Magnesium supports more than 300 enzymatic actions and chemical reactions in the body, although most people aren’t getting the amount of Magnesium they need every day. Eating foods high in Magnesium can help, but what should you be looking out for?
Read on to find out how to increase your intake of this vital mineral naturally through your diet. We’ll explore the advantages of maintaining a high Magnesium diet and help you boost your intake by highlighting what foods have Magnesium.
Discover a whole host of Magnesium rich foods, as well as tips on keeping up your Magnesium levels and how to bridge the gap with effective supplementation.
In this guide:
How does Magnesium support your body?
Magnesium is one of many essential vitamins that we need to support key body functions. Found throughout our body, the mineral helps to support healthy muscles, bones, nerves, blood sugar levels, energy levels and heart function.
To explore why it’s important to maintain healthy Magnesium levels, here are just a few key benefits of Magnesium for our bodies:
- Fights fatigue and restores energy levels – Magnesium helps your body utilise oxygen for sustained energy release. Like potassium and calcium, Magnesium is a natural electrolyte, which can help boost hydration and turn nutrients into energy. This directly impacts brain and muscle function and regulates blood sugar levels, which is why you can often feel lethargic and sluggish if you’re low in Magnesium.
- Strengthens bones – Magnesium activates Vitamin D to help you absorb calcium, improving bone density.
- Restores calm – Magnesium is known to help raise hormones such as serotonin in the brain, which can help improve mood. It can also help to balance stress hormones by regulating your nervous system, promoting a sense of calm.
- Sleep – Magnesium controls and regulates the receptors in your nervous system that impact sleep quality. By supporting melatonin regulation, Magnesium can help you wind down and get more restful sleep at night.
- Heart health – Magnesium is a key mineral for keeping your heart strong and healthy. Your heart is part of a complicated system of electrical impulses, and Magnesium helps to support a steady heart rhythm. Magnesium also works in partnership with calcium, which aids muscle function and heart contractions.
- Exercise recovery – A well-known muscle relaxant, Magnesium can help improve athletic performance and recovery by soothing muscle tension and contractions. As a result, Magnesium can help reduce and delay muscle soreness after exercise.
Shop our Magnesium supplements
What are the signs of low Magnesium?
Figures suggest that 50% of adolescent girls and 80% of adults over age 65 are said to be low in Magnesium and are not getting what they need each day. Magnesium deficiency can often be difficult to spot, which can leave it going unnoticed.
If you have very low levels of Magnesium, you may experience symptoms such as:
- Fatigue
- Restless sleep
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Muscle spasms, cramping and twitching
- Stiffness
- Weakness
- Heart palpitations
We know that modern life can get pretty busy. So, if you’re regularly feeling tired and stiff, you may not even realise that you’re low in essential vitamins. Learn more about the symptoms and causes of Magnesium deficiency with our guide.
What foods contain Magnesium?
No matter your diet or preferences, there are plenty of options to increase your intake of naturally Magnesium rich foods. Keeping up a balanced diet is one of the most important ways to maintain your health, which means eating and cooking with a range of whole grains, nuts, seeds and fruit to help diversify your nutrient intake.
Explore the list below and find out what foods contain Magnesium to include in your diet. Calculate how many nutrients you can get out of foods high in Magnesium, so you can boost your intake.
1. Seeds
Seeds are an easy way to diversify your diet and contribute to your Magnesium intake.
Magnesium per 100g:
- Flaxseed: 392mg
- Chia seeds: 335mg
- Sesame seeds 370mg
- Pumpkin seeds: 270mg
2. Nuts
Although nuts can be high in fat, they’re an important addition to your diet when eaten in moderation.
Magnesium per 100g:
- Almonds: 270mg
- Brazil nuts: 254mg
- Cashews: 250mg
- Hazelnuts: 160mg
- Walnuts: 160mg
3. Leafy greens
Leafy greens and vegetables are a well-known source of Magnesium. Add these simple greens to your dishes and easily boost your Magnesium uptake.
Magnesium per 100g:
- Boiled spinach: 112mg
- Boiled chard: 86mg
- Raw rocket leaves: 28mg
4. Dark chocolate
Not only does it taste good, but it does good too – in moderation! One of the most convenient Magnesium rich foods, you can boost your Magnesium by eating dark chocolate with a high cocoa percentage.
Dark chocolate can help improve heart and brain function thanks to its high Magnesium properties, as well as offering minerals such as iron, copper and manganese.
Dark chocolate with a high cocoa percentage can offer up to 89mg of Magnesium per 100g.
5. Whole grains
Whole grains offer more than just fibre, they’re also great sources of Magnesium.
Magnesium per 100g:
- Rolled oats: 115mg
- Boiled quinoa: 64mg
- Boiled wholegrain brown rice: 48mg
- Whole wheat bread: 75mg
6. Dairy
Known for their calcium benefits, certain dairy products also count as foods that are high in Magnesium.
- Magnesium per 100g:
- Whole milk: 24mg
- Plain yoghurt: 17mg
7. Legumes
Beans and legumes are a great way to add healthy protein, nutrients and minerals to your diet. In fact, despite the name, peanuts are actually part of the legume family, if you would believe it.
Magnesium per 100g:
- Peanuts: 210mg
- Edamame beans: 61mg
- Canned chickpeas: 37mg
- Canned pinto beans: 32mg
- Canned kidney beans: 30mg
- Boiled red lentils: 26mg
8. Tofu
Made from soya beans, tofu is a complete protein and rich in essential nutrients, including Magnesium. It’s great for heart health, sugar management and cholesterol, among other benefits.
Tofu can offer up to 23mg of Magnesium per 100g portion.
9. Fatty fish
Beyond healthy nutrients such as omega-3, vitamin D and B12, certain fatty fish foods are an excellent source of natural Magnesium too.
Magnesium per 100g:
- Mackerel: 60mg
- Sardines: 46mg
- Tuna: 41mg
- Prawns: 36mg
- Farmed salmon: 31mg
- Cod: 30mg
10. Fruit
There’s a whole choice of fruit available that can help you increase your Magnesium intake, as well as other key nutrients. Here are just a few:
Magnesium per 100g:
- Raisins: 35mg
- Bananas: 27mg
- Avocado: 25mg
- Papaya: 21mg
- Blackberries: 20mg
How to increase and maintain Magnesium in your diet
At BetterYou, we encourage a food-first approach to improving your health and wellbeing. How much Magnesium we need every day from our diet can vary depending on age, but most adult men need up to 420 mg a day, while adult women need up to 360 mg.
You can make sure you’re getting enough Magnesium by:
- Following a healthy, balanced diet of Magnesium rich foods.
- Snacking on foods high in Magnesium.
- Using food tracking apps to monitor your intake of essential vitamins and minerals.
- Drinking plenty of fluids to help transport Magnesium through your body.
- Adding Magnesium supplements to your diet to help reach your recommended intake.
If you think you might be low in Magnesium, or you struggle to get enough from your diet alone, magnesium supplements are an effective way to help boost your intake. Supplements have a different recommended dosage, which you can learn more about in our guide to Magnesium supplement dosages.
Read more about how to maintain your Magnesium levels with our helpful guide
Supplementing Magnesium
There are plenty of ways to supplement Magnesium, including traditional Magnesium tablets. However, one of the most effective methods is transdermal Magnesium supplementation. Transdermal Magnesium supplements encourage better Magnesium absorption as they bypass the digestive system and absorb directly into the skin.
This can offer faster and more effective results, where the Magnesium can be quickly transported around the body to help support better sleep and relaxation, muscle tension and more.
Here are just a few ways to introduce transdermal Magnesium into your routine:
- Magnesium water
- Magnesium body sprays
- Magnesium lotions
- Magnesium bath flakes
Shop our hydrating Magnesium water
Boost your Magnesium with BetterYou
At BetterYou, we only use the most bioavailable form of Magnesium, which is Magnesium chloride. Explore our wide range of fast and effective Magnesium supplements, relaxing your muscles and giving your skin a soft and subtle glow. Discover the right choice for you:
A Better Way to a BetterYou
We understand that modern lifestyles, food production and our environment can make it challenging to get the nutrients we need every day from diet alone. That’s why we’re here—to help offer a better way to a BetterYou.
Traditional tablets and capsules don’t always suit everyone. But no one should miss out on effective nutritional support. As experts in fast absorbing supplements, we take essential ingredients in their most bioavailable form and combine them with innovative delivery methods. Our oral sprays and transdermal oils ensure quick and efficient nutrition right where you need them.
No matter if you’re looking for immune support, improved sleep or effective children’s vitamins, you can find us at major retailers. Browse our products in Tesco, Holland & Barrett, and Boots, as well as online and on Amazon—making it easy to find the products you need.
