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Magnesium is an essential mineral that is needed by your body in over 300 biochemical reactions and is vital for good health. Many people find that there diet is deficient of magnesium or at least out of balance and this can cause all sorts of health risks.
One difficult thing with magnesium is it is very difficult to test for as most of your body’s supply is held in your bones and only a very small amount in the blood. This means that any blood tests for magnesium deficiency are pointless.
Another important issue when it comes to magnesium is that it is required in balance with calcium and other essential minerals in order to be effective. If you take magnesium supplements without calcium then you will be out of balance and this can lead to a whole other set of problems. That being said a getting a good dose of magnesium from your diet should be sufficient to keep you healthy. In this post we will look at the top 10 health benefits of magnesium along with some of the most magnesium rich foods and then follow that up with a smoothy that will give you a massive kick of magnesium.
Top 7 Magnesium Health Benefits
1. Prevents Osteoporosis – although most people think of calcium when they think of osteoporosis it has also been shown that magnesium is vital too. This is because you need to have a balance of magnesium and calcium in the body. It has been shown in a number of studies that supplementing with magnesium and calcium combined can increase bone density and actually reverse osteoporosis.
2. Reduced Diabetes Risk – magnesium is vital in carbohydrate metabolism, slowing the rate at which the carbohydrate is released into the blood stream and so reducing the risk of blood sugar spikes. In addition to control sugar release it also aids the release of insulin which can again be used to keep blood sugar levels in check. Studies have shown that supplementation of magnesium directly reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
3. Reduces Depression – The body needs sufficient levels of magnesium in order to produce the hormone serotonin which is thought to be out of balance in people suffering from depression. So getting enough magnesium can be a real benefit to people suffering from depression. In addition to depression magnesium supplements have been shown to help people suffering from panic attacks, stress and anxiety.
4. Controls Blood Pressure – when it comes to blood pressure we see magnesium working in combination with another essential mineral potassium. It has been shown that eating foods rich in both magnesium and potassium as well as taking magnesium supplements can help to reduce and regulate high blood pressure.
5. Prevents Cardiovascular Disease – there has been considerable research done on the effects of magnesium on heart disease and strokes and it has been thought that getting adequate levels of magnesium can significantly reduce the risk of both. In addition to that getting the RDA of magnesium can also aid recovery after a heart attack and reduce complications.
6. Reduces Insomnia – as well as making the sleep that you get more refreshing. If you are deficient in magnesium then the production of melatonin can be interrupted. Melatonin is the hormone that induces sleep so if you are not producing it correctly you will struggle with sleep. As mentioned in point 3 magnesium also helps with stress and anxiety which can help your sleep.
7. Increases Muscle Strength & Flexibility – magnesium is vital in the production of Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1) which is has a large impact on the strength and growth of muscles. In addition magnesium is also needed for production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is a cell’s energy store. Another plus with magnesium and muscles is it aids the relaxation of muscles which has benefits of increasing flexibility but also for relaxation and recovery after exercise.
So if you read the above you will see that ensuring you get enough magnesium in your diet is vital and something nobody should take for granted. The only thing you need to think about is the best place to get magnesium from.
Magnesium Rich Foods
Below is a list of some of the vegan foods that are most rich in magnesium:
1. Green Leafy Vegetables – these are some of the best foods for magnesium intake with the best ones being spinach, swiss chard and kale.
2. Nuts & Seeds – virtually all nuts and seeds contain magnesium but in differing amounts. Among the best are pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and brazil nuts but you will also get a really good dose of magnesium from almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, pine nuts and pecans.
3. Beans & Lentils – these are an excellent source of magnesium with soya beans being the best and so any soya products like tofu and milk will also give you a good dose too. Other pulses that are a great source of magnesium include white beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, black-eyed beans and any lentils.
4. Whole Grains – a number of whole grains can give you a good dose of magnesium with the best ones being brown rice and quinoa but you will also get a decent dose from bulgar, buckwheat, wild rice and millet.
5. Fruits – a number of fruits will give you a great dose of magnesium with some of the best being avocados and bananas but there is also a good dose in kiwi fruit, apricots and plums.
6. Dark Chocolate – there are lots of great things in dark chocolate and magnesium being one of them. Obviously it should only be eaten in small doses due to the high calorie content but a little bit will do you the world of good.
Vegan Magnesium Boosting Smoothie
Serves 2
Total Time: 10 mins
Ingredients
100g Spinach
100g Kale, hard stalks removed
1 Kiwi Fruit
50g Almond Butter
250ml Almond Milk
1/8 tsp Salt
4-5 Ice Cubes
Instructions
- 1. Put all ingredients in a blender and turn on to full power and blend until smooth, push down where necessary.
- 2. Taste and season as required.
Nutrition
I suppose the first thing to consider in this recipe is the magnesium that you are likely to get per portion. Based on publicly available information the estimated magnesium per serving is 140mg which is approximately 37% of the RDA and so giving you a great boost in your daily total.
On top of that there is also a wide range of different vitamins and minerals that can be obtained in very high doses in this smoothie making you feel wonderful. Plus it is a low GL smoothie and with a GL of just 4.5 would be a perfect snack between meals.
The nutritional data below is based on 2 servings for this recipe.
Some of the key points to note about this recipe are:
- Estimated GI of 34 and eGL of 4.5
- No cholesterol
- High in calcium
- Very high in manganese
- High in magnesium
- High in potassium
- Very high in vitamin A
- Very high in vitamin C
- High in vitamin E
Please note that this article is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice and if you have any health concerns we recommend you visit your doctor. In addition medical advise should be taken before high doses of supplementation.
