Written by Cara Rosenbloom, RD | Reviewed by Katie E. Golden, MD
Updated on August 5, 2024
Key takeaways:
Magnesium is a mineral that’s found in nuts, grains, and beans. It’s easy to get enough magnesium because it’s found in a wide variety of foods.
Some people may need to eat extra foods high in magnesium to avoid deficiency. This includes older adults and people with Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and Type 2 diabetes.
Healthcare professionals might recommend magnesium supplements to help with health conditions such as constipation and migraines.
Reviewed by Alexandra Schwarz, MD | September 30, 2023
Magnesium is involved in more than 300 different enzyme reactions that regulate different body processes. The main way to get magnesium is through the foods you eat. Your body can then store it in bones and soft tissue to make sure you have what you need from day to day. But half of the people in the U.S. aren’t getting as much magnesium from their diet as they need. So we’ll go through which foods are high in magnesium and learn if you’re someone who might benefit from including more of these foods in your diet.
Why is magnesium important?
Magnesium is a mineral that your body needs for many different functions. It’s particularly important for healthy nerve and muscle function. But it also helps the body make new proteins, DNA, and even bone. These are just a few examples of its role in different processes.
Magnesium’s far-reaching effects helps support:
Heart health: Magnesium’s effects on nerves and muscles means that it helps regulate your heartbeat. It also helps relax your blood vessels and may even help lower your blood pressure.
Blood sugar regulation: Magnesium helps your body make and use insulin. It also plays a role in glucose metabolism. This means it helps keep your blood sugar level down and may even help prevent Type 2 diabetes.
Bone strength: Your body is constantly breaking down and building new bone, and magnesium directly influences this process. It also plays a role in parathyroid hormone and vitamin D regulation, two other important ingredients for healthy bones.
Brain health: Since magnesium plays a key role in nerve function, it’s no surprise that it affects the brain in more ways than one. Low magnesium levels have been linked to inflammation in the brain, as well as mood disorders like anxiety and depression.
Magnesium and blood pressure: Most people don’t need a magnesium supplement, but there’s some evidence it can help lower your blood pressure.
Should you take vitamin D and magnesium together? Vitamin D supplements can deplete your magnesium levels. And without enough magnesium, you can’t absorb vitamin D.
Magnesium deficiency: Learn about the symptoms, causes, and treatment of low magnesium levels.
People take magnesium for a wide variety of health conditions, although some are more supported by research than others. People take it for:
Migraine headaches
Women’s health issues, such as premenstrual syndrome and PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
Constipation
Sleep, although the research doesn’t suggest magnesium can help you sleep
Magnesium recommended daily intake
Many people in the U.S. aren’t getting as much magnesium as they need from their diet. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for magnesium is based on age and sex. Below is the RDA for adults:
Which foods are high in magnesium?
Magnesium is found in many types of foods. So if you’re following a healthy diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, you’re likely getting enough magnesium. Here’s a list of the top 13 foods that are high in magnesium:
Seeds, such as pumpkin and chia
Nuts, such as almonds and cashews
Leafy greens, including spinach and beet greens
Peanuts and peanut butter
Fortified breakfast cereals
Beans, such as black beans and kidney beans
Soy foods, including edamame, tofu, and soy milk
Whole grains, like brown rice and oatmeal
Potatoes
Dairy products, such as yogurt and milk
Bananas
Salmon
Avocado
| Age | Male | Female | Pregnant |
| 1-3 years | 80 mg/day | 80 mg/day | – |
| 4-8 years | 130 mg/day | 130 mg/day | – |
| 9-13 years | 240 mg/day | 240 mg/day | – |
| 14-18 years | 410 mg/day | 360 mg/day | 400 mg/day |
| 19-30 years | 400 mg/day | 310 mg/day | 250 mg/day |
| Age 31+ | 420 mg/day | 320 mg/day | 360 mg/day |
Who should eat foods high in magnesium?
Magnesium is important for everyone. But some people are more at risk for having a deficiency. If you fall into one of these groups, it’s especially important to include foods that are high in magnesium in your diet.
You might be at greater risk of magnesium deficiency if you:
Are an older adult: As we age, our ability to absorb magnesium is reduced. Diseases linked with low magnesium include heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.
Take certain medications: Certain medications may cause low magnesium levels, such as proton pump inhibitors or diuretics.
Have a gastrointestinal (GI) disease: Your intestines may not absorb magnesium well if you have a GI condition such as Crohn’s or celiac disease.
Have Type 2 diabetes: Low magnesium levels are more common if your blood sugar is frequently outside the normal range.
Drink a lot of alcohol: Alcohol can deplete the body of magnesium.
If you’re wondering if you have a magnesium deficiency, it can easily be tested with a blood sample. The normal range for magnesium is 1.7 mEq/L to 2.2 mEq/L.
What are the symptoms of a magnesium deficiency?
If you don’t get enough magnesium, you may have symptoms such as:
Poor appetite
Tiredness or weakness
Nausea or vomiting
Numbness or tingling
Muscle cramps
Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
Seizures
Because magnesium levels also impact other nutrient levels in your body, a severe magnesium deficiency can put you at risk for low levels of calcium or potassium.
| Food | Portion size | Magnesium (mg) |
| Pumpkin seeds | 1 oz | 156 mg |
| Chia seeds | 1 oz | 111 mg |
| Almonds | 1 oz | 80 mg |
| Boiled spinach | ½ cup | 78 mg |
| Cashews | 1 oz | 74 mg |
| Roasted peanuts | ¼ cup | 63 mg |
| Fortified soy beverage | 1 cup | 61 mg |
| Cooked black beans | ½ cup | 60 mg |
| Edamame, shelled | ½ cup | 50 mg |
| Peanut butter | 2 tbs | 49 mg |
| Baked potato with skin | 3.5 oz | 43 mg |
| Brown rice | ½ cup | 42 mg |
| Fortified breakfast cereal | 1 serving | 42 mg |
| Plain yogurt | 8 oz | 42 mg |
| Oatmeal, instant | 1 packet | 36 mg |
| Kidney beans | ½ cup | 35 mg |
| Bananas | 1 medium | 32 mg |
| Salmon (cooked) | 3 oz | 26 mg |
| Milk, 1% | 1 cup | 24-27 mg |
| Avocado | ½ cup | 22 mg |
Frequently asked questions
Should you try a magnesium supplement?
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Since most people get enough magnesium from food, your healthcare professional will only suggest a supplement if you have low magnesium levels. Otherwise, magnesium supplements aren’t recommended.
Depending on what is causing low magnesium levels and the medications you’re taking, your healthcare professional can recommend a magnesium supplement and dose that best fits your needs. Only take the supplement as directed by your healthcare professional.
The bottom line
Magnesium is essential for maintaining your body’s immune defenses, keeping your bones strong, and ensuring your muscles are working properly. Since it’s found in many foods — including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains — it’s possible to get enough magnesium from your diet alone. A healthcare professional will likely only recommend a supplement if you’re low in magnesium.
Written by:
Cara Rosenbloom, RD
Cara Rosenbloom, RD, has been a registered dietitian for 22 years. She began her career working as a dietitian at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).
Edited by:
Katie E. Golden, MD
Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.
References
Barbagallo, M., et al. (2015). Magnesium and type 2 diabetes. World Journal of Diabetes.
Barbagallo, M., et al. (2021). Magnesium in aging, health and diseases. Nutrients.
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