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Which Foods Are High in Magnesium? List of Magnesium Rich Foods

Updated: May 12, 2023

Nearly half of Americans don’t consume enough magnesium. Continue reading to learn which foods are high in magnesium so you can boost your intake.

Image of magnesium deficiency in newspaper headline font to remind you to keep a healthy immune system by incorporating magnesium into your diet.

Magnesium (Mg) is vital to a healthy diet and is considered a necessary mineral to consume daily. This mineral aids in everything from helping your body produce energy to synthesizing DNA and transporting calcium and potassium (essential for regulating your heart rhythm). Adding the below list of foods high in magnesium to your diet will help increase your magnesium daily value (DV).



Which Foods Are High in Magnesium? Quick List of Foods With Magnesium You'll Love


Before discussing foods high in magnesium, it's important to note the required magnesium DV. The recommended dietary allowance is between 310-420g of magnesium daily (depending on age and gender). |*|


Yet, multiple studies have shown that nearly 50% of Americans consume insufficient magnesium. |*| Incorporating the below foods will help boost your magnesium intake and avoid magnesium deficiency.


While you can use magnesium supplements or dietary supplements like magnesium citrate or magnesium oxide to hit the daily required amount, consuming magnesium-rich foods is a more natural method. It's challenging to overdo the amount of magnesium through foods. However, too much magnesium from dietary supplements can lead to stomach upset or other more serious symptoms. |*|

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1. Dark Chocolate


Here's another reason to enjoy a few squares of dark chocolate daily – it's high in magnesium levels. Each oz of dark chocolate has 64mg of magnesium, about 15-20% of your required daily intake. This amount of magnesium is aligned with dark chocolate that contains 70-85% cocoa. |*|


Dark chocolate also provides other benefits like antioxidants, which can aid in reducing LDL oxidation for better heart health. This may help prevent the LDL cholesterol, aka the "bad" cholesterol, from sticking to and blocking arteries. |*| And, who doesn't love dark chocolate?


2. Brazil Nuts, Almonds, and Cashews


Nuts are a great way to get magnesium into your diet. Brazil nuts, almonds, and cashews are particularly excellent options as they have the highest magnesium levels in the nut category. Similar to dark chocolate, cashews offer about 18% of the DV (daily value), while almonds provide 19% of the DV. |*|


For example, one ounce of almonds has about 82mg of magnesium. These nuts are also filled with other minerals like phosphorous and potassium that are essential to a healthy diet. |*|

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3. Legumes


Adding legumes to your diet will also increase your magnesium intake. This group of food includes peas, lentils, peanuts, and beans.


For example, black beans offer 60mg of magnesium per half-cup. Edamame beans are right behind black beans with 50mg of magnesium per ½ cup serving. Consuming ½ cup of each of these foods will help you increase your Mg intake by about 12-15% daily. |*|


4. Seeds


Eating seeds every day like pumpkin, chia, and flax seeds, will help you hit your magnesium DV. Pumpkin seeds are high in magnesium as they have an impressive 150mg per ounce, nearly 40% of the DV. |*|


Like the above foods, seeds have additional benefits that you can take advantage of. They're also full of fiber, which is known to aid in digestion and help you stay full for longer.


*Quick tip for creating salads high in magnesium: add a handful of seeds to make it easier to reach the magnesium DV. For an additional magnesium boost, include ½ cup of beans or peas in your salad.



Health Benefits of Magnesium and Mag Rich Foods


As noted above, magnesium holds many additional benefits for your health. This mineral is involved in over 300 enzyme systems in the body. |*| Below are only a few of the key health benefits of magnesium.

  • Aids in regulating high blood pressure, muscle contractions, and insulin metabolism |*|

  • Connected to brain health, with magnesium deficiency associated with depression |*|

  • According to this study, high magnesium intake can lower the risk of health conditions like type 2 diabetes |*|

  • Mg is key to bone health regarding development/mineralization |*|


Image of a magnesium supplement

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Final Thoughts on This List of Foods With Crazy Magnesium


The above list of foods high in magnesium is only some of the many foods that help keep your magnesium levels up and avoid magnesium deficiency. By incorporating one or all of these foods into your diet, you can easily hit the DV of magnesium without the use of magnesium supplements.


Remember to always check with health professionals before altering your diet.


Don't let a busy schedule let you lose focus of consuming the correct amount of vitamins and minerals. To aid in keeping you on track, try a Weekly Meal Journal. This journal allows you to track what you eat each week to calculate the amount of magnesium you're consuming more accurately.



Medical Disclaimer: The information on this site, including text, graphics, images, and other material, is provided solely for informational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other healthcare professional with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your specific condition.


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