Foods containing magnesium: where is there a lot of magnesium?
Magnesium is one of the most important minerals - without it, even shaking hands would not be possible. Therefore, foods containing magnesium should be high on your diet. An overview of the best foods with magnesium.
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· Why is magnesium so important?
· How much magnesium do you need a day?
· The best foods containing magnesium
· Do all those who do sports need more magnesium?
· Magnesium-rich recipes
Magnesium is THE game player in many metabolic processes, without the mineral you would hardly be able to survive.
Table: Magnesium content of nuts and seeds
Magnesium (mg) per 100 grams | ||
420 mg | ||
400 mg | ||
350 mg | ||
330 mg | ||
270 mg | ||
170 mg | ||
160 mg | ||
158 mg | ||
156 mg | ||
140 mg |
Source: Prof. Dr. H. Fröleke. "The small nutritional table", Umschau-Verlag, 43rd edition, p. 44
Even a gentle handshake would not be possible if there was no magnesium in the body.
The good thing is that the nutrient can be found in a great many foods.
Find out how much magnesium you need per day, which foods containing magnesium optimally meet your needs and whether sports enthusiasts can achieve their daily requirements with a balanced diet without the additional intake of nutritional supplements.
Why is magnesium so important?
No energy without magnesium! Due to the activation of 300 enzymes, the mineral is involved in all metabolic processes and also in energy production (ATP) - without which the metabolism would not function.
In addition to calcium and vitamin K2, magnesium is one of the most important minerals for building bones and maintaining muscle .
After magnesium is absorbed by the small intestine, a large part is stored in the bones - to be precise: 60 percent of the magnesium is in the skeleton, 30 percent in the muscles and the rest in the cell tissue.
Magnesium is also necessary for the transmission of stimuli and muscle contraction - without, for example, you could not tense and relax your hands, arms or legs.
Table: Magnesium content of nuts and seeds
Magnesium (mg) per 100 grams | ||
420 mg | ||
400 mg | ||
350 mg | ||
330 mg | ||
270 mg | ||
170 mg | ||
160 mg | ||
158 mg | ||
156 mg | ||
140 mg |
Source: Prof. Dr. H. Fröleke. "The small nutritional table", Umschau-Verlag, 43rd edition, p. 44
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Other functions of magnesium in the body:
· improves the absorption of other minerals and vitamins such as calcium, potassium, phosphorous and vitamin D.
· reduces the production of the stress hormone cortisoland thus, on the one hand, promotes a general reduction in stress and, on the other hand, improves the quality of sleep through the release of tryptophan, which in turn is converted into melatonin in the body .
· Magnesium has a positive influence on blood pressure and thus also on the cardiovascular system.
· Magnesium can help with constipation and intestinal inflammation by relaxing the muscles of the intestinal wall on the one hand and reducing stress on the other hand, allowing you to sleep well and thus ensuring normal digestion.
How much magnesium do you need a day?
The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends 300 milligrams of magnesium per day for women from the age of 25 and 350 milligrams for men of the same age.
The daily requirement increases to 310 milligrams during pregnancy and to 390 milligrams during breastfeeding.
Sports enthusiasts could also have an increased need, as more magnesium is consumed in the body through sweaty training units and greater muscle strain.
People also have an increased need for:
· too much stress
· increased alcohol consumption
· Bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease
· Adrenal disease
· with a malfunction of the thyroid gland
· Table: Magnesium content of cereal products and pseudo-cereals
Magnesium (mg) per 100 grams | ||
490 mg | ||
308 mg | ||
280 mg | ||
276 mg | ||
135 mg | ||
120 mg | ||
178 mg | ||
114 mg | ||
106 mg | ||
86 mg |
· Source: Prof. Dr. I. Elmadfa et. al .: The large GU nutritional value and calorie table, GU-Verlag, pp. 9-11
If the daily magnesium requirement cannot be achieved through a balanced diet, an additional intake of food supplements can be considered with a doctor's agreement .
Absorption of magnesium in the body
Similar to the trace element zinc , the magnesium contained in food is not 100 percent absorbed by the body - only 30 to 50 percent is absorbed by the small intestine.
Animal magnesium is used comparatively better than vegetable magnesium.
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Furthermore, certain substances inhibit the absorption of magnesium. Right at the forefront are the so-called phytates and oxalic acid (for example contained in Swiss chard , spinach, rhubarb) or the protein ingested with food.
Phytates are mainly found in whole grain cereals, legumes and nuts - which in turn are very good sources of magnesium.
The problem: Phytates bind the mineral so strongly that it cannot be easily absorbed by the small intestine during digestion. But there is a solution: fermentation, roasting or soaking can break the strong bond.
Citric acid from fruit can also promote the absorption of magnesium. So a little breakfast tip: roasted oatmeal with quark, apples, cinnamon and chopped nuts.
Note: The reference values of the German Nutrition Society have already taken these factors into account in their recommendation.
The best foods containing magnesium
Table: Magnesium content in legumes, vegetables and fruits
30th | |
30th | |
29 | |
26th | |
26th | |
25th | |
24 | |
22nd | |
20th |
Source: Prof. Dr. I. Elmadfa et. al .: The large GU nutritional value and calorie table, GU-Verlag, pp. 23-25
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Would you have known Sunflower seeds boast the highest magnesium content - a handful of seeds (approx. 25 grams) already provide 105 milligrams of the valuable mineral. That is 420 milligrams per 100 grams - a real guarantee of magnesium.
Closely followed by cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds, oatmeal, wheat bran and legumes.
Even dark chocolate with over 80 percent cocoa or raw chocolate provides a lot of magnesium. Therefore, the cravings for chocolate could often be interpreted as a sign that the body needs more magnesium. However, that should not be a free ticket for excessive chocolate consumption.
Table: Magnesium in meat, fish and eggs
Magnesium (mg) per 100 grams | |
205 | |
67 | |
51 | |
50 | |
49 | |
34 | |
30th | |
29 | |
27 | |
33 | |
22nd | |
22nd | |
21st | |
12th |
Source: Prof. Dr. I. Elmadfa et. al .: The large GU nutritional value and calorie table, GU-Verlag, pp. 39–45
Nuts & seeds are the most important magnesium suppliers
Nuts not only provide you with the essential omega-3 fatty acids and vegetable protein, they also score across the board with their high magnesium content.
Just a handful a day makes a large contribution to covering the magnesium requirement.
Beverages containing magnesium
Who would have thought it could be so simple: mineral water.
Even if not a real food - it is still rich in magnesium. When buying the fizzy drink, you should make sure that the water contains little sodium and a lot of magnesium.
One with as little sodium as possible (below 20 mg / l) and a high magnesium value (from 150 mg / l) would be ideal. With a target of 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day, a magnesium intake of 225 to 300 mg is achieved.
But tea and coffee are also drinks that contain magnesium.
Table: Magnesium content of dairy products and milk alternatives
Magnesium (mg) per 100 grams | |
43 | |
43 | |
41 | |
40 | |
33 | |
30th | |
29 | |
28 | |
28 | |
25th | |
20th | |
16 | |
14th | |
12th |
Source: Prof. Dr. I. Elmadfa et. al .: The large GU nutritional value and calorie table, GU-Verlag, pp. 31–35
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Preparation and processing reduce the magnesium content
Important to know: When processing food, the magnesium content decreases.
There are over 200 milligrams of the mineral in soybeans, but only 90 milligrams in 100 grams of tofu .
Some of the magnesium is also lost when legumes and vegetables are cooked.
It is therefore advisable to prepare vegetables gently - for example, blanch them in a steamer or in a saucepan with a little water.
Do all those who do sports need more magnesium?
The magnesium consumption during sport varies from person to person, depending on how long you train, how much someone sweats, how intensely the muscles are used during training and, above all, how balanced the diet is - i.e. whether there are enough micronutrients with the help of fruit, vegetables, salads, and legumes , Nuts or whole grain products.
Can the magnesium requirement be met by food?
In popular sport - this includes everyone who does a maximum of 300 hours of sport a year, which translates to five to six hours per week - the need can be covered with appropriate magnesium-containing foods.
However, attention should be paid to the composition of the food.
Table: Magnesium content of other foods
Magnesium (mg) per 100 grams | |
414 | |
230 | |
130 | |
120 | |
110 |
Source: Prof. Dr. I. Elmadfa et. al .: The large GU nutritional value and calorie table, GU-Verlag, p. 26 ff.
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