For a healthy diet, everyone needs vitamins, protein, magnesium, fiber, carbohydrate, and several nutrients. Magnesium can be found in various types of nutrient-derived foods. Magnesium is a mineral that is very important for improving normal bone structure in the human body.
Why magnesium is important for us, and which foods are high in magnesium?
Here in this article, we will explain the high-magnesium foods you should eat.
Foods That Are Rich In Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral that is crucial in various ways. The role of magnesium is important for body functioning, energy production, muscle growth, and normal function, and mainly for nerve and bone health.
Experts suggest consuming magnesium at a daily value (DV) of 420 mg or milligrams which helps to maintain good health.
Include Magnesium-Rich Foods in your Daily Diet or Diet Plan
Here is a list of magnesium-rich foods that we can add to our diet routine:
1) Avocado –
Avocado is a climacteric single-seeded berry. It is grown on evergreen trees and is native to America. Avocado is an incredible, nutritious food and a rich source of magnesium. One medium-sized avocado provides about 11% of daily intake or DV which is 58 gm of magnesium.
Avocados are also rich in:
- Potassium
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin K
- Fat
Avocados are a perfect source of fiber and most of the carbs or carbohydrates come from fiber in avocados. This makes the avocado fruit very low in digestible carbs.
Magnesium-rich avocado’s health benefits are:
- Reduce Inflammation
- Cholesterol level improvement
- If you feel fullness after eating some food, then you can an avocado to treat it.
2) Nuts –
Nuts, in general, we call dry fruits, i.e., almonds, cashews, etc., are very nutritious and delicious. Nuts are one of the rich sources of magnesium.
A 25 to 28 gm cashew serving contains about 83 gm of magnesium which is 20% of daily intake.
In addition to magnesium, nuts also offer a good source of fiber and fat. It is found in studies that eating nuts can improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels in diabetic patients.
Magnesium-rich nuts can be used for
- Treating inflammatory-related health problems
- Nuts are beneficial for our heart health
- Nuts can reduce appetite when eaten in low amounts or taken as snacks.
3) Seeds –
Most seeds are rich in magnesium, but we can’t eat every seed. However, seeds are healthy and nutritious. Various types of seeds including pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds, and several others, are high in magnesium.
A 28 gm pumpkin seed contains about 168 mg of magnesium which is almost 40 percent of daily value (DV) or daily intake.
Seeds also provide us with these important nutrients-
- Iron
- Fat (mono-unsaturated fat)
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are very helpful in improving anxiety, depression, and eye health. It could also improve brain health during pregnancy and early life.
Seeds contain various types of nutrients such as magnesium that show beneficial results in breast cancer and cholesterol level improvement. Also raises iron level in human body.
4) Grains –
Grains are one of the best natural sources of nutrition including magnesium. Wheat, oats, barley, buckwheat, and quinoa are several types of grains you can consume that contain rich nutrients.
A 168-gram grain serving, or cooked buckwheat contains 86 mg of magnesium which is 20 percent of the total daily intake.
Grains are rich in magnesium but also offer –
- Vitamin B
- Selenium
- Fiber
- Manganese
Magnesium-rich grains are very useful in reducing inflammation. Also, grains can decrease the risk factors of heart-related diseases such as heart attack.
5) Bananas –
Banana is the most popular fruit not only in a particular area but all over the world. Banana fruit is well-known for its rich sources of potassium and magnesium.
One large banana offers 37 mg of magnesium in one serve that is 9% of the daily intake quantity.
Banana is a very nutritious fruit. In addition to containing potassium, it also includes-
- Magnesium
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B6
- Fiber
- Starch
- Carbohydrates
Eating a banana daily can help overcome these health problems-
- Inflammation
- Blood sugar level etc.
The best way to get enough magnesium in a daily diet depends on various circumstances such as age, diet, and other health situations.
As mentioned above, our body need enough magnesium to function properly. If you do not take proper magnesium, though it’s rare you may probably experience these symptoms such as:
- Fatigue
- Muscle cramps
- Spasms
- Weakness
- Abnormal eye movement
These situations are also known as chronic magnesium deficiency.
In fact, magnesium is widely used to treat skin-related problems such as skin dehydration, etc. This mineral helps to increase skin moisture. Also, it is used in treating attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, mania and recovery after surgery, and several other problems.
Apart from eating magnesium-rich foods, water is one of the richest sources of magnesium (Mg) nutrients. One study shows that water contains high levels of magnesium ions which are effective in treating inflammatory skin diseases, such as eczema, etc.
So far, we have discussed why magnesium is important and how we can adequately consume foods that are rich in magnesium. However, keep in mind that eating foods that are rich in magnesium may cause one or more side effects.
Risk of Taking Too Much Magnesium in Your Diet
There are two ways to take magnesium. One is a natural way to consume magnesium and the other is consuming it through supplements. If you prefer foods that are rich in magnesium, it may have negligible or mild side effects, but in the case of supplements, it can cause mild to severe health issues. Eating too many supplements can cause illnesses such as stomach cramps or diarrhea etc.
Have you ever heard about magnesium toxicity? If not, let me explain.
If magnesium is consumed in extremely large doses, there is always a risk of developing serious health issues. This is called magnesium toxicity. Toxicity means the level of nutrients in the blood or bloodstream increases rapidly, which is a dangerous situation.
Summary –
Nowadays, everybody loves to eat foods that can be served quickly either in the form of fast food or cooked food. But you must choose a single option among healthy foods and delicious foods, that are good for both taste and health.
Whenever eating something, always make sure that the food you are consuming is nutritious or not. If yes, then eat it regularly, or if no, then stop eating it and start finding alternate foods that are high in nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, magnesium, etc.