Magnesium: Dietary “Do”

I admit, even though I’ve been writing about health and nutrition for, oh, a decade now, magnesium has mostly been off my radar. In fact, if you’d asked me about this mineral a week ago, I’d probably mention that it helps the body absorb calcium. That’s true–but it’s also just a fraction of the picture.

“Magnesium is helpful in over 300 different functions in the body,” Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., medical director of the national Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers, informed me. In fact, several studies have shown that it can decrease migraine frequency by more than 60%–a rate better than that of several of the popular prescription migraine meds on the market. The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study found that women who consumed the most magnesium had the lowest rates of colon cancer, and other studies have tied it to a reduced risk of diabetes and stroke. If that wasn’t enough, heart attacks are lower in areas of the U.S. where the water is “hard” and contains more minerals, including magnesium.

Yet a magnesium deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies in the U.S. diet–just 32% of Americans get the 300-400 mg daily that they need. Here’s a rundown of magnesium-rich foods (which, luckily, are all tasty!):

• Pumpkin seeds (184 mg/.25 cup)
• Spinach (156 mg/cup)
• Salmon (138 mg/4 oz)
• Sesame seeds (126 mg/.25 cup)
• Quinoa (89 mg /.25 cup)
• Almonds (98 mg /.25 cup)
• Pinto beans (94 mg/cup)

P.S. If you want to be absolutely sure you’re getting enough magnesium, a supplement won’t hurt. Just don’t assume your cal mag pill will cover you, as calcium makes it difficult for the body to absorb magnesium. Instead, take a separate supplement of containing 100-200 mg magnesium a day (provided your doctor says it’s okay). Be sure to get a version that’s not magnesium oxide or hydroxide–those two versions are the hardest for the body to absorb.

–Camille