One major mineral is vital for our overall health. Magnesium is crucial for many bodily functions, yet magnesium deficiency is surprisingly common. Approximately 45 percent of Americans are estimated to be magnesium deficient, which can lead to various health issues, including hypertension, diabetes, and neurological disorders.
Despite its importance, nearly 60 percent of adults do not meet the average dietary intake for magnesium, a gap that has been linked to modern dietary practices and the decline in magnesium content of soil and food over the last century.
Furthermore, while people obsess over protein—a nutrient most get plenty of—the standard American diet typically provides only about 50 percent of the recommended magnesium intake.
This deficiency is often attributed to the high consumption of processed foods, which are low in magnesium but high in fats, sugars, and refined grains.
If you’re ready to get your magnesium in order, we’ve gathered insights from health experts on how to incorporate this powerhouse mineral into your daily routine.
Table of Contents
Why magnesium matters for your health
Magnesium is involved in nearly 80 percent of known metabolic functions, including energy production, DNA repair, and the regulation of nerve and muscle function. With many people not getting enough magnesium, there’s a growing concern that this deficiency might contribute to chronic health issues, including osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases.
About 60 percent of it is stored in the bones, with the rest distributed throughout tissues, muscles, and bodily fluids. “Magnesium is crucial for effective contractions of heart muscles and smooth muscles, like those in the arteries, intestines, and bladder,” Stephanie Dunne, MS, RDN, IFNCP, tells VegNews.
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This mineral is also a key player in more than 600 enzymatic reactions, including those that support energy production, DNA synthesis, and protein formation. “As well, the body cannot turn carbohydrates and fat into energy and cannot create certain proteins, like cholesterol, DNA, and RNA, without sufficient amounts of magnesium,” Dunne says.
What happens when we don’t get enough? “Without enough magnesium, symptoms like muscle cramps, fatigue, and irregular heartbeats can occur, and long-term deficiency can lead to conditions such as osteoporosis and high blood pressure,” Krutika Nanavati, a registered nutritionist and dietician, tells VegNews.
Bone health, sleep, and weight management
Magnesium’s role in bone health is one of its most important functions and incorporating magnesium-rich foods into your diet is crucial for skeletal health.
“As a dentist, I regularly advise my patients on the importance of magnesium,” Ryan Doyle, DDS, tells VegNews. “It helps absorb calcium and is essential for healthy teeth and bones.”
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Luckily, Doyle points out, plant-based sources of magnesium are not hard to find. Spinach, for example, offers approximately 40 percent of the recommended daily magnesium intake in just half a cup when cooked.
Magnesium also plays a significant role in metabolic health. Candice Seti, a clinical psychologist and a certified weight management specialist—who is also known as The Weight Loss Therapist—notes that magnesium helps improve insulin sensitivity, which in turn aids in weight management.
“Magnesium helps insulin move glucose into cells for energy use rather than storing it as fat,” Seti tells VegNews. By enhancing how the body handles glucose, Seti says magnesium supports weight control and can even help prevent or reverse pre-diabetes.
It is also key to knocking down anxiety, which can lead to reaching for unhealthy comfort foods in larger quantities than recommended.
“It is very common that people go for food to sooth in times of high stress or anxiety,” she says. “In addition, when stress is high, your body releases and abundance of the hormone, cortisol which can cause abdominal weight gain.”
“One huge benefit of magnesium supplementation is its role as a natural anxiety-reducer,” Seti says. “It essentially deactivates the impact of stress on the body by relaxing our muscles and turning off our fight-or-flight reaction.
Managing stress and ensuring a good night’s sleep are two areas where magnesium can have a profound impact.
Jordan Calabrese, MD, the Medical Director of Sana Lake Recovery, a rehabilitation center in Missouri, often uses magnesium in his practice to help patients manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms, noting its calming effects.
“Magnesium is also a powerful sleep aid,” Calabrese tells VegNews. “You hear a lot in the media about melatonin, but magnesium can be just as beneficial. When taken in combination, the two work together to help you have better sleep.”
Incorporating magnesium into your diet
For adults, the recommended magnesium intake is between 300mg and 420mg daily. The good news is that magnesium is naturally available in many delicious and nutritious foods.
As previously mentioned, leafy greens such as spinach and Swiss chard are excellent sources of magnesium as are nuts like almonds and cashews, seeds including pumpkin and sunflower seeds, beans, legumes, and whole grains like quinoa and brown rice. Avocados and bananas are also great options for adding variety to your magnesium-rich diet.
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“When you consume magnesium-rich foods, you are also getting a variety of other essential nutrients that can contribute to your overall well-being,” Nanavati says.
To optimize magnesium intake, Nanavati suggests cooking vegetables gently to preserve their magnesium content and limiting ultra-processed foods which are typically devoid of the mineral.
While whole foods are the best source of magnesium, there are other challenges involved in getting enough of the vital mineral.
“Unfortunately, over the last 50 years or so, magnesium levels in our food have been continually reduced due to processing and soil conditions,” Seti says. “So, for many of us, it will be difficult to get the necessary amount of magnesium through diet alone.”
Stress, digestive issues, and certain health conditions can also increase the body’s magnesium needs or affect its absorption.
“Absorption of magnesium in the intestines is more difficult for some people than for others and a supplement may be needed, regardless of how much magnesium is in the diet,” Dunne says, noting that people with Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, or pancreatic insufficiency may be most at risk for magnesium deficiency. Some oral contraceptives and other supplements, Dunne explains, can also reduce the body’s ability to absorb magnesium.
The experts recommend magnesium citrate or chloride for their high absorption rates. Doyle’s recommended brands include Doctor’s Best and BlueBonnet. Magnesium supplements also come in gel, cream, and spray formats.
One relaxing way to get more magnesium? Take a bath. Seti suggests trying Epsom salt baths as a practical and relaxing way to increase magnesium intake through skin absorption.
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Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.
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