Magnesium and Nutrition: Where Can You Find Magnesium?
Do you prefer to rely on Mother Nature to keep your health in top condition? Then it's useful to specifically look into magnesium in your diet. Our bodies crave this mineral! We’ll tell you which magnesium-rich foods should not be missing from your next shopping list.
The source of our magnesium-rich diet, which this blog focuses on, starts in the soil. Naturally, plants draw their nutrients from the soil, resulting in the best outcomes on our plates. Furthermore, the absorption of magnesium by our bodies is quite delicate when combined with other vitamins and minerals. It’s handy to consider this when planning your menu. Our blog Everything About Magnesium delves deeper into this topic.
What Does Magnesium Do?
Magnesium is an essential mineral for your body and health. It plays a crucial role in over 300 processes in your body. Read here which type of magnesium you can specifically use for:
- Maintaining strong bones and teeth
- Mood regulation
- The cell division process
- Memory, learning performance, and concentration
- Maintaining a normal energy-yielding metabolism
- Reducing fatigue and tiredness
- Normal functioning of muscles and nerves
Find Your Source of Magnesium in Food
Magnesium is found in many healthy foods:
- Green leafy vegetables
- Avocado
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Meat
- Fish
- Chicken
- Cocoa
- Beans
- Bananas
- Whole grains
Do you want to eat more magnesium-rich foods? Then it's useful to know how much magnesium is in which food and how much magnesium you need. This way, you can successfully supplement your own menu!
If you search online for information about magnesium-rich foods, you quickly end up in the vegan corner. No worries! Even if you prefer meat, chicken, fish, and dairy, you're on the right track. For example, 100 g of chicken breast contains 29 mg of magnesium, 100 g of pork contains 28 mg of magnesium, and 100 g of beef contains 21 mg of magnesium.
Do You Choose Fatty Fish as a Source of Magnesium?
Eating fatty fish once a week is always a good idea to naturally get enough omega-3. But did you know that 100 g of salmon contains about 27 mg of magnesium and mackerel even 97 mg? Pair it with the right magnesium-rich vegetables, and your muscles, nerves, and energy levels will benefit greatly.
Beans Rank High in the List of Magnesium-Rich Foods!
Beans contain many different nutrients, including magnesium. Are you preparing a dish with black beans? A good choice if you're aiming to supplement magnesium through food. Per 100 g of black beans, you get 80 mg of magnesium. For dried soybeans, it's 250 mg per 100 g and for kidney beans, 140 mg of magnesium per 100 g.
Eat Plenty of Green Vegetables with Magnesium
A healthy plant with green leaves needs energy to grow. The chlorophyll in these green leaves absorbs energy from sunlight to grow. Without magnesium in the soil, chlorophyll in the leaves cannot absorb energy and cannot produce food for the plant. This applies to the plants from which we pick our vegetables, but also to us as humans. Eating preferably organic green leafy vegetables gives our magnesium intake a significant boost! Leafy greens with lots of magnesium include kale, spinach, lettuce, turnip greens, and endive. Spinach contains about 47 mg of magnesium per 100 g.
Magnesium in Nuts
Quick and nutritious magnesium snacks that we must mention in this blog are cashew nuts, almonds, and Brazil nuts: they are versatile in healthy nutrients with magnesium as a standout. Almonds rank third with 270 mg of magnesium per 100 g. A handful of cashews ranks second with 292 mg of magnesium, and in first place are Brazil nuts. Per 100 grams, this nut contains a whopping 376 mg of this mineral.
Magnesium in Bananas
Do you regularly grab a banana for convenience or before exercising? Good choice! Per 100 g of banana, you get 27 mg of magnesium. Since milk and grains also contain magnesium, you start your day energetically with a banana pancake made with 1 banana, 75 g of oats, an egg, and 100 ml of milk.
Is There Magnesium in Chocolate?
It sounds too good to be true: eating chocolate to supplement your magnesium. Yet it's true. A portion of dark chocolate with more than 70% cocoa contains 64 mg of magnesium. It's needless to say that too much chocolate won't improve your health, but you can enjoy 30 g with peace of mind!
Good to Know
Are you someone who prefers unprocessed foods to provide your body with the necessary vitamins and minerals? Then there is a wide range of choices for magnesium in food. Combine green vegetables, nuts, beans, and fatty fish with grains, meat, and chicken daily. Add banana with dark chocolate, and your menu is complete. So, it's handy to put magnesium-rich foods at the top of your next shopping list.
Want to know more about magnesium? Visit the store where our Health Coach can provide personal advice.
Sources:
- Cazzola R., Della Porta, M., Manoni, M., Lotti, S., Pinotti, L., Maier, J. (2020). Going to the roots of reduced magnesium dietary intake: A tradeoff between climate changes and sources. Helyon 2020 Nov 3;6(11)
- Houston MC. The importance of potassium in managing [...]. Curr [...] Rep. 2011 Aug;13(4):309-17.
- Tan SY, Mattes RD. Appetitive, dietary and health effects of almonds consumed with meals or as snacks: a randomized, controlled trial. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013 Nov;67(11):1205-14.
- Montagna, M., T., et al. (2019). Chocolate, “food of the gods”: History, science, and human health.
- Colpo E, Dalton D A Vilanova C, Reetz LG, Duarte MM, Farias IL, Meinerz DF, Mariano DO, Vendrusculo RG, Boligon AA, Dalla Corte CL, Wagner R, Athayde ML, da Rocha JB. Brazilian nut consumption by healthy volunteers improves [...] parameters. Nutrition. 2014 Apr;30(4):459-65.
- National Institutes of Health. Magnesium. (2022). Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Retrieved from NIH
