Magnesium Rich Nuts
Magnesium is an essential electrolyte and mineral in found in rich quantities in nuts. This element is used mainly in muscle cells, where it helps to regulate muscle relaxation. Magnesium also regulates levels of certain nerve transmitter chemicals, including serotonin. Muscle magnesium sufficiency is critical for optimal muscle performance, so for all you gym lovers, this is a mineral that you need to eat in rich amounts. With skeletal muscle forming nearly half of your body mass on average, this emphasizes the importance of maintaining good levels of magnesium in the body.
Magnesium is found in rich quantities in bone tissue as well, being the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. Magnesium rich diets will support healthy DNA replication and protein synthesis within the body too, being important for ATP or energy activation. Abnormal magnesium levels are highly associated with hypertension and different heart diseases, because of its essential function in muscle tissues. Electrolytic balance is really important for optimal health and magnesium is one of the most important electrolytes in the body.
One quite shocking fact is that nearly half of the population of the USA is consuming less that the daily recommended intake of magnesium. While magnesium accumulates in your cells and body tissues, a lot of your total body magnesium is not picked up on through a regular blood test.
The RDA for magnesium is about 410mg for men and 320mg for women, depending on their circumstances. This is just a recommended intake of course. To maintain optimum levels of magnesium, you will need to consume foods rich in magnesium. Let’s cover some nuts that offer a rich source of magnesium for the body.
Top 8 Nuts Rich In Magnesium
Nuts provide a rich source of magnesium for the body to absorb, we have picked out the nuts with the highest known magnesium content to date here for you to try. Nuts are great for magnesium intake, because they offer other electrolytes that balance with magnesium. In the cell, electrolytes like potassium, magnesium and calcium all must balance correctly. Let’s start with almonds.
Almonds
Almonds contain 258mg of magnesium per 100g, representing the highest density of magnesium per gram of nut on our list. This nutrient rich food is packed with other nutrients too, sharing many similarities with other nut producing plants. Of particular note is the zinc content within almonds, which is also really high.
Almonds are also rich in vitamin E and have been revered for centuries for their cleansing and their properties as a functional food. One of the benefits of eating whole foods, like almonds, over supplementing for magnesium is that you are able to obtain a healthy nutrient profile of bioavailable micronutrients.
Cashew Nuts
In 100 grams of cashew nuts, there is about 251mg of magnesium. Cashew nuts are well known to nutritionists as one of the most abundant sources of magnesium available to us. This accounts for about 60% of the male RDA and 80% of a women’s RDA. Cashews make nice curries and are also a really easy snacking food too. This is also great food to add to juices and can really support optimal muscle functioning through improved magnesium intake. Cashew nuts also offer other electrolytes including potassium and calcium. This is a nutrient rich food, that presents low nutrient loss in processing. If you want to boost your magnesium levels, this nut seems like one to strongly look at.
Pine Nuts
Pine nuts are quite unusual but offer a source of different micronutrients and magnesium. In 100 grams of pine nuts, you could absorb up to 206mg of magnesium. They can also support potassium levels in the body, while pine nuts are really rich in zinc for a nut.
Walnuts
Walnuts are another nutrient rich nut, offering 151mg of magnesium in 100g. They also offer potassium and calcium in similar quantities to cashew nuts, supporting healthy electrolytic balances in the body.
Walnuts also offer a rich source of copper for the body, while containing one of the highest antioxidant contents of all the nut producing species. These nuts offer a nutrient dense source of many different trace minerals. They make a great snack, having a really interesting texture to them too.
Peanuts
One of the most popular snacking foods for both bodybuilders and health food enthusiasts, this nut is really nutrient dense in important micronutrients. In 100 grams of peanuts there is 180mg of magnesium. Peanuts also offer important nutrients to sustain healthy muscle mass, including BCCAs, while also being rich in other micronutrients.
These nuts offer a really good source of potassium and calcium too. They are also fairly rich in manganese and selenium. While peanuts are generally a snacking food, they also make a nice peanut sauce and can also be used in juices. Particularly for muscle recovery.
Macadamia
Macadamia nuts are also high in magnesium, containing 107mg of magnesium per 100 grams of macadamias. These nuts offer other nutrients too such as manganese and selenium. Macadamias are also rich in amino acids and healthy fats too, to support whole body nutrition.
Pistachio
Pistachio nuts are another nutrient dense functional food, offering rich amounts of electrolytes. While pistachio nuts are known more for their potassium content, they also have a high phosphorus and magnesium content. These nuts contain 110mg of magnesium per 100 grams of pistachios. They are not the highest magnesium rich nut on the list here, but they offer diversity in nutrients.
Some potential health benefits of regular pistachio nut consumption include improved antioxidant intake and glycemic control. One study showed that they aided weight loss in one group trying to lose weight, which might be through improved glycemic control.
Pecan Nuts
Pecan nuts offer 103mg of magnesium per 100 grams of nuts, also offering a rich source of zinc. These nuts are not as nutrient dense as the other nuts available on this list but offer another alternative nut for you to consume as a rich source of magnesium. Pecan nuts have been studied for their health promoting effects, including for inflammation mediation and obesity management.
Conclusion
Magnesium is really important for optimal muscle function and relaxation, while its role as an electrolyte is only beginning to be understood. Growing evidence shows that magnesium accumulates in the bones and is needed for optimal skeletal muscle performance. This is especially important for people making lean gains in the gym.
One fact that is shocking is that nearly half of the general population in the states is consuming less than half of the daily recommended intake of magnesium. Also, magnesium accumulates in your body tissues and deficiency is not easily picked up on through blood tests. The guideline RDA for magnesium is 410mg for men and 320mg for women. This is only a guideline and
Nuts offer a nutrient dense and bioavailable source of magnesium for the body to absorb. While offering high levels of magnesium, nuts also protect the electrolytic balance within the cells of the body by offering quantities of other key electrolytes.
Of the top 8 nuts rich in magnesium that we have covered here almonds, cashews, pine nuts and walnuts present themselves as the richest and most nutrient dense sources of magnesium. The good thing about nuts is that you can include these quite easily in your meals or have them as a snack. Some nuts make really good sauces and you can also include them in freshly made juices too.
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