Best Foods High in Magnesium

If you feel drained even after a full 8 hours of sleep, and your muscles often cramp, your body may be whispering (or screaming) that you’re magnesium deficient.

This mineral is involved in more than 300 biochemical reactions in the human body, from energy metabolism to muscle function to sleep normalization. At the same time, many of us may be deficient in one way or another without even realizing it.

In this article, we will tell you which foods contain the most magnesium so that you can create your own diet that fully covers your daily needs of this mineral.

List of Foods Containing Magnesium

In each table, we have indicated not only the magnesium content of the product, but also the percentage of the Daily Value. As the daily value will vary for different people and lifestyles, we have used average values for the calculations:

• for men – 400 mg per day
• for women – 330 mg.

This gives you an idea of how much and what kind of food you need to eat each day to meet your daily magnesium needs.

Vegetables and Fruits

Table showing the magnesium content of fruits:

Product	Magnesium content (mg per 100 g)	% of the daily allowance for men	% of daily allowance for women
Dried figs	67.6	16.9	20.5
Sultanas	42	10.5	12.7
Avocado	29	7.3	8.8
Bananas	28	7	8.5
Kiwis	15.7	4	4.8
Dried Fruit	14	3.5	4.5
Pineapples	13.4	3.4	4.1
Melon	13	3.3	3.9
Oranges	13	3.3	3.9
Tangerine	11	2.8	3.3
Grapefruit	10	2.5	3
Mango	10	2.5	3
Nectarine	8.8	2.2	2.6
Peach	8	2	2.4
Pear	5.7	1.4	1.7
Granny Smith apples with skin	5.1	1.3	1.5
Red apples with peel	4.9	1.3	1.5

Table of magnesium content in berries:

Product	Magnesium content (mg per 100 g)	% of the daily allowance for men	% of daily allowance for women
Persimmon	56	14	17
Raspberry	19.2	4.8	5.8
Strawberry	12.5	3.1	3.8
Cherry	12.1	3	3.6
Watermelon	12	3	3.6
Red grapes without bones	8.6	2.2	2.6
Green grapes without bones	7.1	1.8	2.2
Blueberries	6.2	1.6	1.9

A list of vegetables and greens rich in magnesium:

Product	Magnesium content (mg per 100 g)	% of the daily allowance for men	% of daily allowance for women
Spinach	93	23.2	28.2
Sweet potatoes	28	7	8.5
Red potatoes	23.6	5.9	7.1
Broccoli	21	5.3	6.6
Pumpkin	14	3.5	4.2
Green cabbage	13.9	3.5	4.2
Red cabbage	13.3	3.3	4
Canned green beans	12.7	3.2	3.8
Carrots	12.4	3.1	3.7
Green lettuce	12.4	3.1	3.7
Celery	10.9	2.7	3.3
Cucumber (with skin)	10.1	2.5	3.1
Bell pepper	9	2.3	2.7
Eggplant	9	2.3	2.7
Tomatoes	8.1	2	2.4

As you can see from the tables, the highest amounts of magnesium are found in dried figs, raisins, avocados, persimmons, and spinach – these are the fruits and vegetables that are best consumed to correct deficiencies.

Seeds and Nuts

Product	Magnesium content (mg per 100 g)	% of the daily allowance for men	% of daily allowance for women
Sesame seeds	540	135	163.6
Pumpkin seeds	500	125	151.5
Flax seeds	372	93	112.7
Roasted salted sunflower seed	358	89.5	108.5
Chia seeds	335	83.8	101.5
Almonds	258	64.5	78.2
Cashews	251	62.7	76.1
Pine nuts	206	51.5	62.4
Hazelnuts	156	39	47.3
Walnuts	142	35.5	43
Pistachios	110	27.5	33.3

Flour and Flour Products

Product	Magnesium content (mg per 100 g)	% of the daily allowance for men	% of daily allowance for women
Wheat crackers	72	18	21.8
Whole-grain bread	66.2-87.1	16.5-21.8	20-26.3
Pasta	45	11.2	13.6
Oatmeal cookies	32.4	8.1	9.8
Croutons	31	7.8	9.4
Bran crackers	25	6.2	7.8
White bread	19.1-44.3	4.8-11	5.7-13.4
Premium flour pasta	16	4	4.8
Fruit and berry filled waffles	10	2.5	3
Butter cookies	10	2.5	3

The amount of magnesium varies in different types of flour. Buckwheat flour, oat flour, rye flour, and sorghum flour are the richest in this trace element.

Product	Magnesium content (mg per 100 g)	% of the daily allowance for men	% of daily allowance for women
Buckwheat flour	167	41.8	50.6
Oat flour	125	31.3	37.9
Sorghum flour	116	29	35.1
Rye flour	95.4	23.9	28.9
Barley flour	88	22	26.7
Corn flour	30.1	7.5	9.1
Wheat flour	26.7	6.7	8.1
Rice flour	21.2	5.3	6.4

Grains

Product	Magnesium content (mg per 100 g)	% of the daily allowance for men	% of daily allowance for women
Buckwheat	203	50.8	61.5
Bulgur	164	41	49.7
Oatmeal	138	34.5	41.7
Brown rice	115	28.8	34.7
Wheat groats	106	26.5	32.1
Pearl grains	79	19.8	23.9
Brown cereal	50	12.5	15.1
White rice	26.5	6.6	8
Quick oats	26	6.5	7.9
Semolina	18	4.5	5.5

Fish and Seafood

Product	Magnesium content (mg per 100 g)	% of the daily allowance for men	% of daily allowance for women
Pink salmon roe	141	35.3	42.8
Squid	90	22.5	27.3
Sturgeon	75	18.8	22.7
Atlantic anchovy	60	15	18.2
Mackerel	50	12.5	15.1
Tuna	50	12.5	15.11
Red king crab	49	12.3	14.8
Chum salmon	43	10.8	13
Sardine	40	10	12.1
Baltic sprat	35	8.8	10.6
Shrimps	35	8.8	10.6
Saffron cod	35	8.8	10.6
Piksha	35	8.8	10.6
Pacific herring	35	8.8	10.6
Hake	35	8.8	10.6
Atlantic cod	32	8	9.7
Pink salmon	30	7.5	9
Mussels	30	7.5	9
Nerka	30	7.5	9
Perch	30	7.5	9
Eel	30	7.5	9
Mackerel	29	7.3	8.8
Coho salmon	27	6.8	8.2
Chinook salmon	27	6.8	8.2
Caspian roach	25	6.3	7.6
Crucian carp	25	6.3	7.6
Carp	25	6.3	7.6
Atlantic salmon	25	6.3	7.6
Whitefish	25	6.3	7.6
River crayfish	25	6.3	7.6
Scallop	22	5.5	6.7
Trout	22	5.5	6.7
Haddock	21.1	5.3	6.4
Sturgeon balik	21	5.3	6.4
Pollock	16.1	4	4.9

Sweet Goods

Among sweets, halva, dark chocolate, and bitter chocolate are best for replenishing magnesium deficiency.

Product	Magnesium content (mg per 100 g)	% of the daily allowance for men	% of daily allowance for women
Halva	218	54.5	66
Bitter chocolate	133	33.3	40.3
Dark chocolate	97	24.3	29.4
Milk chocolate	68	17	20.6
Glazed toffee	37	9.3	11.2
Chocolate ice cream	32	8	9.7
Vanilla ice cream	14	3.5	4.2
Sherbet	8	2	2.4
Marshmallow	6	1.5	1.8
Honey	3	0.8	0.9
Gummy candy	2	0.5	0.6

Liquids and Beverages

Product	Magnesium content (mg per 100 ml)	% of the daily allowance for men	% of daily allowance for women
Black tea (dry)	440 mg per 100 g	110	133.2
Black ground coffee (dry)	336 mg per 100 g	84	101.8
Instant coffee	327	81.7	99
Magnesium-enriched mineral water	95-110	24-27.5	28.7-33.3
Coconut water	25	6.25	7.6
Soya milk	17.5	4.4	5.3
Kefir (any fat content)	14	3.5	4.3
Pineapple juice	13	3.25	3.9
Mineral water	12-37	3-9.3	3.6-2.8
Skim milk	12	3	3.6
Peach juice	12	3	3.6
Tomato juice	12	3	3.6
Whole milk	11.9	2.975	3.6
Orange juice	10.6	2.65	3.2
Apricot juice	10	2.5	3
Almond milk	8.2	2	2.5
Grape juice	7.9	1.975	2.4
Grapefruit juice	7.7	1.925	2.3
Carrot juice	7	1.75	2.1
Cranberry juice	4.4	1.1	1.3
Apple juice	4	1	1.2
Green tea	1.3	0.325	0.4

To increase magnesium, it is better to drink fortified mineral water, coconut water, or soy milk. The data for tea and coffee are based on 100 grams of dry product, not 100 ml of beverage. There will be about 60-70 mg of magnesium in 100 ml of the finished beverage, some of which will be destroyed by boiling water.

Meat

Product	Magnesium content (mg per 100 g)	% of the daily allowance for men	% of daily allowance for women
Bacon	36.5	9.2	11
Ground turkey	29.1	7.3	8.8
Turkey white meat	28	7	8.5
Turkey wings	28	7	8.5
Chicken breast	26.2	6.6	7.9
Turkey dark meat	25	6.3	7.6
Chicken shank	22.4	5.6	6.8
Pork loin	22	5.5	6.6
Chicken thigh	22	5.5	6.6
Chicken minced meat	20.5	5.1	6.2
Ham	20.3	5	6.2
Beef steak	19	4.8	5.7
Pork mince	19	4.8	5.7
Beef ham	17	4.3	5.1
Turkey thigh	17	4.3	5.1
Minced beef	16.5	4.2	5

Animal Products

Product	Magnesium content (mg per 100 g)	% of the daily allowance for men	% of daily allowance for women
Chicken egg	44.6	11.1	13.5
Parmesan	34.9	8.8	10.6
Processed cheese	34.6	8.7	10.5
Mozzarella	27.2	6.8	8.2
Ricotta	19.7	4.8	6
Greek yoghurt	10.7	2.7	3.2
Cream	10.1	2.5	3
Cottage cheese	8.9	2.3	2.7
Butter	1.6	0.4	0.5

Legumes and Seaweed

Product	Magnesium content (mg per 100 g)	% of the daily allowance for men	% of daily allowance for women
Brown algae	165	41.3	50
Red beans	164	41	49.7
Pink beans	164	41	49.7
Lentils	107	26.8	32.4
Seaweed	107	26.8	32.4
Tofu	37	9.3	11.2
Black beans	32.5	8.2	9.8
Chickpea	28.4	7.1	8.6
Peas	21.9	5.8	6.6

Why You Need Magnesium

Magnesium is the twelfth element in the Mendeleev table, belongs to the alkaline earth metals and is an important part of the diet. In the body, it performs the following functions:

1. Participates in muscle contraction and relaxation. Magnesium helps reduce the risk of cramps and fatigue during hard muscle work.
2. Supports bone health. Magnesium promotes the absorption of calcium, which maintains bone density and prevents the onset or progression of osteoporosis.
3. Regulates carbohydrate metabolism. Magnesium helps control blood sugar levels and maintains the effectiveness of insulin, preventing the development of diabetes.
4. Activates enzymes. In the presence of magnesium there is an activation of enzyme systems necessary for the synthesis of protein and ATP – a source of energy.
5. Participates in the transmission of nerve impulses. Magnesium helps reduce stress levels, improves mood and supports the functional activity of neurons.

It is important to get enough magnesium from food. A deficiency of this element increases the risk of cancer.

How Much Magnesium You Need Per Day

The dietary guidelines from cite the following figures for the daily allowance of magnesium: 400-420 mg for men and 310-360 mg for women. This dosage is necessary for the prevention of deficiency and is not suitable for the treatment of established hypomagnesaemia.

The average norms of adequate magnesium intake are 400 mg for men and 330 mg for women. This amount is contained in 160 grams of salmon and almonds, 250 grams of brown rice, 400 grams of buckwheat groats, eggs and seaweed. As for beverages, 300 ml of magnesium-enriched water, two glasses of coconut water, soy milk or kefir will cover the daily requirement.

It is better not to choose one source of magnesium, but to combine them. For example, instead of 400 grams of buckwheat porridge, it is better to get the daily requirement from 150 grams of porridge, 50 grams of chicken eggs, 50 grams of seaweed and mineral water.

Foods That Improve Magnesium Absorption

1. Fruits and vegetables. Plant foods are high in fiber. It promotes better absorption of magnesium in the small intestine by stimulating peristalsis.
2. Meat and fish products. According to research, eating protein-rich foods can help with magnesium absorption, but only if there are low levels of this element in the blood serum.
3. Acidic dairy products. Low-fat fermented dairy products (greek yogurt, buttermilk) may help improve magnesium absorption due to their low pH and the presence of probiotics.
4. Nuts. Walnuts and hazelnuts contain high levels of vitamin B6 or pyridoxine. This can improve magnesium absorption in the small intestine and facilitate its transport into cells.

Factors That Interfere with Magnesium Absorption

Excessive consumption of coffee, tea, spinach (due to the presence of oxalates in their composition) accelerates the leaching of calcium and magnesium from bone tissue, causing their deficiency.

The same is true for heart patients undergoing long-term treatment with diuretics. Diuretics promote frequent urination, which leads to depletion of total magnesium stores in the body due to high urinary excretion of the trace element.

In people with osteoporosis, gastritis with increased acidity of gastric juice, infectious diseases, the absorption of magnesium from food is worsened. This is due to the therapy received in these diseases:

• Bisphosphonates, prescribed for the treatment of osteoporosis, compete with magnesium for receptors, as a result of which they reduce the efficiency of absorption and distribution of each other.
• Proton pump inhibitors, used to treat gastritis and ulcers, interfere with magnesium absorption and can cause reversible hypomagnesemia if taken for long periods of time (a year or more, according to research). When the drugs are discontinued, magnesium absorption normalizes.
• Antibiotics are used to treat infectious and mycotic diseases. Some of them (tetracycline and quinolone antibiotics) form insoluble complexes with magnesium, which cannot be broken down by the body and are not suitable as a source of the trace element.

Meal Ideas to Boost Magnesium Levels

Magnesium deficiency in the body can be corrected by diet, but it is important to remember:

1. Moderate to severe hypomagnesemia (less than 0.60 mmol/L) cannot be corrected by diet and must be treated with mineral supplements.
2. Prolonged adherence to a magnesium-only diet may lead to deficiencies of other micronutrients. It is necessary to vary the diet and monitor the mineral content of the foods consumed.

The amount and content of the diet can be chosen independently using the tables above. In the table below we have given an example of what you should eat in a day to get your daily allowance of magnesium.

Product	Approximate portion size
Pumpkin seeds	80 g
Chia seeds	115 g
Processed cheese	115 g
Avocado	140 g
Bananas	145 g
Almonds	160 g
Cashews	160 g
Salmon	160 g
Red beans	250 g
Whole milk	330 ml
Brown rice	360 g
Greek yogurt	400 g

Dietary Options

First option:

• breakfast: greek yogurt with a banana;
• snack: 30 grams of almonds;
• lunch: guacamole on whole meal toast;
• dinner: salmon with brown rice and raw cabbage salad;
• dessert: a square of dark chocolate.

Second option:

• breakfast: breakfast cereal enriched with magnesium and other minerals;
• snack: 30 grams of pumpkin seeds;
• lunch: cheese and chicken egg on wheat crackers;
• dinner: seaweed and turkey;
• dessert: dried fruits.

Please note that this is only an example. Of course, these diets must be adapted to your individual situation (for example, it is obvious that for a man who weighs 90 kg and is 2 meters tall, such a diet would be insufficient in terms of calories). Here we have simply listed the dishes that you can add to various meals to replenish magnesium levels in your body.

How Cooking and Storing Foods Affects the Amount of Magnesium in Them

Temperature treatment of food destroys 40% to 50% of its beneficial substances. To minimize the loss of magnesium during cooking, it is worth following some simple recommendations:

• The water should be brought to the boil together with the products, sharp temperature changes are inadmissible. It is also not worth adding water after boiling, so it is better to estimate the amount of liquid needed beforehand.
• Do not open the lid too often. Oxygen can cause oxidation and destruction of trace elements.
• Frozen foods should not be defrosted for a long time before cooking.
• If possible, shorten the cooking time. For example, boil hard-boiled eggs for eight minutes instead of fifteen.

Use a steamer to save magnesium while preparing a tasty dish. The steam temperature is less than 100°C, while roasting and baking take place at 180-300°C. Cooking with steam avoids significant loss of magnesium.

It is better to eat fruits and vegetables with the peel (if possible) – magnesium reserves are highest in the peel. If peeling is necessary (e.g. potatoes), it is worth cutting off as little as possible to preserve part of the surface layer. It is best to eat foods fresh. Overcooked and frozen fruits, vegetables, and meat products lose 10-40% of their magnesium due to prolonged storage, contact with air, and exposure to light.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Quickly Increase My Magnesium Levels?

To increase magnesium levels, choose foods that are high in magnesium. Dried figs, persimmons, sesame and pumpkin seeds, buckwheat and rice cereals, mineral water, seaweed. Or use a good quality magnesium supplement.

Which Foods Contain the Most Magnesium?

Most magnesium is found in sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, and nuts. There is also a lot of magnesium in seaweed, caviar, buckwheat, bulgur, and dark chocolate.

How Do I Know If I Have a Magnesium Deficiency?

Hypomagnesemia (magnesium deficiency) is manifested by muscle tremors, cramps, digestive disorders (diarrhea, constipation), edema, nervous disorders (irritability, depression, insomnia). Tachycardia and increased blood pressure may occur. Memory may deteriorate, dizziness and headaches may occur.

But these are just symptoms that can be caused by something else. To accurately determine the lack of magnesium in the body, you need to see a doctor and take tests.

What Should I Eat If I Have a Magnesium Deficiency?

Magnesium deficiency in the body does not manifest itself as a desire to eat. Often patients with magnesium deficiency attribute the deterioration of their well-being to general fatigue. At the same time they want to eat something sweet. After eating sweets, the condition is deceptive and briefly improves (due to the release of endorphins and energy), but this has nothing to do with magnesium.