Beyond Basic Nutrition: Magnesium

Magnesium is the fourth most common mineral in the body after calcium, potassium, and sodium. You’d think being in the top four, magnesium would get some attention when it comes to health and well-being – as much as calcium does, for example. But despite its importance, not many people could say why getting enough magnesium is important, nor name a good food source of this essential mineral that gets no respect.

Magnesium: an essential nutrient that wears many hats

Magnesium plays a number of roles in the body, being involved in more than 325 different metabolic reactions, which means it’s in high demand. It helps the body to metabolize fat, protein, and carbohydrates, enabling our cells to get ‘energy’ from the food we eat. People who eat more magnesium-containing foods tend to have less pre-diabetes (insulin resistance) and diabetes. It aids in the proper functioning of your genes, DNA synthesis, and for cell replication (your body’s cells are constantly being renewed). Magnesium helps to both relax and contract your muscles, which is very important for those who exercise, especially so for athletes.

Magnesium helps different types of muscles, including those in your heart and blood vessels, and it’s very important in bone health by helping calcium and phosphorus to be used to make and maintain a strong skeleton. Magnesium is needed to help convert vitamin D into its active form, so without enough magnesium, vitamin D can’t do all of the amazing things it’s meant to do when it comes to reducing the risk for chronic disease. People who get a lot of magnesium from their diet tend to have lower blood pressure, and lower rates of heart disease, stroke, muscle aches, migraines, depression, chronic fatigue, insomnia, asthma, and allergies.

How much magnesium do we need for optimal health?

Despite magnesium’s vital role in health, most people aren’t getting enough from the foods that they eat. Based on analyses of dietary intakes, it’s estimated that people in Western societies are getting less than half of those recorded 100 years ago, from about 500 mg per day to 175-250 mg per day – and magnesium intake is still falling. This is due primarily because our modern diets are highly processed and refined. To make matters worse, research is suggesting that the amount of magnesium required for optimum health has been underestimated in the past. While a blood test to determine magnesium status is not standard for most people, there are some nutritional risk factors and eating habits that are associated with low magnesium intake, and can be used as clues to the body’s level:

• If you eat a lot of refined white flour products instead of 100% whole grain products, including wheat and oat brans
• If you don’t eat a lot of green vegetables, especially dark green leafy vegetables
• If you don’t eat many nuts, seeds, and legumes/pulses, such as chickpeas, lentils, and dried peas and beans
• If regularly eat or drink sugar-sweetened foods and beverages
• If you regularly drink alcohol
• If you follow a calorie-restricted diet
• If you take anti-acids (different from ̔antacids̓), specifically H₂ (stomach acid) antagonists (i.e. Zantac^® and Pepsid^®] or proton pump inhibitors (Prevacid^®)
• If you have a digestive system-related health issue like Crohnʼs disease, ulcerative colitis, or celiac disease, due to impaired absorption and increased losses of magnesium
• If you have pre-diabetes or diabetes, due to increased loss of magnesium in the urine
• Use the antibiotics gentamicin or amphotericin
• If youʼre taking diuretics such as Lasix^®, Bumex^®, Edecrin^®, or hydrochlorothiazide
• Are an older adult, due to a decreased absorption, as well as decreased dietary intake of magnesium

How much magnesium do you need?

According to the United States Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI), which are very similar to recommendations in other countries, the following are the requirements for teenagers and adults:

Magnesium is abundant in unrefined whole grains products, such as 100% whole wheat bread and cereals; leafy green vegetables (spinach), nuts and seeds, and legumes/pulses (lentils, chick peas, and dried beans and peas). The following is a list of a few good food sources of magnesium.

Magnesium is easily lost in cooking water, so it is recommended to lightly steam magnesium-rich vegetables rather than boil them, unless the cooking water will be used

What’s the bottom line on magnesium?

Given the potential for sub-optimal magnesium intake, anyone not already doing so should make a conscious effort to eat more magnesium-rich foods every day. Even simple changes like eating more 100% whole grain products and boosting your intake of nuts and seeds can make a big impact. If need, reach for a multivitamin/mineral – look for one with at least 100 mg of magnesium, or take additional magnesium. A word of caution: taking more than 400 mg of magnesium per day from supplements (but not food) may cause soft to loose stools; this is not something to be worried about – if it happens, just reduce the amount of magnesium you’re getting from supplements.

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For more information, check out the websites of the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements – Magnesium and the Nutritional Magnesium Association.