The Best Foods High in Magnesium to Improve Sleep and Boost Your Muscles

Caroline Tien
·7 min read

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As anyone who’s ever sat through a middle school health class knows, calcium is a necessary mineral for strong bones and teeth. But what you probably don’t know is that it’s not the only one that plays a role there.

Meet magnesium, another whiz kid of the nutrition world. Along with bolstering bone health, the all-important mineral serves a bunch of other important functions in your body. Read on for a few reasons why it’s so essential to your health—plus some recs for foods high in magnesium that you’ll want to add to your next dinner plate.

What makes magnesium such a big deal?

Magnesium plays a vital role in literally hundreds of physical functions. Take bone development: One 2022 meta-analysis published in the journal Bone concluded that people 60 and over who consumed more magnesium had higher bone mineral density in their hip area than those who took in less. That’s important, since lower bone density can lead to osteoporosis, a condition that can leave you more susceptible to fractures.

Besides the bone stuff, the mineral also helps with muscle contractions, nerve function, immune system support, heartbeat regulation, and blood sugar and blood pressure control. What’s more, increasing your magnesium intake may also reduce your risk of several health conditions, including stroke, heart failure, and type 2 diabetes.

Getting enough magnesium could enhance your immediate quality of life too. Separate research has linked the mineral to improvements in sleep, better exercise performance, and less anxiety, depression, and PMS, to name a few possible health benefits. In fact, a 2023 review published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry concluded that adults with depression experienced an improvement in their symptoms after taking magnesium supplements.

In short, this isn’t a mineral you want to skimp on—which is why it’s so important to make sure your diet contains enough of it. Our bodies don’t produce any magnesium at all, registered dietitian Vincci Tsui, RD, a certified intuitive eating counselor based in Canada, tells SELF, so it has to come from outside sources—like the food we eat.

How much magnesium should you take in each day?

Per the National Library of Medicine, the magnesium recommended dietary allowance (or the amount of magnesium you should consume per day) is 400 to 420 milligrams (mg) for men and 310 to 320 mg for women. And people who are pregnant or breastfeeding may need up to 400 and 360 mg per day, respectively.

Even though magnesium is found in a wide variety of foods, research has consistently shown that many Americans don’t hit their daily goal. Still, because our bodies have built-in mechanisms for retaining the mineral, an actual magnesium deficiency is actually pretty rare, Janice Dada, MPH, RDN, a certified intuitive eating counselor based in California, tells SELF. But that doesn’t mean it’s something to take lightly: Low magnesium can cause symptoms like nausea, fatigue, weakness, and more. And chronic deficits have been linked to health problems like dementia, cancer, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease (including stroke, heart failure, and arrhythmia or abnormal heart rhythm).

Older men, adolescents, and people with certain GI conditions (like Crohn’s disease), type 2 diabetes, and alcohol use disorder are at higher risk for magnesium deficiency, so members of those demographics might want to “pay a little extra attention” to make sure they’re getting enough, Dada says.

What are the best magnesium-rich foods?

If you’re trying to increase your magnesium intake, the first thing you should know is that some foods pack much, much more of the mineral than others. Here’s a few of the best options.

Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are an excellent natural source of magnesium, according to Tsui. (And, considering that Halloween is fast approaching, one that’s both seasonally appropriate and readily available right now.)

Just one cup of dried pumpkin seeds contains around 764 mg of magnesium, according to the USDA—so even a quarter cup or so can play a big role in meeting your daily needs, Tsui says.

You can eat the seeds raw or roast them to bring out a little more flavor. From there, snack on them on their own, or sprinkle them on to your meal for more oomph. Tsui likes to use them as a topping to add “some extra flavor, texture, and nutrition” to dishes like yogurt, porridge, granola, and salads.

Chia seeds

Next up is another type of seed: One ounce of chia seeds (roughly 1/8 cup) contains 95 mg of magnesium, according to the USDA. What’s more, the seeds contain a bunch of other beneficial nutrients, including protein (which helps build muscle and boost recovery post-workout), fiber (which prevents constipation and makes pooping easier), antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids, Dada says.

Chia seeds also work well in tons of dishes, making them super easy to cook with. You can add some to any salad for a little lunchtime crunch or stir them into smoothies, puddings, or overnight oats for a low-effort and travel-friendly breakfast option, according to Dada. Oats with chia seeds, fruit, milk, and peanut butter make a “great vehicle to get all of that nutrition in,” she says. And if you’re pressed for time or don’t have any oats on hand, you can always combine the chia seeds with hot water to turn them into a quick on-the-go meal.

Nuts

Like seeds, nuts tend to be high in magnesium. One ounce of raw cashews and almonds (roughly 1/8 cup) contains 83 and 78 milligrams, respectively, according to the University of Rochester. For an even bigger punch, make them the Brazil kind. A 2022 study published in the journal Foods found that Brazil nuts had the highest magnesium content out of all 10 types of nuts analyzed. One cup packs 500 mg, according to the USDA.

You don’t need to eat nuts raw to reap these benefits, either. Nut butters like almond butter, peanut butter, and sunflower seed butter can also deliver a hefty dose. Just two tablespoons of peanut butter contains 54 mg, for example.

Soy products

If you prefer a non-dairy cereal option in the morning, you might just have one rich source of magnesium sitting in your fridge: soy milk. One cup contains 37 mg of magnesium, according to the USDA. (Per Dada, regular dairy can actually be a good source of magnesium too. For example, one seven-ounce container of plain Greek yogurt contains 22 mg of it.)

On that note, tofu is also high in magnesium because it’s typically prepared with soy milk. For a magnesium-rich dinner idea, Tsui recommends miso soup, mapo tofu, or a basic stir-fry—simply follow these steps to achieve that perfect crispiness. You can even add some sweet dessert tofu to a smoothie to make the texture a little more creamy.

Legumes

Speaking of soy, soybeans—like edamame, the immature form of the bean—are also rich in magnesium. One cup contains 99 mg of the mineral, according to the USDA. And other legume varieties are packing it too. In fact, the five most frequently purchased kinds in the US—pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, and chickpeas—contain roughly between 79 to 120 mg per cup. Lentils, another popular option, come in at 71 mg. You can transform any of these into soups, salads, and a whole host of other delicious dishes.

Dark leafy greens

Think salad staples like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard. One cup of raw spinach contains 24 mg of magnesium, according to the USDA. “I love to have it raw on a sandwich or as the base of a salad,” Dada says. “I might add some arugula or some other types of greens, too, just for some variation in texture.” Using it in a veggie smoothie is always an option as well.

And if you’re really looking to maximize your magnesium intake? Go all out and combine spinach (or another dark leafy green of your choice) with other foods high in magnesium like tofu or legumes to create a stir-fry, soup, or stew, according to Tsui. You don’t need to worry about taking in too much of it through your meals—for most folks, eating too much magnesium doesn’t pose any health risk. So go ahead, load up on these tasty options, so you can be sure you won’t miss out on any of the benefits associated with this small but mighty mineral.

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Originally Appeared on Self

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