Between all the vitamins and supplements on the market, it can be overwhelming to keep up with what you truly need and may be low on. One such example is magnesium, which is an all-important nutrient.
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“Magnesium is an important mineral that helps regular blood pressure, blood sugar, create energy, and is important for bone health,” says New York City-based dietitian Bianca Tamburello, RDN and nutrition marketing specialist at FRESH Communications.
The good news, according to Tamburello, is that magnesium deficiency is uncommon among healthy individuals. “Those at risk of magnesium deficiency include individuals with alcoholism or those taking certain medications,” she says.
Read on for Tamburello’s recommendations for foods that are rich in magnesium.
Foods high in magnesium
According to Tamburello, some foods high in magnesium include pumpkin and chia seeds, salmon, almonds and almond butter, peanuts and peanut butter, raisins, and chickpeas. Below is a breakdown of magnesium levels in these foods:
- Pumpkin seeds (1 oz): 74 mg magnesium
- Chia seeds (1 oz): 95 mg magnesium
- Salmon (3 oz): 23 mg magnesium
- Almonds (1 oz): 79 mg magnesium
- Peanut butter (2 Tb): 51 mg magnesium
- Raisins (½ cup) 23 mg magnesium
- Chickpeas (½ cup): 39 mg magnesium
What fruit is highest in magnesium?
According to Tamburello, guava is one of the fruits highest in magnesium at 36 mg in 1 cup. However, if you’re thinking that’s not a fruit you commonly come across at the supermarket, you’d be right.
“Other fruits that are easier to find in the U.S. and rank high in magnesium are bananas (1 medium banana has about 32 mg magnesium) and dried figs (½ cup has 50 mg magnesium),” she says.
What vegetable is highest in magnesium?
If you want to find magnesium in veggies, look toward green, leafy ones.
“Spinach is one of the vegetables highest in magnesium at 79 mg in ½ cup when cooked,” Tamburello says. “Swiss chard is also high in magnesium at 75 mg in ½ cup.”
How to quickly raise your magnesium
One of the fastest ways to increase your magnesium intake is through a supplement, Tamburello says.
“However, getting too much magnesium through a supplement can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain,” she says. “You should always talk to your doctor before starting a supplement.”
Unsurprisingly, in most cases, Tamburello recommends prioritizing magnesium-rich foods instead of reaching for a supplement to reap additional health benefits from nutrient-rich foods including additional vitamins, minerals, etc.
“The kidneys regulate magnesium levels in the body so there’s not much risk to increasing your magnesium intake through food fairly quickly,” she explains. “For example, when magnesium levels are high, the kidneys will get rid of extra magnesium through waste and on the contrary, when magnesium levels are low, the kidneys will hold onto more magnesium when needed to boost levels in the body.”
Is magnesium important for calcium and potassium?
According to Tamburello, magnesium is important in the body’s process to properly absorb calcium and potassium, two other important minerals.
“More specifically, magnesium is responsible for moving calcium and potassium in and out of body cells for regular functioning,” she says. “Because of this, having low magnesium levels often causes low calcium and low potassium levels.”
If you’re concerned about eating enough calcium, dairy foods such as milk, yogurt, and cheese are a great source, in addition to leafy greens, beans, anchovies, edamame, and almonds, Tamburello says. High-potassium foods, meanwhile, include dried fruit, beans, lentils, potatoes, and also leafy greens like spinach and Swiss chard, which are also high in magnesium, as previously noted.
Foods with magnesium and potassium
According to Tamburello, the below foods are high in magnesium and potassium:
- Swiss chard: One cup of cooked Swiss chard offers a significant amount of both potassium (961 mg) and magnesium (150 mg). Swiss chard is also high in calcium, Tamburello says.
- Salmon: Well-known to be a nutrition powerhouse, another reason to eat salmon is that it also offers up both potassium (309 mg) and magnesium (23 mg). “I recommend salmon from Chile because it’s especially high in healthy omega-3 fats and low in mercury,” Tamburello says.
- Edamame: Edamame is also high in both magnesium and potassium at 338 mg potassium and 50 mg magnesium in a ½ cup. Edamame is also a great source of plant protein, Tamburello says.
