6 Reasons You Need Foods High In Magnesium

Magnesium-rich bananas and other fruits

1. Foods that are high in magnesium ensure normal body function

Foods high in magnesium are important sources of magnesium, an essential mineral that helps to boost energy, improve blood glucose and maintain hormonal balance.

Found more in plant foods, magnesium is important for maintaining many body processes.

Magnesium is stored in the bones and organs and may be deficient without knowing it.

There are several magnesium binding sites on human proteins. Magnesium is found in over 300 different enzymes in the body where it helps in detoxification processes.

Magnesium helps to prevent heavy metals, environmental chemicals and other toxins from causing damage to the body.

It helps to activate nerves and muscles. Magnesium generates energy by activating adenosine triphosphate. It helps to digest carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Magnesium is a precursor for serotonin neurotransmitter.

Your body relies on magnesium foods to be healthy and fit. Magnesium plays an important role as a cofactor for enzyme reactions in the body.
The enzymes involved in the aforementioned reactions play important roles ranging from the generation of energy from carbohydrates, proteins and fats, synthesis of healthy DNA, to maintenance of calm nervous system, blood glucose balance and bone health.

Foods high in magnesium help in the contraction of muscles, bone formation and the regulation of blood pressure. Magnesium foods also improve your sleep quality.

All it takes to receive full benefits of magnesium is to take about 400mg per day if you are an adult male and about 300mg per day if you are an adult female.

Children aged 1-3 years require 80mg per day of magnesium. Those between the ages of 4 and 8 years require 130mg per day. Children aged 9-13 years require 240mg per day. Children above the age of 13 years require adult dose of magnesium.

2. Eating foods high in magnesium prevents magnesium deficiency

The deficiency of magnesium is not common in healthy people. Low intake of magnesium foods may not cause any symptom. Your kidneys are capable of conserving magnesium when your intake is low. This is however in the short term.

But when you fail to take healthy foods high in magnesium over a long time, you will become deficient of magnesium and start experiencing various symptoms most of which have to do with your energy levels.

In the context of magnesium’s role in regulating vitamin D, hormonal balance, calcium and blood glucose, low level of magnesium may cause low mood, insomnia, muscle cramps, high blood pressure, fatigue, inability to deal with stress and anxiety.

Described as invisible deficiency, the initial symptoms of magnesium deficiency may be ignored or taken for something else.

According to Dr. Dean, magnesium deficiency causes the following medical conditions: bowel diseases, diabetes, cystitis, asthma, anxiety and panic disorder, heart diseases, hypertension, kidney disease, insomnia, migraine, fibromyalgia, chronic back pain, and cramps.

Other medical conditions due to magnesium deficiency include: infertility, preeclampsia, PMS, tooth decay, osteoporosis, nerve problem, Raynaud’s syndrome, hypoglycemia, fatigue, liver disease, depression and blood clots.

Look out for the early signs of magnesium deficiency including anorexia, nausea, weakness, fatigue and headache and report to your doctor promptly for investigation.

More serious symptoms of magnesium deficiency include: abnormal heart rhythms, personality changes, numbness and tingling, muscle contractions and cramps, coronary spasms and seizures.

3. Foods high in magnesium will increase your magnesium level

You can increase your level of magnesium by making sure you include foods high in magnesium in your diet. These magnesium foods are highlighted below.

But how do you determine your magnesium level?

A magnesium test is required to determine your magnesium level.

The aim of doing this test is to diagnose the cause of muscle or nerve problems, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, low blood pressure, and slurred speech.

A magnesium test is also done to monitor kidney function, diagnose the cause of calcium or magnesium low levels that do not improve with treatment, and the cause of difficulty in breathing.

Do not take medications containing magnesium such as Epsom salts, milk of magnesia, magnesium supplements, and certain diuretics three days before doing a magnesium test.

There is nothing to worry about magnesium test because it is just like any other blood test.

Make sure you tell your doctor about all your current medications, if any, when you go for a magnesium test.

Providing your drug history will help your doctor take informed decision concerning your magnesium test, and hence prevent false magnesium results.

4. Foods that are rich in magnesium prevent chronic diseases

There is a close connection between magnesium and chronic diseases.

Magnesium plays a major role in preventing chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

For example, magnesium has been found in studies to help keep the body metabolism running well particularly with respect to blood glucose regulation, protection from type 2 diabetes and insulin sensitivity.

High intake of magnesium foods helps to reduce the risk of impaired insulin and glucose metabolism. With adequate magnesium level, pre-diabetes rarely progresses to diabetes.

Therefore, if you are at a high risk of developing diabetes, high magnesium food intake may help you offset your risk.

Studies have shown that high intake of foods high in magnesium may result in high bone mineral density. Research has also shown close relationship between drinking water high in magnesium and a lower hip fracture risk.

Eating foods high in magnesium may help reduce your risk of cancer. This is confirmed by research which showed a close relationship between high magnesium foods intake and a reduced risk of colorectal tumors.

The research showed that every 100mg increase in the intake of magnesium foods led to 13 percent decrease in the risk of colorectal tumor, and 12 percent decrease in the risk of colorectal cancer.

The anti-cancer effects of magnesium may be connected to the ability of magnesium to minimize insulin resistance and as result slow down the development of tumors.

5. Foods high in magnesium are readily available

Magnesium can be sourced from green leafy vegetables such as swish chard and spinach as well as nuts, beans, pumpkins, sunflower, sesame seeds, avocados and many more.

There are many magnesium-rich foods that will help increase your magnesium level.

Some foods grown today are magnesium deficient due to the use of herbicides such as glyphosate in growing foods. These herbicides act as chelators and block the update of minerals.

Magnesium-rich vegetable juice

Here are healthy foods high in magnesium

• Avocados
• Legumes – Soybeans, beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas.
• Nuts – Brazil nuts, almonds, pecans, cashews and walnuts.
• Dark chocolate
• Whole grains – Buckwheat, wheat germ, oats, yellow corn and brown rice.
• Seeds – Pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, quinoa seeds and cumin seeds.
• Tofu
• Bananas
• Fatty fish – salmon, mackerel and halibut.
• Vegetables – Spinach, okra, kale, broccoli, beetroot, Swiss chard, green bell peppers, turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens and artichokes.
• Cherries
• Peach
• Apricots
• Blackberries

Some of these foods also lower cholesterol. It is known that processing of food and cooking deplete magnesium.

Therefore, magnesium foods may be difficult to find in places where more cooked and processed foods are commonly available.

Also, certain foods can influence the way your body absorbs magnesium.

For example, excessive intake of alcohol may interfere with the absorption of vitamin D by your body. It is noteworthy that the absorption of vitamin D is helpful for the absorption of magnesium.

High sugar intake can lead to the loss of magnesium through the kidneys. Further, lower levels of magnesium may be associated with menopause and excessive intake of caffeine or soda.

Magnesium levels reduce with older age because magnesium absorption decreases with age, and older people are more likely to take drugs that may interfere with magnesium absorption.

Certain drugs such as tobramycin, gentamicin, diuretics, insulin, antacids, deltasone and prednisolone may lower the levels of magnesium.

If you have an unhealthy digestive system due to conditions such as Crohn’s disease and leaky gut syndrome, your body will be unable to absorb magnesium.

6. Foods high in magnesium remove the need for magnesium supplement

If you prefer supplement, then you have to balance the intake of magnesium with that of calcium, vitamin D and vitamin k2.

It is important to note that lowering your risk of low magnesium level my not entirely depend on your intake of magnesium supplement.

Balance your intake of magnesium with that of calcium, vitamin K2 and vitamin D3 because they work synergistically.

Excessive intake of calcium supplement that is not counterbalanced with magnesium supplement may cause heart attack and sudden death.

It has been shown that our bodies require an equal balance of calcium and magnesium to stay healthy.

Your muscles may go into spasm if your calcium level is higher than your magnesium level.

Calcium causes muscle contraction while magnesium maintains the contraction and relaxation of your muscles.

So, high calcium and low magnesium levels diminish the muscle and nerve function of magnesium and increases muscle spasm due to calcium effect which will affect the heart adversely.

As you try to balance magnesium and calcium, remember that vitamins D and K2 should also be considered.

Magnesium, calcium, vitamins D and K2 support one another. If the balance among them is lost, calcium supplements may be associated with high risk of stroke and heart attack while vitamin D toxicity may be experienced.

Vitamin K2 places calcium in its rightful place. So, if there is vitamin K2 deficiency, calcium will accumulate in the soft tissues and other wrong places.

When you take oral vitamin D, ensure that you also take vitamin K2 and magnesium supplement.

High doses of vitamin D supplements in the absence of sufficient amounts of magnesium and vitamin K2 may lead to magnesium deficiency and vitamin D toxicity.

Magnesium-rich avocados

Why you may take Magnesium supplements

You can choose from a wide variety of magnesium supplements in the market.

Each supplement contains another substance, and therefore does not come as 100% magnesium.

Magnesium absorption and bioavailability are dependent on the substance included in any given compound.

Each compound is slightly different from the other and provides targeted health benefits.

Magnesium threonate and citrate, for example, are major sources of magnesium.

They penetrate cell membranes and mitochondria, generating high energy levels.

Magnesium threonate and citrate penetrate blood-brain barrier, helping in improving memory and preventing dementia.

Other forms of magnesium supplements include: magnesium chloride/magnesium lactate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium taurate, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium oxide and magnesium glycinate.

If you take magnesium supplements, you can determine if you are taking too much of magnesium using bowel test.

A bowel test that reveals loose stools is an indication that you have too much magnesium.

You can improve your magnesium level by taking magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) baths.

Epsom salt gets absorbed into the body through the skin.

You can also use magnesium oil for topical application.

Do not take any supplement containing magnesium stearate.

Magnesium stearate is a common but hazardous additive and so be sure to avoid it.

Finally, avoid chronic stress, alcohol, gluten, tap water laced with sodium fluoride, and consumption of black tea or decaffeinated coffee in order to prevent wasting of magnesium.

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