As you age, your body becomes less and less able to absorb minerals, which can threaten your wellness with a magnesium deficiency. This can lead to calf cramps, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, muscle weakness and metabolic disorders, so you can see how essential it is to get enough magnesium in your diet on a daily basis. After the age of 30, your daily requirement for this mineral increases to 420mg for men and 320mg for women, so how on earth do you get all that magnesium in your diet?
1. Beans: There’s a good amount of magnesium in raw lima beans, which the great northern bean contains 340mg per cup – so that’s more than your daily allowance in one go (if you’re a woman). However, as cooked beans lessen in magnesium value by more than half, you should avoid cooking them, or try to cook them as little as possible.
2. Artichokes: These unusual vegetables are amazing sources of magnesium, containing 73mg in a medium artichoke. This is 18% of your daily value, and the vegetables will retain their nutritional value even if you boil them. When it comes to other cooking methods, the wellness experts are split on what to recommend for magnesium retention, so just stick with boiling.
3. Spinach: Almost every diet and nutrition article gives a special shout out to dark, leafy vegetables, as they are known for their incredible nutritive content. All of these veggies contain magnesium, but spinach leaves (pun not intended) them all behind. In a single cup of spinach, you can get a whopping 150mg of magnesium, making it one of the best sources. Still, the downside of spinach is that it contains a high concentration of oxalic acid, which can cause kidney-related diseases, so don’t consume it more than once a week.
4. Oysters: If you’re a seafood person then here’s some good news for you: adding oysters to your meal can give you an added 81mg magnesium boost. Whether you love them raw, steamed, stewed, roasted, broiled, sautéed, baked or poached, you can get plenty of the mineral in your diet. However, the bacteria associated with oysters have been known to cause gastrointestinal problems, so it’s recommended that you cook them to 140 degrees.
5. Dark chocolate: Here’s one for all the chocoholics out there: cocoa powder has a number of health benefits, one of which being a great magnesium content. In 100g of cocoa powder, you’ll find 499mg of the mineral, and when that powder is part of your favourite dark chocolate, you can expect up to 330mg of magnesium in 100g. You hardly need an excuse to eat more chocolate, but it helps! Just remember not to overdo it as chocolate still contains a lot of weight-gain-and-diabetes-inducing sugar.
6. Dairy products: Your body easily absorbs milk and its products, which makes it an excellent way to attain your daily magnesium needs. Milk and yoghurt are the best dairy sources of magnesium and potassium, and their calcium content is also beneficial as you age to prevent bone diseases like osteoporosis.
7. Cereals: Why not have cereal with your milk or yoghurt in the morning and get a magnesium two-for-one special? The best cereal sources of magnesium are the ones that are high in fibre, so opt for one with wheat, oats, buckwheat, rice and barley.
8. Banana: This fruit is a great source of magnesium and, if added to your breakfast bowl, can make a magnesium triple threat! In 100g of banana there’s a good 27mg of the mineral, which can help you get a quick magnesium fix when you’re on-the-go. However, if you’re diabetic or on an anti-cholesterol diet, you should perhaps avoid getting your magnesium needs from this fruit.