Foods that Are High in Magnesium

Cereals, vegetables, dried fruits... Which foods are the richest in magnesium? Important to the body’s function, magnesium can be found in plant and animal foods. Here are some magnesium sources you can rely on.

Many signals can alert on a potential need for magnesium; cramp, tiredness, stress... If the body shows a lack, it is because the mineral is crucial to us. Doctor of Pharmacy and Nutritionist Anne-Laure Denans declared that "magnesium is essential to the proper functioning of our body. It is involved in many chemical reactions: it is essential to transform nutrients into energy, to allow muscles to relax or to regulate nerve impulses, and therefore reduce stress.” She added that “our body doesn't produce it alone. Found in certain foods and in water, magnesium must therefore be present in our meals on a daily basis.”

Dried fruits, mussels, oilseeds

To make up your daily magnesium intake, it is interesting to turn to cereals, which are a great source of magnesium. However, it is better to opt for whole meal flours, which keep their envelope, the bran, and in which the magnesium is contained.

Oilseeds are also an important source of magnesium. Among them, the doctor of pharmacy cited "sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts and walnuts".

Dried fruits, such as dates, also contain magnesium, as does dark chocolate, "containing at least 70% cocoa," shared Anne-Laure Denans.

Adding to the list vegetables such as spinach, peas and radishes, along with legumes such as white beans.

Soy is also a good magnesium source to the body. "Tofu and tempeh are both very good sources," mentioned Anne-Laure Denans. Nonetheless, children under 3 years old and breastfeeding women should not consume them.

Additionally, magnesium can be obtained from the sea and its fruits, such as mussels. To complete this list, the doctor of pharmacy also recommended the consumption of seaweed in the form of flakes.

Dietary Supplements

Some people opt for traditional magnesium cures to remedy lack of energy, fatigue, irritability, and poor nights. These cures can be found in pharmacies or organic stores. However, the scientific community does not agree on their effectiveness and benefits. The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) believes that "in the absence of pathologies" and as part of a "varied diet associated with physical activity", "the consumption of food supplements is not necessary.”