Magnesium and nutrition

The aim of a balanced diet is to provide the body with all essential nutrients. This includes magnesium, as the mineral is involved in many vital functions of the body. To cover daily magnesium requirements, the D-A-CH reference values for adults indicate a recommended intake of 300 to 350 mg magnesium per day, depending on gender. Food plays an important role here.

Although magnesium is contained in numerous foods, the proportions differ considerably. While nuts, seeds and legumes are very good sources of magnesium, fruit and vegetables are better at providing vitamins, fibre and minerals other than magnesium. By the way: even dark chocolate contributes to a magnesium-rich diet. However, it should only be eaten in moderation, as it also contains a lot of fat.

For an initial overview, the following tables categorise selected foods in accordance with high, medium and low magnesium content.

Maintaining balanced magnesium levels is not that easy. You can fill your magnesium “store” with the following foods: 

For example, wholemeal products contain more magnesium than foods made from white flour.

Legumes are rich in magnesium. Peas, beans and lentils in particular belong to this group and should be included in your meals.

Cashew nuts contain around 270milligramsof magnesium. The example shows that nuts are valuable sources of the mineral and should be included in your diet.