Magnesium is an extremely important mineral that helps turn food into energy. It helps to maintain muscle and nerve function in the human body and is great for the bones, and nervous system and assists the heart in functioning normally. Magnesium deficiency can cause loss of appetite, tiredness, fatigue, stiffness and spasms in muscles, difficulty in concentrating and pins and needles. Diagnoses can be made via blood tests and sometimes urine tests. Today, FUCHSIA’s onboard dietitian Fareeha Jay is here to tell you about 4 magnesium-rich foods that will help you feel calm and how magnesium plays an important role in relation to stress, depression and anxiety:
Magnesium & Stress
Magnesium helps relax our muscles, cells, and tissues. It eliminates stress and calms down our central nervous system. There is a bidirectional link where when we are stressed, we use up more magnesium and as magnesium levels drop our stress levels get even higher.
Magnesium & Depression
A deficiency of magnesium may disrupt the biochemical function of the nervous system and can lead to depression. Including magnesium in the diet has shown recovery for some patients with depression.
Magnesium & Anxiety
Magnesium can help relax tense muscles. People with lower levels of magnesium have been found to have anxiety. For men, the requirement is 300 mg a day whilst for women, it’s 270 mg. To prevent deficiency, it is important to have a healthy well-balanced diet and include foods that are rich in magnesium. You do not need a supplement and should be able to get it through diet. If you decide to take supplements you must be extremely careful as high doses may cause diarrhoea.
4 Foods High in Magnesium That Will Help You Relax & Feel Calm
1) Nuts and Seeds
Almonds, cashews and peanuts are rich in magnesium and amongst seeds, flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds are a great option.
2) Legumes
Lentils, beans, and chickpeas are fabulous sources of fibre but are also rich in magnesium.
3) Greens
Green leafy vegetables have antioxidants and are loaded with magnesium. The best example would be spinach and sarso ka saag.
4) Chocolate
Dark chocolate is an excellent source of magnesium; only make sure to have the ones with 70-85% of cocoas solids.
Disclaimer: This is general public information. Does not substitute any medical or dietary advice from your health care professionals.
The information in this article was provided by Fareeha Jay. She is a Registered Dietician based in Plymouth. She is working as a Diabetes specialist, delivering educational sessions to people newly diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. She also runs her private practice. Her work entails online consultations with South Asians all over the world. If you wish to view her work, below are the links to her social media handles;
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dietitian_fareehajay/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FareehaJay
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSXc-Vg8wc2SdY8Jh7TK45A
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References:
- Faryadi,Q .(2012) ‘The magnificent effect of magnesium on human health: A critical review,’ International Journal of Applied Science and Technology, Vol2. Available at: https://www.dr-qais.com/Qais%20Journal/Magnesium.pdf
- National Health Service (2020) Vitamins and Minerals. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/others/ (Accessed: 31 October 2022)
