How much magnesium per day do you need to eat? hero image

How much magnesium per day do you need to eat?

Magnesium is an essential mineral and a key component in maintaining a healthy body. Its functions and benefits are extensive and include everything from regulating heart function to supporting the nervous system, contributing to muscle contractions and helping with energy production. But how much magnesium do we really need each day? This article explores the important role magnesium plays in the body, how you can ensure you are getting enough magnesium, and what warning signs may indicate a magnesium deficiency.

What is magnesium good for?

Magnesium is a very important mineral with several important functions in the body. Magnesium is essential for maintaining optimal electrolyte balance, normal energy production and for reducing tiredness and fatigue. Magnesium also plays an important role in muscle function, the nervous system and heart function. Ensuring that you get enough magnesium every day can be crucial for maintaining optimal health and well-being.

Different forms of magnesium?

There are a variety of different forms of magnesium, both in foods and in dietary supplements. Leafy greens, for example, contain magnesium in the form of magnesium chlorophyll, which means that the mineral is present in the green color. In nuts, seeds and legumes, however, magnesium is in the form of magnesium phytate. By eating a varied diet, you get different types of magnesium, which is optimal for ensuring levels of the mineral. If you need to replenish magnesium from dietary supplements, these also contain a number of different forms of the mineral. Depending on what your purpose is with a magnesium supplement, some forms of the mineral may be more beneficial than others. Here you can read more about the types of magnesium that are often found in dietary supplements.

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How do I get magnesium?

What foods contain magnesium?

Magnesium is found naturally in a variety of foods and in the highest amounts in vegetables. Dark leafy green vegetables, among others, are very rich in magnesium as the mineral is found in the dark green color. These vegetables include spinach, marigold and kale. Nuts and seeds as well as beans and lentils also contain a rich amount of magnesium. Magnesium is also found in animal products such as meat, fish and shellfish. Even the water we drink contains magnesium, especially hard water.

So are you getting enough magnesium through your diet?

By eating a varied diet and focusing on foods rich in magnesium, you should be able to get enough magnesium through your diet. However, certain diseases, health conditions and medications can affect the absorption of magnesium in the body. This means that even if you eat sufficient amounts of the mineral, your body cannot use all of it. To know if you have sufficient levels of a substance, it is always best to test the levels in your body.

Magnesium through dietary supplements

Taking magnesium supplements can be beneficial in ensuring your intake of the mineral, depending on your diet, health and lifestyle. Magnesium supplements are available in many different forms today. There are combined supplements with several different types of magnesium and there are supplements with only one form. Depending on your purpose for taking a magnesium supplement, certain types may be beneficial. Here you can read more about different forms of magnesium and magnesium supplements.

How common is magnesium deficiency?

Magnesium deficiency is not uncommon in today's society as many of us tend to eat a more monotonous diet, fewer vegetables and a greater amount of processed food than in the past. This, combined with gastrointestinal problems and high stress levels, which can affect the absorption of magnesium in the body, means that magnesium deficiency is increasingly common today. It can therefore be a bit tricky to get enough magnesium, which is one of the reasons why many people choose to take magnesium from dietary supplements.

What symptoms do you get with magnesium deficiency?

Low levels of magnesium can cause symptoms such as fatigue and exhaustion, nervousness, anxiety, sleep disturbances, headaches and menstrual cramps. More serious symptoms such as high blood pressure and irregular heartbeats can also be signs of magnesium deficiency.

Can magnesium levels in the body be affected by stress?

Magnesium levels in the body, like other nutrients, can be affected by stress. During high and prolonged stress, the body prioritizes survival over optimal nutrient absorption in the gut. This can partly lead to the intestine being unable to absorb the magnesium that you eat, but stress also increases cortisol levels in the body, which can contribute to increased excretion of magnesium via the urine. It can therefore be extra important to keep track of your magnesium intake during periods of high and prolonged stress.

Can you eat too much magnesium?

Just like with everything we eat, you can also eat too much magnesium. However, getting dangerously large amounts of magnesium through your diet is extremely unrealistic. However, it is easier to eat large amounts of magnesium through supplements. A high intake of magnesium can lead to stomach problems such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The daily recommended intake of magnesium from the Swedish National Food Agency is currently 350 mg for men and 300 mg for women per day.

Magnesium: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers