shop for it when you go to grab munchies next time!
Cashews
Cashews are delicious, and if you don’t like almonds, you can eat this one instead. Besides being an excellent plant-based protein, it comes with 70mg of Magnesium per serving.
Peanut Butter
Suppose you like to eat peanut butter straight from the jar. In that case, you will not have to worry about magnesium deficiency anymore. It offers 49mg of magnesium per serving; thus, enjoying peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch sounds like a great idea!
Halibut
Halibut fishes are enriched with omega-three fatty acids and are one of the most delectable foods you can find out there. So cook some roasted or pan-seared halibut to fulfill your magnesium needs, as it provides 24mg of this mineral per serving.
Oatmeal
Many of us eat oatmeal for breakfast, which is an excellent eating habit. Besides containing soluble and insoluble fibers, it comes with 24mg of Magnesium per serving. So you can add it to your meal for a healthy digestive system.
Whole Grains
Whole grains such as wheat, barley, and buckwheat are fantastic sources of Magnesium. For instance, 1oz of dry buckwheat contains 65mg of Magnesium. And these foods are easy to incorporate into your diet, even if you are going for a low-carb routine.
Quinoa
Quinoa is known as a superfood for a reason. It comes with a higher amount of fiber and healthy protein. In addition to all this, it delivers 118gm of Magnesium per serving which is totally mesmerizing.
Edamame
Edamame is soybeans that are still in the pods. It is one of the healthiest snacks you can find out there, and per serving, it delivers 50mg of Magnesium. So next time, if you feel a little hungry, fill your stomach with this plant-based protein.
Can We Suffer from Severe Magnesium Deficiency?
Severe Magnesium deficiency is pretty rare as we intake this mineral more or less. But if you are suffering from severe lack, it can happen due to the reasons given below.
- Kidney Disease
- Parathyroid problems
- Taking medicines for cancer or diabetes
- Aging
- Alcoholism
What Are the Symptoms of Magnesium Overdose?
Magnesium overdose rarely happens to people, but if you are taking supplements, it may occur. And when your body absorbs too much Magnesium, you may feel the following discomforts.
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- Nausea
- Stomach pains
- Vomiting
- Muscle weakness
- Irregular heartbeat
- Low Blood pressure
- Breathing problems
- Cardiac Arrest
The Risk Factors of Magnesium Overdose
- Kidney Diseases
- Gastrointestinal disorder
- Hypothyroidism
- Addison’s disease
- So, if you are taking magnesium supplements, have a conversation with your doctor about how long you need to go through that treatment. And consult your doctor if you feel any of the overdose symptoms.
Final Words
Now that you know which foods have Magnesium, and we’ve also shown you 15 foods that are highest in Magnesium, you can add them to your regular diet for a better experience. If you want to keep it affordable, you can try bananas and oatmeal.
Almonds and Avocadoes are not that expensive, but sometimes their price rises too much. To get a good taste, you can try dark chocolate, but make sure it has low sugar.