Magnesium is important for normal muscle and nerve function, blood pressure regulation, and heart rhythm, but the headline overstates what magnesium-rich foods can do. Eating these foods is healthy, but they cannot guarantee prevention of high blood pressure, blood clots, or muscle fatigue.
17 magnesium-rich foods
Good dietary sources include:
- Pumpkin seeds
- Chia seeds
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Peanuts
- Sesame seeds or tahini
- Spinach
- Swiss chard
- Black beans
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Soybeans or edamame
- Whole grains such as oats
- Avocado
- Plain yogurt
- Dark chocolate with a high cocoa percentage
What magnesium can—and can’t—do
A diet containing adequate magnesium is associated with better overall nutritional health, and higher dietary magnesium intake may be associated with modestly lower blood pressure in some people. But hypertension has many causes and often requires lifestyle changes and/or medication.
Blood clots are different. Magnesium-rich foods aren’t a treatment for an existing clot and shouldn’t replace prescribed blood-thinning medication.
Muscle fatigue or cramps can have many causes, including inadequate nutrition, dehydration, medications, nerve problems, anemia, and other medical conditions. Magnesium deficiency is only one possibility.
For most people, getting magnesium from food is preferable to taking high-dose supplements. If you have kidney disease or take medications, check with a healthcare professional before using magnesium supplements.
