Magnesium Rich Foods Chart

Magnesium is an often ignored mineral when it comes to dietary requirements. There's a lot of furore over getting enough calcium, and cutting back on sodium, but hardly much stress put on magnesium, despite its importance for the normal functioning of the human body. Magnesium is needed for the production of new cells, relaxation of nerves and muscles, manufacture of bone protein, clotting of blood, as well as for energy production. Magnesium deficiency can cause a number of health problem, including, but not limited to, irregular heart beats, muscle weakness, high blood pressure, fatigue, diabetes, insomnia and anxiety. Before you rush to pop a supplement though, it's important to understand that some basic changes in eating habits, to include foods high in magnesium and potassium can help in upping levels of this vital nutrient.

List of Magnesium Rich Foods

The following chart will give you an indication of a few foods that are high in magnesium. These are easy to include in any healthy balanced diet - many low calories foods, such as a number of vegetables and fruits figure in any given magnesium rich foods chart, and adding these to your diet will ensure you feel full, while keeping the calorie count in check. Go through the following foods rich in magnesium.

Fruit Sources	Vegetable Sources	Nut/Seed/Grain Sources	Meat/Fish/Dairy Sources
Banana	Artichokes	Almonds	Beef
Blackberries	Butternut squash	Pine nuts	Cheddar
Avocado	Amaranth leaves	Buckwheat	Cod
Blackcurrants	French beans	Cashew nuts	Caviar
Guavas	Lima Beans	Oats	Herring
Watermelon	Peas	Pumpkin seeds	Perch
Loganberries	Okra	Quinoa	Goat milk
Passion fruit	Chard	Durum wheat	Soy milk
Raspberries	Spirulina	Brazil nuts	Low fat yogurt

A magnesium rich foods list will also include the following, in addition to the above:

• Spinach
• Sunflower seeds
• Tuna
• Soy beans
• Sesame seeds
• Halibut
• Black beans
• Goat cheese
• Peanuts
• Beet greens
• Cornmeal
• Broccoli
• Parsnips
• Pumpkin
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Summer squash
• Prune juice
• Dried figs
• Barley

When using a magnesium rich foods chart to incorporate enough of this mineral in your daily diet, there are a few points to remember. With current obsessions regarding fat reduction, it may so happen that you're cutting out this vital food group from your diet - this is harmful, first because the body needs fats, and second, because fats aid in the absorption of minerals - such as magnesium, for instance. So instead of using fat free dressings on salads, pick dressings that are high in healthy fats such as olive oil, or canola oil, and give the fat free mayonnaise a miss. In addition, if weight loss is your aim, but you also need to up your magnesium levels, cut out foods that are refined and processed, such as white bread and baked products like cakes and cookies, which have a high glycemic index, and are proportionately high in empty calories. You may develop symptoms of magnesium deficiency despite a magnesium rich diet, if you aren't giving your body enough fats that are necessary for absorption.

Furthermore, those with a diet high in calcium, may also find that magnesium levels fall below normal - this is because calcium impedes the absorption of magnesium. Therefore if you include a lot of dairy products or calcium rich foods in your diet, the chances of developing problems related to low levels of magnesium may manifest in symptoms that are associated with magnesium deficiency. Including those foods that make an appearance on a magnesium rich foods chart is the best and safest way in which to ensure you keep to the recommended daily allowance of magnesium.