NutriTracker
Tue, Aug 11
All nutrients

Magnesium

Mg
mineralmajor-mineralmeasured in mg

Today

7-day average. Days to weeks of reserve, so single days mean little.

555 mg / 400 mg139%

Above the 350 mg upper limit, but that limit applies to supplements only — not to intake from food. Not flagged.

What it is

Your body uses magnesium in hundreds of everyday processes — turning food into energy, letting muscles relax after they contract, and settling your nervous system down for sleep. Roughly half of people don't get quite enough, and the signs are easy to miss: cramps, poor sleep, feeling wired but tired. Seeds, nuts, beans, and leafy greens are the richest sources.

Reference intake

Your daily target, personalised to your age and sex.

RDA
400 mgmale_19_30
Upper limit
350 mgapplies to supplemental

Applies only to magnesium from supplements and medications. There is no upper limit for magnesium from food — do not raise an excess alert on dietary intake alone.

What the evidence says

Wording reflects how strong the evidence actually is.

  • May reduces the frequency of migraine attacks

  • May modestly lowers blood pressure

  • May improves subjective sleep quality, though the evidence is thin

  • Has been associated with: reduces exercise-associated muscle cramps

Deficiency

hypomagnesemia

Around 48% of the US population consumes less than the EAR from food (NHANES). Frank clinical hypomagnesemia is much rarer, because the kidney conserves magnesium efficiently.

Early signs

  • muscle cramps and twitching
  • fatigue and general weakness
  • poor sleep quality
  • irritability or low mood
  • loss of appetite

Higher risk

  • type 2 diabetes (urinary losses rise with glycosuria)
  • chronic alcohol use
  • long-term proton pump inhibitor use
  • Crohn's disease, celiac disease, and other malabsorptive conditions
  • older adults (lower intake plus reduced absorption)
  • people taking loop or thiazide diuretics

Excess

hypermagnesemia

Not observed in people with normal kidney function. Excess dietary magnesium is simply excreted, which is why the UL applies to supplements only.

From supplements

  • diarrhea (the classic first sign, and the basis of magnesium's use as a laxative)
  • nausea
  • abdominal cramping

At extreme doses

At extreme doses: hypotension, respiratory depression, and cardiac arrest. Essentially confined to renal impairment or massive supplemental overdose.

Absorption

30–40% of intake

Helps absorption

  • adequate vitamin D status
  • fermentable fiber and inulin (increase colonic absorption)
  • spreading intake across several meals

Hinders absorption

  • phytates in whole grains and legumes
  • very high supplemental calcium doses
  • high alcohol intake (increases urinary loss)
  • excess zinc supplementation

Top sources

Per 100 g, in mg. FoodData Central IDs are resolved by the importer, not written by hand.

  • Pumpkin seeds, roasted

    30 g (small handful)

    592 mg

  • Chia seeds

    28 g (2 tbsp)

    335 mg

  • Almonds

    28 g (23 almonds)

    270 mg

  • Dark chocolate, 70–85% cacao

    30 g

    228 mg

  • Spinach, boiled

    180 g (1 cup)

    87 mg

  • Black beans, cooked

    172 g (1 cup)

    70 mg

Ranking these by what you already eat needs the real log — see docs/STATUS.md.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-08-11