Magnesium Rich Foods
Include Magnesium Rich Foods In Your Diet
Any list of magnesium rich foods will more than likely contain a number of items that you like, but before stocking the pantry with these items, it might be nice to know why we need magnesium in the first place, how much is enough, and what symptoms might we experience if we have a magnesium deficiency. Taking things a step farther, a little knowledge of how our body uses magnesium can be enlightening.
Magnesium, The Neglected Element - We don't usually think too much about magnesium rich foods, because we don't know why we need it, and for that matter, many are unaware that we need it. What you don't know probably won't hurt you if you eat what most would consider a healthy, well-balanced diet. You'll probably get the magnesium you need, but you need more than you might think. Magnesium is used in every cell in our body. Even if used only in minute amounts, we have lots of cells, and of all the elements our body uses, magnesium ranks fourth from the top. About half of it is found in our body tissues, the other half in our bones, and a tiny percentage in our blood. This tiny percentage in the blood, about 1%, is extremely important to our well being however, and if the amount is deficient, our body will soon let us know.
We think of calcium as the mineral which keeps bones strong, but magnesium plays a role here as well. In fact calcium, though beneficial and needed for strong bones, is a magnesium antagonist, meaning simply that an excess of calcium in our system can hinder the absorption of magnesium. In a normal diet this usually won't happen, but when people take large amounts of calcium supplements because they're worried about their bones, they run the risk of a magnesium deficiency. Besides the bone, our muscles require magnesium to perform normally, and magnesium plays a very important role in the proper functioning of our immune system, and in our metabolic functions. A diet containing magnesium rich foods will therefore be good for your bones, your muscles, immune system, metabolism, and all of your cells. Magnesium, the often forgotten or underrated trace element our body needs, packs a pretty potent punch as far as our general health is concerned.
How Much Magnesium Do We Really Need? - Men in general have a higher recommended daily requirement for magnesium than women. Men need about 400 milligrams (mgs) a day, while the requirement for women is just over 300 mgs, with breast feeding women needing around 350 mgs a day. Pregnant women have the same requirement as adult men, while children and preteens require between 100 and 240 mgs per day. Men seem to have an easier time of it meeting their daily requirements, only about 3/4 of women do, possibly because men tend to eat more.
Magnesium Rich Foods Are Good Tasting As Well - A daily diet of fruits, vegetables, meat or fish, and grains, will usually do the job for you, but if you're looking for some specific magnesium rich foods, try these:
One cup of spinach will give you 163 mgs of magnesium, a 6 ounce fillet of halibut adds another 180 mgs. Have a glass of milk with that (equivalent to one cup), and you get another 80 mgs and, man or woman, you've met your requirement. So, it's not all that hard. Beans are also high on the list of magnesium rich foods with a cup of black beans contributing 120 mgs, white beans - 134 mgs, and navy beans - 107 mgs. Even baked beans - 81 mgs, add quite a bit, and if you like Mexican, refried beans are another solid choice. And, if you live in an area where the tap water is hard water, there's a good chance that several glasses of water a day could make a significant contribution to your daily requirement for magnesium. We normally will not see tap water in any list of magnesium rich foods, but it almost could be. Soft water is a different story, not because it doesn't contain magnesium, but hard water normally contains a good deal more. (continued...)