How much Magnesium do you need each day?

Daily needs depend on age, sex, pregnancy, lactation, health, and other factors. Use the requirement table on this page for general guidance.

Are high Magnesium foods safe for everyone?

Food sources are suitable for many people, but medical conditions, medicines, allergies, supplements, and pregnancy can change what is safe.

Foodmanac nutrient guide

100 Foods High In Magnesium With Benefits, Daily Needs and Warnings

Magnesium supports muscle function, nerve function, energy metabolism, and bone health.

Use this page to understand Magnesium benefits, daily requirements, safety notes, and the top Foodmanac food sources.

See top Magnesium foods Daily needs table Warnings

Magnesium benefits in the body

Supports normal muscle and nerve function.
Helps the body make and use energy.
Contributes to bone structure.
Supports normal heart rhythm.
Works in many enzyme reactions.

Who should pay attention?

Nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, and leafy greens can add magnesium.
Heavy alcohol use can affect magnesium status.
Some stomach and diuretic medicines can affect magnesium levels.
Needs vary by age and pregnancy status.

How to use this list

Compare foods by measured database values.
Choose foods that fit your diet and culture.
Check serving size before judging a food.
Use medical advice for disease-specific diets.

Magnesium daily body requirements

Daily needs change by age, sex, pregnancy, lactation, body size, health, medicines, and activity. The table gives general U.S. reference values for healthy people.

Magnesium daily requirements by age, sex, and life stage
Group	Recommended intake
Children 1–3 years	80 mg/day
Children 4–8 years	130 mg/day
Ages 9–13 years	240 mg/day
Teen boys 14–18 years	410 mg/day
Teen girls 14–18 years	360 mg/day
Adult men	400–420 mg/day
Adult women	310–320 mg/day
Pregnancy	350–400 mg/day
Lactation	310–360 mg/day

These values are education guidance, not a personal prescription. Your clinician can adjust targets for medical conditions.

Magnesium warnings and safe-use notes

The adult supplement upper limit is lower than many people expect.
High-dose magnesium supplements can cause diarrhea.
People with kidney disease should avoid supplements unless advised.
Magnesium from food is not usually a concern for healthy people.

Before you use the food ranking

A high value in the table does not automatically make a food best for everyone. Calories, allergies, sodium, added sugar, preparation, and portion size also matter.

Also, some foods are rich because they are dried, concentrated, fortified, or cooked. Compare similar serving sizes before making a meal decision.

Top 100 Foods High In Magnesium

Foodmanac ranks these foods from the database nutrient values available for this nutrient. Amounts are shown exactly as stored in the food record.

Top foods ranked by Magnesium amount
Rank	Food source	Magnesium amount
1	Rice bran, crude	781.00000000 mg
2	Seaweed, agar, dried	770.00000000 mg
3	Seeds, cottonseed meal, partially defatted (glandless)	760.00000000 mg
4	Seeds, cottonseed flour, partially defatted (glandless)	721.00000000 mg
5	Seeds, cottonseed flour, low fat (glandless)	716.00000000 mg
6	Spices, basil, dried	711.00000000 mg
7	Seeds, hemp seed, hulled	700.00000000 mg
8	Spices, coriander leaf, dried	694.00000000 mg
9	Seaweed, Canadian Cultivated EMI-TSUNOMATA, dry	692.00000000 mg
10	Chives, freeze-dried	640.00000000 mg
11	Wheat bran	611.00000000 mg
12	Wheat bran, crude	611.00000000 mg
13	Cereals ready-to-eat, SUN COUNTRY, KRETSCHMER Toasted Wheat Bran	606.00000000 mg
14	Spearmint, dried	602.00000000 mg
15	Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried	592.00000000 mg
16	Pumpkin seeds, NFS	550.00000000 mg
17	Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, without salt	550.00000000 mg
18	Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, with salt added	550.00000000 mg
19	Pumpkin seeds, unsalted	550.00000000 mg
20	Pumpkin seeds, salted	543.00000000 mg
21	Seeds, watermelon seed kernels, dried	515.00000000 mg
22	Beverages, nutritional shake mix, high protein, powder	500.00000000 mg
23	Seeds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), raw	500.00000000 mg
24	Nutritional powder mix, high protein, NFS	500.00000000 mg
25	Nutritional powder mix, high protein (Herbalife)	500.00000000 mg
26	Cocoa powder, not reconstituted	499.00000000 mg
27	Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened	499.00000000 mg
28	Seaweed, dried	482.00000000 mg
29	Cocoa, dry powder, hi-fat or breakfast, processed with alkali	476.00000000 mg
30	Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened, processed with alkali	476.00000000 mg
31	Nutritional powder mix, high protein (Slim Fast)	473.00000000 mg
32	Beverages, UNILEVER, SLIMFAST Shake Mix, high protein, whey powder, 3-2-1 Plan,	473.00000000 mg
33	Spices, dill weed, dried	451.00000000 mg
34	Seeds, cottonseed kernels, roasted (glandless)	440.00000000 mg
35	Spices, celery seed	440.00000000 mg
36	Soy flour, full-fat, raw	429.00000000 mg
37	Spices, sage, ground	428.00000000 mg
38	Beverage, instant breakfast powder, chocolate, sugar-free, not reconstituted	410.00000000 mg
39	Beverages, chocolate powder, no sugar added	410.00000000 mg
40	Nutritional powder mix, sugar free (Carnation Instant Breakfast)	410.00000000 mg
41	Chocolate beverage powder, light, dry mix, not reconstituted	410.00000000 mg
42	Spices, parsley, dried	400.00000000 mg
43	Seeds, flaxseed	392.00000000 mg
44	Beverages, UNILEVER, SLIMFAST Shake Mix, powder, 3-2-1 Plan	385.00000000 mg
45	Spices, fennel seed	385.00000000 mg
46	Nutritional powder mix (Slim Fast)	385.00000000 mg
47	Nutritional powder mix, sugar free (Slim Fast)	385.00000000 mg
48	Mothbeans, mature seeds, raw	381.00000000 mg
49	Spices, savory, ground	377.00000000 mg
50	Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched	376.00000000 mg
51	Brazil nuts	376.00000000 mg
52	Flaxseed, ground	372.00000000 mg
53	Flax seeds	372.00000000 mg
54	Parsley, freeze-dried	372.00000000 mg
55	Spices, mustard seed, ground	370.00000000 mg
56	Peanut butter, chunky, vitamin and mineral fortified	370.00000000 mg
57	Peanut flour, defatted	370.00000000 mg
58	Soy flour, full-fat, roasted	369.00000000 mg
59	Spices, cumin seed	366.00000000 mg
60	Seeds, sesame butter, paste	362.00000000 mg
61	Seeds, sesame flour, partially defatted	362.00000000 mg
62	Seeds, sesame flour, high-fat	361.00000000 mg
63	Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dry roasted, with salt added	358.00000000 mg
64	Tahini	357.00000000 mg
65	Sesame butter, creamy	357.00000000 mg
66	Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, roasted and toasted	356.00000000 mg
67	Peanut butter, smooth, vitamin and mineral fortified	355.00000000 mg
68	Peanut butter, vitamin and mineral fortified	355.00000000 mg
69	Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, from unroasted kernels (non-chemically removed seed coat)	353.00000000 mg
70	Seeds, safflower seed kernels, dried	353.00000000 mg
71	Nuts, brazilnuts, raw	351.00000000 mg
72	Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried	351.00000000 mg
73	Seeds, safflower seed meal, partially defatted	350.00000000 mg
74	Spices, tarragon, dried	347.00000000 mg
75	Spices, poppy seed	347.00000000 mg
76	Seeds, sesame seed kernels, toasted, with salt added (decorticated)	346.00000000 mg
77	Seeds, sesame meal, partially defatted	346.00000000 mg
78	Seeds, sesame seed kernels, toasted, without salt added (decorticated)	346.00000000 mg
79	Spices, marjoram, dried	346.00000000 mg
80	Seeds, sunflower seed flour, partially defatted	346.00000000 mg
81	Seeds, sesame seed kernels, dried (decorticated)	345.00000000 mg
82	Sesame seeds	345.00000000 mg
83	Seeds, sesame flour, low-fat	338.00000000 mg
84	Yardlong beans, mature seeds, raw	338.00000000 mg
85	SCHIFF,TIGER'S MILK BAR	336.00000000 mg
86	Nutrition bar (Tiger's Milk)	336.00000000 mg
87	Chia seeds	335.00000000 mg
88	Seeds, chia seeds, dried	335.00000000 mg
89	Cowpeas, catjang, mature seeds, raw	333.00000000 mg
90	Spices, coriander seed	330.00000000 mg
91	Formulated bar, LUNA BAR, NUTZ OVER CHOCOLATE	329.00000000 mg
92	Coffee, instant, not reconstituted	327.00000000 mg
93	Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares	327.00000000 mg
94	Beverages, coffee, instant, regular, powder	327.00000000 mg
95	Beverages, coffee, instant, regular, half the caffeine	327.00000000 mg
96	Chia seeds, dry, raw	326.00000000 mg
97	Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dried	325.00000000 mg
98	Cereal or granola bar (Kashi Chewy)	321.00000000 mg
99	Snacks, granola bar, KASHI GOLEAN, chewy, mixed flavors	321.00000000 mg
100	Cereals ready-to-eat, wheat germ, toasted, plain	320.00000000 mg

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Magnesium do in the body?

Magnesium supports muscle function, nerve function, energy metabolism, and bone health.

How much Magnesium do I need each day?

Your need depends on age, sex, pregnancy, lactation, health, medicines, and other factors. Use the table above for general daily reference values.

Which foods contain the most Magnesium?

The table ranks foods by Foodmanac database values. Always compare serving size and preparation before choosing a food.

Can too much Magnesium be harmful?

Yes, excessive intake can be unsafe for some nutrients, supplements, and health conditions. Review the warnings above and seek medical advice when needed.

References

Foodmanac uses database values for rankings. Daily needs and warning notes are based on public nutrition references.