5 magnesium-rich foods to eat to support heart health

Anyone who loves their coffee - no, really, really loves their coffee - knows how painful the idea of giving it up can be. But do you actually have to?

By Citro partner Vitable

Heart conditions are among the most common health conditions affecting Australians today. Yet, they remain one of the trickiest health problems to manage. 

Eating foods that are high in antioxidants, dietary fibre, and micronutrients can help lower blood pressure and keep your heart healthier. Hypertension is related to a number of dietary factors, including lower intakes of potassium, calcium and magnesium. 

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in our body (after calcium, phosphorus and potassium). It’s involved in over 600 enzymatic reactions in the body including energy metabolism, aiding in muscle contraction and relaxation, protein synthesis and nervous system regulation. Magnesium also plays a role in lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, increasing bone health (including lowering your risk of osteoporosis), managing blood sugar levels and lowering your overall risk of getting type 2 diabetes.

There’s more: having an adequate intake of magnesium can also improve your sleep quality and duration and may play a significant role in managing anxiety and depression. 

Tasty foods that are rich in magnesium

The Australian recommended daily intake (RDI) for magnesium is 320 mg/day for women over 50 and 420 mg/day for men over 50. It’s relatively easy to acquire this by selecting foods rich in magnesium, but if you think you might be at risk of inadequate magnesium intake, talk to your doctor about an appropriate supplement.

Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate hits the ‘recommended’ list surprisingly regularly and with 65 mg per 28 gram serving it makes the magnesium list with ease. Keep in mind that 28 grams of chocolate is approximately 4 squares and being a good source of magnesium doesn’t make dark chocolate an overall healthy choice. But it’s nice to know that occasionally enjoying this sweet treat does move you towards your magnesium target.

Vegetables and fruits

As usual, fruits and veggies come top of the class for getting your vitamins and minerals in. Dark leafy greens are a particularly good source of magnesium, including kale, spinach and swiss chard - 1 cup of boiled leafy greens has around 78 mg. Avocado is also a rice source with 44 mg of magnesium per cup of cubed avo. Other good sources include potato, bananas, blackberries, green peas and edamame.

Nuts and seeds

Pumpkin seeds are one of the richest food sources of magnesium with 156 mg per 30 gram serving (a small handful). Chia seeds are also a good source with 111 mg per 30 gram serving (or a scant 3 tablespoons) and sunflower seeds clock in with around 40 mg per 30 gram serving (a small handful). Nuts like Brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews and peanuts are also good sources. 

To up your daily magnesium tally, make up a trail mix with nuts, seeds and dark chocolate nibs to snack on (just keep an eye on your portion size as these foods are also all relatively high in fat and kilojoules).

Soy products

If you’re still on the fence about soy, now’s the time to jump over to the positive side. Dairy milk may be a good source of magnesium (1 cup has just under 25 grams), but soy milk is far better with 61 grams per cup. Tofu (which is basically just condensed soy milk) is another helpful source with 35 mg per 100 gram serve. Of course, it stands to reason that edamame (soy beans) are the best soy source of all with 64 mg in a 100 gram serve.

Beans and legumes

Is there anything beans and legumes can’t do for us? Not only are they an excellent source of dietary fibre and protein, they’re also rich in B vitamins, iron and, you guessed it, magnesium. Mix up your beans to bring optimal results: chickpeas, borlotti beans, black beans, kidney beans, lentils, broad beans, adzuki, edamame, fava… we could keep going. Just take this as a reminder that getting more beans and legumes into your diet is one of the important things you can do to improve your heart health and increase your overall healthspan.