By Lori Ioannou
Leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. If you aren’t eating these foods regularly, your diet may be lacking in magnesium. Nearly half of Americans fall short of their daily need for this mineral, according to the Department of Agriculture. Men should get 420 mg daily and women 320 mg.
Insufficient magnesium can have widespread consequences. “It is an essential nutrient needed for hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body,” says Anna Taylor, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic. “It helps regulate blood pressure, blood sugar, and heart rate while maintaining bone strength, and nerve and muscle function.”
How it protects
Studies suggest that the mineral may protect against a number of ailments. A study published in 2021 in the journal Nutrients found that getting 320 mg of magnesium daily was associated with a 34 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with 240 mg a day. Another study, published in Nutrients in 2016, showed that the risk for Type 2 diabetes dropped by 8 to 13 percent for every 100 mg consumed per day.
Magnesium may also lower fracture risk, improve muscle strength, and slow the advancement of sarcopenia, a loss of muscle mass that occurs with age. In addition, it’s important for immunity and is being studied, along with vitamin D, as a therapy to help patients fight the coronavirus.
Magnesium supplements are often touted as a sleep aid, but whether they help and by how much is in question.
Minding intake
Magnesium deficiency can cause vague symptoms such as appetite loss, fatigue, weakness, and nausea so focusing on magnesium-rich foods is the key. Though the mineral is found in many foods in small amounts, the best sources are beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
A few top sources:
- Pumpkin seeds: 1 ounce, 156 mg
- Quinoa, cooked: 1 cup, 118 mg
- Edamame, frozen: 1 cup, 99 mg
- Almonds, dry roasted: 1 ounce, 79 mg
- Spinach, cooked: 1⁄2 cup, 79 mg
- Swiss chard, cooked: 1⁄2 cup, 75 mg
- Kidney beans, canned: 1 cup, 69 mg
- 70-85 percent dark chocolate: 1 ounce, 65 mg
- Oatmeal, cooked: 1 cup, 63 mg
- Peanut butter: 2 tablespoons, 54 mg
If you take certain drugs, pay special attention to magnesium. Diuretics, proton pump inhibitors, bisphosphonates, and some antibiotics can lead to a deficiency, O’Keefe says. But supplements may not be the answer unless prescribed by a doctor. “They can actually do harm if they raise magnesium levels too high,” Sinvani says.
(Courtesy: The Washington Post)
