Have you ever heard of foods that are high in magnesium? While our bodies require only a small amount of this nutrient, it plays a crucial role in maintaining muscle, stabilizing nerve function, boosting a healthy immune system, regulating heart rate, and building strong bones. To proactively safeguard your health, you can consider incorporating the following magnesium-rich foods into your diet to create the most scientifically balanced and essential meal plans.
What is magnesium?
Magnesium (Mg), also known as Magnesium, is an essential mineral for the nervous system, cardiovascular health, and the development of strong bones and teeth. Approximately 50-70% of the body’s magnesium is concentrated in the bones, while the remainder is found in muscles, soft tissues, and a small amount in the bloodstream. Despite its small quantity (around 30g), magnesium is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, regulating various functions and energy metabolism. Adequate dietary intake of magnesium on a daily basis helps enhance resistance and can prevent numerous diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Amount needed by the body
Magnesium is considered the 4th essential macronutrient among the 7 required by the body. Insufficient magnesium intake can lead to muscle spasms, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis. Conversely, excessive consumption of magnesium can result in diarrhea as the body attempts to eliminate the excess. Therefore, it is crucial to obtain an appropriate amount of magnesium through dietary sources to maintain optimal physical and mental health.
The recommended daily intake of magnesium for the body can be summarized as follows:
| Age | The amount of magnesium the body needs |
| Newborns (0 – 6 months old) | 30mg/day (At this time, magnesium is provided through breast milk, so the mother should increase the intake of foods containing magnesium.) |
| Children from 7 to 11 months old | 75mg/day |
| Children from 1-3 years old | 80mg/day |
| Children from 4 to 8 years old | 130mg/day |
| Children from 9 to 13 years old | 240mg/day |
| Youth from 14 to 18 years old | 360 – 410mg/day |
| Males from 19 to 30 years old | 400mg/day |
| Female from 19 to 30 years old | 310mg/day |
| Males 31 years and older | 420mg/day |
| Female 31 years old and up | 320mg/day |
What foods contain a lot of magnesium?
Magnesium is a mineral that often goes unnoticed in discussions about nutrition, yet it plays a crucial role in promoting bone strength, similar to calcium. To maintain a healthy body and strengthen our bones, it is essential to prioritize foods that are naturally rich in magnesium. Nutritionists recommend the following top 19 magnesium-rich foods for optimal health:
Cereals
Among grains, rice, wheat, and oats are excellent sources of magnesium. In 100g of rice contains 800mg of magnesium, meeting 195% of the body’s magnesium needs. The amount of magnesium in wheat, oatmeal is lower than that of rice.
Cocoa powder
In 100g of cocoa powder contains 327mg of magnesium, this is not a small number, besides it also contains many other nutrients to help provide abundant energy for the body. Cocoa powder has an extremely delicious taste, so it is loved by many people.
Fish
Furthermore, mackerel is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin D. In 100g of mackerel providing 97mg of magnesium, we should eat at least two servings of fish per week to fight high blood pressure and heart disease.
Avocado
If you know how to eat avocado properly, your body will be provided with 25% of the allowed amount of Magnesium per day. In addition, avocado also contains a lot of protein, vitamin K, potassium, fiber … support for digestion, anti-inflammatory, improve cholesterol. We can eat ripe avocados with sugar or make avocado smoothies to eat in daily snacks that will be very good for the body.
Yogurt
If you drink a cup of low-fat yogurt every day, your body will increase by 47mg of Magnesium, and at the same time make your skin beautiful and beautiful. You can eat yogurt directly or eat it with smoothies, fruits are very delicious.
Passion fruit
At the same time, passion fruit also contains a lot of Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin A … which helps to nourish cells, help the body avoid dangerous diseases. Just using 4-5 cups of passion fruit juice per week will bring a very good amount of Magnesium to the body, supporting the organs to function properly.
Seaweed
Not only that, seaweed also contains many other nutrients such as Calcium, Vitamin C, Iron. You can buy dried seaweed or seasoned seaweed to eat with rice. Or fresh seaweed to cook soup with vegetables and tubers for a delicious and rich soup.
Raspberry
When eating about 28g of raspberries, your body has been loaded with a significant amount of Magnesium needed for the body’s activities. Besides, raspberries also help reduce bad cholesterol, reduce the risk of many diseases for the body. body and promote the development of bones and teeth.
Chickpeas and lentils
A small cup of beans will provide you with about 85mg of magnesium. You can cook lentil curries, lentil soups to give your family a variety of delicious dishes but still add the necessary magnesium content.
Banana
A large banana contains about 37mg of Magnesium, moreover bananas also contain a lot of Potassium, Protein, Vitamins and fiber. You can eat 1-2 bananas in the morning, about 1 hour after lunch or you can make a banana smoothie to change the taste.
Okra
Okra is also a magnesium-rich food. About 60mg of okra has provided the necessary amount of Magnesium for the body and other essential substances such as Iron, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin A.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is a heart-healthy food and a great source of magnesium. Every day, you only need a small amount of dark chocolate to provide about 20% of the daily magnesium intake.
Dark green vegetables
Kale, collard greens and spinach are excellent sources of magnesium. One cup of spinach smoothie has about 160mg of magnesium. Other vegetables that are also high in magnesium include broccoli, cucumbers, celery, artichokes, etc.
Dry roasted soybeans
Each 100g of dry roasted soybeans contains about 228mg of magnesium, accounting for 57% of the magnesium the body needs each day. You can use dry roasted soybeans as a snack.
Cashew
With only 28g of cashew nuts, it can provide 20% of the magnesium content needed for the body’s activities every day. You can eat dried cashews with nutritious walnut milk, delicious low-fat milk in side meals.
Almond
Besides, almonds also contain fat, protein, vitamin E, iron to help stabilize blood sugar levels and help keep bones strong. Almonds are nutritious dry nuts that need to be included in your diet on a regular basis to stay healthy and prevent many other diseases.
Dried fruit
In which foods such as dried apricots, prunes, raisins contain a lot of magnesium. However, you should use it in moderation because fruit contains a lot of sugar that makes you easy to gain weight.
Sunflower
One cup of sunflower seeds provides 250mg of Magnesium, 35mg of Vitamin E, 5mg of Vitamin B5, 500mg of Potassium, 160mg of Folate, 42mg of Selenium, 5mg of Iron. In sunflower seeds contain more Protein, Magnesium and Vitamin D 6 times higher than other foods. Sunflower seeds are also an excellent source of antioxidants, selenium and vitamin D that have the potential to prevent cancer.
Black sesame seeds
In 100g of black sesame seeds, the body receives approximately 351mg of magnesium. Similarly, in 100g of black sesame butter, the body obtains 392mg of magnesium. Magnesium is crucial for the development of cells in the body.
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