Which foods contain most magnesium? How to ensure the correct daily intake in the diet? Let’s see which foods contain magnesium and what are the recommended quantities
In normal conditions, the plasmatic concentration of magnesium varies between 1.8 and 2.6 mg/dL. To keep these values constant, the average daily intake of magnesium is 350 mg for men and 320 mg for women, excluding periods of pregnancy and breast-feeding, when the intake should be between 320 and 360 mg.
A correct, balanced diet can provide the body with all the nutrients it requires. In our case, not only magnesium-rich foods make a difference, but water intake is also essential. In fact, water alone can provide almost 10% of the daily requirement. The waters richest in magnesium are “hard waters”, those which contain around 30 mg/L of the mineral.
The foods that are richest in magnesium are almonds, walnuts, cocoa, oil seeds (e.g., pumpkin, sunflower, linseed and soy), beans, cereals and all green vegetables: in fact, magnesium is an integral part of chlorophyll! To a lesser extent, excellent sources of magnesium are also fruit, particularly peaches, bananas and cherries, meat, fish and dairy products.
However, take care when cooking, even foods with the highest magnesium content. Unfortunately, even when cooked for a short time the magnesium content of any food is significantly reduced, and generally the most important nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, are all lost.
Which foods contain magnesium?
Take a look at the table below to see which foods contain most magnesium and the amount of this mineral per 100 g of product. Remember that the values refer to raw, untreated products and that a significant percentage of magnesium is lost through cooking, thus reducing the daily intake of nutrients through the diet.
| High | mg/100g | Medium | mg/100g | Low | mg/100g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bran | 420 | Sweetcorn | 120 | Pasta | 57 |
| Dark chocolate | 292 | Chard | 113 | Fish | 54 |
| Almonds | 255 | Milk chocolate | 107 | White flour | 37 |
| Cocoa | 192 | Whole grain rice | 106 | Bananas | 31 |
| Peanuts | 167 | Dried figs | 82 | Veal | 28 |
| Whole wheat bread | 60 | Beef, pork | 25 | ||
| Cherries | 14 | ||||
| Plums, oranges | 11 | ||||
| Apples, pears | 10 | ||||