Magnesium is an extremely important mineral involved in hundreds of chemical reactions in your body and helps you maintain good health. Many people don’t reach the Daily Value (DV) of 420 milligrams (mg). You can easily meet your daily needs by eating foods high in magnesium. This article explores a variety of nutrient-dense, magnesium-rich vegan foods, offering practical ways to incorporate them into your diet.
Why is Magnesium Important?
Magnesium is an important mineral that a person’s body needs in order to function. The heart, muscles, and kidneys all need magnesium to work properly. The mineral also helps build teeth and bones. Magnesium is crucial for bodily functions and is abundant in various foods like dark leafy greens, seeds, and beans. The fourth most abundant mineral in the body, magnesium is required for the heart and circulation, for blood sugar balance, mood and sleep.
Approximately 60 per cent of magnesium is locked inside our bones, making it an important factor for bone strength and health. The remainder is utilised in soft tissues including the liver, muscles, heart and kidneys and the fluid inside these, known as intracellular fluid. It is inside this fluid that magnesium participates in more than 300 biochemical reactions with roles ranging from protein synthesis, calcium balance, vitamin D formation to muscle contraction. Magnesium is essential for regulating heart rhythm and blood sugar (glucose) levels and it supports immune function.
Recommended Daily Intake
The amount you need depends on your age and gender. If you're a woman aged 19 or older, you need 310 milligrams a day - 350 milligrams if you're pregnant. If you're an adult man under age 30, you need 400 milligrams a day. After 30, men need 420 milligrams.
Some general recommended guidelines for magnesium intake are as follows:
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- Infants need 40-80 milligrams/day.
- Children should get 120-170 milligrams/day.
- Women and people assigned female at birth should get 280-300 milligrams/day. You may need more if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Men and people assigned male at birth need 270-400 milligrams/day.
Daily UK recommendations for men and women are 300mg and 270mg respectively.
Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency
Symptoms of low magnesium (hypomagnesemia) may include nausea and vomiting, weakness, lower appetite, muscle cramps, and numbness.
Certain conditions can give your body a long-term shortage of magnesium. These include:
- Crohn's disease
- Celiac disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Alcoholism
- Chronic diarrhea
Common symptoms may include:
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
Top Vegan Food Sources of Magnesium
1. Seeds
Seeds contain all the nutrients a plant needs to develop and grow, because of this they are extremely nutritious and make valuable contributions to your magnesium intake. Many seed varieties - including flax, pumpkin, and chia seeds - contain high amounts of magnesium. Pumpkin seeds are a particularly good source, with 168 mg in a 1-oz. (28-g) serving. This amounts to a whopping 40% of the DV for magnesium. In addition, seeds are rich in iron, monounsaturated fat, and omega-3 fatty acids.
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Amount of magnesium per 100g:
- Flaxseed - 392mg
- Sesame seeds - 370mg
- Chia seeds - 335mg
- Pumpkin seeds - 270mg
Increase your intake with recipes that use tahini, flaxseeds (linseed), pumpkin and chia. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over yogurt, salads or add to homemade granola.
2. Nuts
Convenient and nourishing, nuts are a tasty snack and despite being high in fat, make an important contribution to a healthy, balanced diet. Each nut has different nutritional credentials, with some nuts being richer in certain nutrients than others. Nuts that are particularly high in magnesium include almonds, cashews, and Brazil nuts. For instance, a 1-oz. (28-g) serving of cashews contains 83 mg of magnesium, or 20% of the DV. Brazil nuts are also extremely high in selenium. In fact, just one Brazil nut provides nearly 175% of the DV for this mineral.
Amount of magnesium per 100g:
- Almonds - 270mg
- Brazil nuts - 254mg
- Cashew - 250mg
- Hazelnuts - 160mg
- Walnuts - 160mg
Nuts are easy to include in your diet - make them the start to your day with our apricot & hazelnut muesli or our almond butter, or a hero ingredient in a curry or a salad.
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3. Beans and Legumes
Legumes are a family of nutrient-dense plants that include lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas, and soybeans. They’re very rich in many different nutrients. For instance, a 1-cup (172-g) serving of cooked black beans contains an impressive 120 mg of magnesium, which is 29% of the DV. Because legumes are rich in fiber and have a low glycemic index (GI), they may help lower cholesterol levels, improve blood sugar control, and reduce the chance of heart disease.
Although often considered a nut, peanuts are actually a member of the legume (bean) family and make a particularly useful contribution of magnesium. Legumes are a good source of plant-based protein, they’re also high in fibre and contribute a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Amount of magnesium per 100g:
- Peanuts - 210mg
- Edamame - 61mg
- Tofu (soya beans) - 23mg
- Chickpeas (canned) - 37mg
- Pinto beans (canned) - 32mg
- Kidney beans (canned) - 30mg
- Red lentils (boiled) - 26mg
Check out our delicious peanut butter date & oat pots, our edamame & chickpea falafel wraps, peppered pinto beans and our spicy red lentil chilli.
4. Green Leafy Vegetables
Often cited as a good source of magnesium, green leafy veggies make a useful contribution, especially the darker leaves, such as spinach and chard. Leafy greens with significant amounts of magnesium include kale, spinach, collard greens, turnip greens, and mustard greens. For instance, a 1-cup (180-g) serving of cooked spinach has 158 mg of magnesium, or 37% of the DV. In addition, leafy greens like spinach are also an excellent source of several nutrients, including iron, manganese, and vitamins A, C, and K.
Amount of magnesium per 100g:
- Spinach (boiled) - 112mg
- Chard (boiled) - 86mg
- Rocket (raw) - 28mg
Offering an impressive nutrient profile, leafy greens make a valuable addition to your daily diet - include them in our curried spinach eggs, chard, sweet potato and peanut stew, and rocket pesto.
5. Whole Grains
Whole grains like wheat, oats, and barley, as well as pseudocereals like buckwheat and quinoa, are excellent sources of many nutrients, including magnesium. A 1-cup (168-g) serving of cooked buckwheat contains 86 mg of magnesium, which is 20% of the DV. Many whole grains are also high in B vitamins, selenium, manganese, and fiber. In controlled studies, whole grains have even been shown to reduce inflammation and decrease several risk factors for heart disease.
Amount of magnesium per 100g:
- Quinoa (boiled) - 64mg
- Wholegrain brown rice (boiled) - 48mg
- Bulgur wheat (boiled) - 32mg
- Barley (boiled) - 22mg
Increase your intake with our quinoa chilli, stir-fried chicken with broccoli & brown rice, charred sweetcorn & bulgur wheat pilaf or our squash barley salad.
6. Dark Chocolate
Rich in protective plant compounds called polyphenols, high cocoa chocolate offers a host of health benefits from supporting mood and brain function to being heart friendly. It is also a rich source of magnesium as well as contributing other valuable minerals like iron, copper and manganese. To optimise the many benefits of dark chocolate choose a product containing at least 85 per cent cocoa solids. Dark chocolate is very rich in magnesium, with 65 mg in a 1-ounce (oz), or 28 grams (g), serving, which is about 15% of the DV. It’s also in high in iron, copper, and manganese and contains prebiotic fiber that can help feed the beneficial bacteria in the gut.
Amount of magnesium per 100g:
- Dark high cocoa chocolate - 89mg
Try this delicious aubergine chilli with dark chocolate.
7. Fruit
Banana and avocado both make useful contributions. Bananas are most well-known for their high potassium content, which can help lower blood pressure and is linked to a reduced chance of heart disease. Plus, they’re also rich in magnesium, with 37 mg of magnesium, or 9% of the DV, in one large banana. Avocados have 58 mg of magnesium per fruit, which is 14% of a person’s needs for the day, and they also contain healthy fats (which are good for heart and brain health).
Amount of magnesium per 100g:
- Banana - 27mg
- Avocado - 25mg
Try our guacamole and mango black bean salad, our avocado, roasted broccoli & sesame rice or our fragrant spiced chicken with banana sambal.
8. Tofu
Tofu is a staple food in vegetarian diets due to its high protein content. Made by pressing soybean milk into soft white curds, it’s also known as bean curd. A 3.5-oz. (100-g) serving contains 35 mg of magnesium, which is 8% of the DV. One serving also provides 10 g of protein and a good amount of calcium, iron, manganese, and selenium.
Incorporating Magnesium into Your Daily Diet
To get the recommended amount of magnesium your body requires, Taylor recommends eating:
- Five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
- At least three servings of whole grains per day.
- One ounce or 1/4 cup of nuts or seeds per day.
- One serving (about 1/2 cup cooked) of legumes most days of the week.
Meals featuring the magnesium-rich foods noted above are just plain good for you, too. The benefits of these foods often go far beyond just magnesium. Consider them a foundation for a healthy diet.
Can You Have Too Much Magnesium?
Too much magnesium from food doesn’t pose a problem for healthy people as any excess is excreted by the kidneys via the urine. However, taking high dose supplements may cause gut problems such as diarrhoea, nausea or stomach cramping. Guidance recommends that you not exceed a daily intake of 400mg.
Who should not take magnesium
Don't take a magnesium supplement if you have certain conditions, such as:
- Heart block
- Kidney failure
- Bowel obstruction
- Myasthenia gravis