Magnesium-rich Foods to add to your Diet

Do you know that magnesium-rich foods can help you get the required amount of magnesium?

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals your body needs.

It is involved in a number of chemical relations in your body and helps to maintain good health.

It is involved in over 600 cellular reactions, from making DNA to helping your muscles contract.

Moreover, magnesium helps to maintain proper levels of other minerals like calcium, potassium, and zinc.

Your heart, muscles, and kidneys all need magnesium to work properly and this mineral also helps to build your teeth and bones.

However, many people do not reach the reference daily intake, RDA of 400 mg.

Yet, you can easily meet your daily needs by consuming food that is high in magnesium.

Keep on reading to learn more about magnesium-rich foods in detail.

Magnesium-rich Foods and their Importance

Some of the benefits of magnesium are as follows:

MAintains Healthy Brain Function

Magnesium plays an important in relaying signals between your brain and body.

It also acts as a gatekeeper for the N-methyl-D-aspartate, and NMDA receptors.

These are found in the nerve cells and aid in brain development, memory, and learning.

However, when magnesium levels are low, fewer NMDA receptors block and are prone to be stimulated more often.

This kind of overstimulation can kill nerve cells and can lead to brain damage.

Healthy heartbeat

It is important to note that magnesium is important for maintaining a healthy heartbeat.

Moreover, it naturally competes with calcium, which is important for generating heart contractions.

When calcium enters the muscles of your heat, it stimulates the muscle fibers to contract.

However, magnesium counters this effect, thus, helping these muscles to relax.

This movement helps your heart cells to maintain a healthy heartbeat.

In cases there are low magnesium levels, calcium can overstimulate your heart muscles.

One of the common symptoms of this is a rapid and/or irregular heartbeat, which can be life-threatening.

Regulates Muscles COntraction

Just like in your heat, magnesium acts as a natural calcium blocker to help your muscles relax.

In your muscles, calcium tends to bind with proteins like troponin C and myosin.

This process changes the shape of proteins and in turn generates contraction.

When your body has low levels of magnesium, your muscles tend to contract too much, thus causing cramps or spasms.

For this reason, your doctor can recommend magnesium to treat muscle cramps.

Health Benefits of Magnesium

A diet with magnesium-rich foods can help to have impressive health benefits.

Some of these are:

Lower Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is one of the concerns that affect one in three Americans.

Moreover, studies indicate that taking magnesium can help lower your blood pressure.

Studies indicate that people who take 450 mg of magnesium daily experience a fall in systolic, i.e. upper, and diastolic, i.e. lower blood pressure values by 20.4 and 8.7 respectively.

Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease

A number of studies indicate that low magnesium levels lead to a higher risk of heart disease.

One study suggests that those with the lowest levels of magnesium experience the highest risk of death.

This is especially due to heart disease.

Thus, increasing your intake can help lower this risk.

Improve blood sugar control in Type 2 Diabetes

If you are one of the people with type 2 diabetes, then you will often have low magnesium levels.

This can, in turn, worsen your condition as magnesium helps to regulate insulin and moves sugar out of the blood and into the cells for storage.

Help Improve Sleep Quality

Poor sleep is one of the major health problems around the world.

Taking magnesium can help improve sleep quality by helping your mind and body to relax.

Moreover, this relaxation can help you fall asleep faster and can also improve your sleep quality.

Now, let’s discuss the 10 healthy magnesium-rich foods you can add to your diet.

Magnesium-rich Foods: Dark Chocolate

Not only is dark chocolate delicious but it is also healthy

It is one of the magnesium-rich foods, with 64 mg in a 1 ounce or 28-gram serving, which is 16% of the RDI.

Moreover, dark chocolate is also high in iron, copper, and manganese, and contains prebiotic fiber that feels your healthy gut bacteria.

Furthermore, it is loaded with beneficial antioxidants.

These are nutrients that help to neutralize free radicals, which are harmful molecules that can damage your cells and lead to diseases

Additionally, dark chocolate is especially helpful for your heart health as it contains flavanols.

Flavanols are powerful antioxidant compounds that prevent bad, LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and sticking to the cells lining your arteries.

In order to make the most of the benefits of dark chocolate, choose a product that contains at least 70% cocoa solids.

While a higher percentage is even better for your health.

Avocadoes

Avocadoes are another magnesium-rich food.

It is an incredibly nutritious food and a tasty source of magnesium.

Moreover, one medium avocado contains 58mg of magnesium which is about 15% of the RDI.

Also, they are high in potassium, B vitamins, and vitamin K.

And unlike other fruits, they are high in fat, especially heart-healthy monosaturated fats.

Additionally, avocadoes are an excellent source of fiber.

In fact, 13 grams of carbs in an avocado come from fiber, thus, making it very low in digestible carbs.

Studies indicate that eating avocadoes can help reduce inflammation, improve cholesterol levels and increase feelings of fullness after meals.

Nuts

Nuts are both nutritious and tasty.

Types of nuts that are especially high in magnesium are almonds, cashews, and Brazil nuts.

For example, a 1 ounce or 28 gram serving of cashew contains 82 mg of magnesium or 20% of the RDI.

Moreover, most nuts tend to be a good source of both fiber and monosaturated fat.

Studies indicate that these help to improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels if you have diabetes.

Furthermore, Brazil nuts are extremely high in selenium.

In fact, just two Brazil nuts provide more than 100% of the RDI of magnesium.

Also, nuts tend to be anti-inflammatory, which makes them beneficial for your heart health.

And they can also reduce appetite when you eat them as snacks.

Legumes

Legumes are a family of nutrient-dense plants that include:

• lentils
• beans
•  chickpeas
• peas
• soybeans

They are rich in a number of different nutrients including magnesium.

For example, a 1 cup serving of cooked black beans contains an impressive 1120mg of magnesium, which is 30% of the RDI.

Moreover, legumes are also high in potassium and iron and are a major source of protein for vegetarians.

As legumes are rich in fiber and have a low glycemic index, GI.

They can help lower cholesterol, improve blood sugar control, and even decrease heart disease risk.

A fermented soybean product or natto is considered an excellent source of vitamin K2, which is important for bone health.

Tofu

Tofu is a staple food in vegetarian diets due to its high protein content.

It comes by pressing soybean milk into soft white curds and is also known as bean curd.

Moreover, a 3.5-ounce or 100-gram serving has 53 mg of magnesium, which is 13% of the RDI.

One serving also provides 10 grams of protein and about 10% or more of the RDI of calcium, iron, manganese, and selenium.

Additionally, studies indicate that eating tofu can help protect the cells lining the arteries and reduce your risk of stomach cancer.

Seeds

Seeds are incredibly healthy and many of them like flax, pumpkin, and chia seeds are magnesium-rich foods.

For instance, pumpkin seeds are especially a good source, with 150 mg in a 1 ounce or 28 grams serving.

Moreover, this amounts to a whopping 27% of the RDI.

Additionally, seeds are also rich in iron, monosaturated fat, and omega 3 fatty acids.

Interestingly, they tend to be extremely rich in fiber. In fact, nealry all of the carbs in seeds come from fiber.

They are also rich in antioxidants that help to protect your cells from harmful free radicals that are produced during metabolism.

Flaxseeds also help to reduce cholesterol and may also have benefits against breast cancer.

Whole Grains

These are an excellent source of a number of nutrients including magnesium.

A 1-ounce or 28-gram serving of dry buckwheat contains 65mg of magnesium, which is about 16% of the RDI.

A number of whole grains also are high in B vitamins, selenium, manganese, and fiber.

Controlled studies indicate that whole grains help to reduce inflammation and decrease heart disease risks.

Moreover, pseudocereals like buckwheat and quinoa are higher in protein and antioxidants than traditional grains like corn and wheat.

Interestingly, there are gluten-free, so if you are among people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, you can enjoy them as well.

Some Fatty Fish

One of the important things to note is that some types of fish especially fatty fish are very nutritious.

Different types of fish are high in magnesium and include salmon, mackerel, and halibut.

Half a fillet or 178 grams of salmon contains 53mg of magnesium, which is about 13%  of the RDI.

Moreover, it also provides an impressive 39grams of high-quality protein.

Additionally, fish is rich in protein, selenium, B vitamins, and different other nutrients.

According to studies, a high intake of fatty fish helps to decrease the risk of different chronic diseases, particularly heart diseases.

These benefits, however, have been attributed to high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.

Bananas

One of the most popular fruits in the world is the banana.

There are popular for their high potassium content, which can help lower blood pressure.

Moreover, it is also linked to a reduced risk of heart disease.

However, they are also rich in magnesium. One large banana packs 37mg or 9% of RDI.

It is important to note that ripe bananas are higher in sugar and carbs than most fruits, so they might not be suitable for people with diabetes.

But a large portion of carbs in unripe bananas is resistant to starch which you are unable to digest and absorb.

Furthermore, resistant starch may help lower blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation, and improve gut health, according to studies.

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are extremely healthy and are located with magnesium.

Moreover, greens with significant amounts of magnesium are:

• kale
• spinach
• collard greens
• turnip greens
• mustard greens

For instance, a 1-cup serving of cooked spinach contains 157mg of magnesium or 39% of the RDI.

Moreover, they are an excellent source of several other nutrients like iron, manganese, and vitamins A, C, and K.

It is important to note that leafy greens contain different beneficial plant compounds.

Thee can help protect your cells from damage and reduce cancer risk.

Final Thoughts

Magnesium is an important mineral that you may not be getting enough of. By adding magnesium-rich foods to your diet, you can make sure to add all the magnesium your need.

Thus, make sure to eat a balanced diet and up your intake of foods mentioned above to keep your health robust and body satisfied.

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