Nutrition

Foods High in Magnesium: Best Sources and How Much You Need

The foods richest in magnesium, ranked with USDA numbers for a realistic serving, plus how much you need, how to absorb more of it and who should be careful.

By Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS·16-min read

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Evidence-based24 sources citedUpdated October 15, 2026

Published Oct 15, 2026Last updated Oct 15, 2026Editorial policyMedical review policyFact-checking policy

Leafy greens, seeds, beans, grains, nuts and dark chocolate, the families at the top of this list.

Foods high in magnesium at a glance

The best foods high in magnesium are cooked leafy greens, pumpkin seeds and other seeds, beans, nuts, whole grains such as quinoa and amaranth, dark chocolate, wild Atlantic mackerel and avocado, and most adults need 310 to 420 milligrams (mg) a day.1 2

An ounce of pumpkin seeds carries 168 mg of magnesium, a cup of cooked spinach 157 mg and a cup of cooked black beans 120 mg1
In national survey data, 48% of Americans took in less magnesium from food and drinks than their average requirement2
I put leafy greens first, then nuts, seeds and legumes, because most people aren't eating enough of the foods magnesium is richest in3
Soaking, sprouting and fermenting grains, beans, nuts and seeds lowers the phytic acid that holds magnesium back4 5
Test red blood cell (RBC) magnesium before you add a supplement6

Every green leaf you eat is built around magnesium. The mineral sits at the heart of chlorophyll, the pigment leaves use to harvest light, and that's why I've called magnesium the lifeblood of plants.7 Your body uses the same mineral in more than 300 enzyme systems, from making energy and protein to steadying your muscles, nerves, blood sugar and blood pressure.2

Nearly half of us come up short. In the 2013 to 2016 national nutrition survey, 48% of Americans took in less magnesium from food and beverages than their average requirement, with men 71 and older and teens the most likely to run low.2

Dr. Josh Axe Vitamin Advisor · 4–5 questions

Is magnesium one of your top 5?

What's your biggest goal right now?

The list below ranks the best magnesium-rich foods by family, with USDA numbers for a realistic serving.1

My approach is food first. When you eat magnesium-rich foods, you get the B6, calcium and other nutrients that work with magnesium in the same bite.7

You want to get the bulk of your magnesium from the foods you eat.Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNSFrom The #1 Mineral for Sleep That 48% of People Lack, The Dr. Josh Axe Show (2026), at 28:30

What foods are highest in magnesium?

Quick answer

Seeds, cooked leafy greens, beans and whole grains carry the most magnesium per serving: 3 tablespoons of hulled hemp seeds have 210 mg, an ounce of pumpkin seeds 168 mg, a cup of cooked amaranth 160 mg and a cup of cooked spinach 157 mg.1 An ounce of pumpkin seeds covers 40% of the 420 mg Daily Value.8 1

Every number below is a USDA FoodData Central value calculated for the serving shown, and the last column gives each serving's share of the Daily Value on food labels.1 8

Food	Serving	Magnesium (mg)	Daily Value
Hemp seeds, hulled	3 tbsp	210	50%
Pumpkin seeds, dried	1 oz	168	40%
Amaranth, cooked	1 cup	160	38%
Spinach, boiled	1 cup	157	37%
Swiss chard, boiled	1 cup chopped	151	36%
Black beans, boiled	1 cup	120	29%
Quinoa, cooked	1 cup	118	28%
Sunflower seeds, dried	¼ cup	114	27%
White beans, boiled	1 cup	113	27%
Edamame, prepared	1 cup	99	24%
Beet greens, boiled	1 cup	98	23%
Navy beans, boiled	1 cup	96	23%
Chia seeds	1 oz	95	23%
Buckwheat groats, cooked	1 cup	86	20%
Cashews, raw	1 oz	83	20%
Atlantic mackerel, cooked	3 oz	82	20%
Almonds, dry roasted	1 oz	79	19%
Chickpeas, boiled	1 cup	79	19%
Brown rice, cooked	1 cup	79	19%
Lentils, boiled	1 cup	71	17%
Dark chocolate, 70% to 85% cacao	1 oz	65	15%
Oats, cooked with water	1 cup	63	15%
Coconut water	1 cup	60	14%
Avocado	1 whole	58	14%
Flaxseed, ground	2 tbsp	55	13%
Coconut milk, canned	½ cup	52	12%
Artichoke, boiled	1 medium	50	12%
Potato, baked with skin	1 medium	48	12%
Walnuts	1 oz	45	11%
Sheep milk	1 cup	44	11%
Brazil nuts	2 nuts	38	9%
Sardines, canned in oil, with bones	1 can (3.75 oz)	36	9%
Goat milk	1 cup	34	8%
Banana	1 medium	32	8%
Sesame seeds	1 tbsp	32	8%
Wild Atlantic salmon, cooked	3 oz	31	7%
Cocoa powder, unsweetened	1 tbsp	27	6%
Figs, dried	¼ cup	25	6%

Natural foods vary from sample to sample, and several of these values rest on a single analyzed sample or a USDA estimate, so read each number as a typical amount.1

Get the free 25 Root-Cause Bloodwork Markers guide

Food is where magnesium starts, and a red blood cell (RBC) magnesium test shows how much of it is inside your red blood cells. That test is marker 11 in this free guide, which lays out:

Its functional range, side by side with the standard lab range
What tends to push a result low
The foods, supplement forms and habits that raise it

Free with your Dr. Axe account (email or Google). You'll also get the protocol's short email series and the Dr. Axe newsletter; unsubscribe anytime.

Open the free guide →

The best magnesium-rich foods, ranked

Most of the foods below are seed-bearing plants and fruit, the first foods Scripture records God giving people: "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat" (Genesis 1:29, KJV).9

My order puts green leafy vegetables first and nuts, seeds and legumes second, with whole grains, dark chocolate, wild fish and fruit after them.3

1. Cooked leafy greens: spinach, Swiss chard and beet greens

Leafy greens are the magnesium food I want on your plate first.3 A cup of cooked spinach carries 157 mg of magnesium, a cup of cooked Swiss chard 151 mg and a cup of cooked beet greens 98 mg.1 My High Blood Pressure Protocol ranks leafy greens first among its healing foods, because they deliver magnesium and potassium along with dietary nitrate.10

Cook them. Per 100 grams, raw and boiled spinach carry similar amounts, 79 and 87 mg, but a cup of cooked spinach holds about six times the leaves of a cup of raw, which carries 24 mg.1 My suggestion on the show was simple: steam your spinach, or sauté it with garlic and sea salt in extra virgin olive oil.7

Spinach is also rich in oxalate, which binds some of its magnesium. In a study of 9 healthy adults who each ate a test meal with spinach and another with kale, 26.7% of the magnesium was absorbed from the spinach meal and 36.5% from the kale meal.11 The researchers noted that spinach's higher magnesium content at least partly makes up for the lower absorption, and per 100 grams, cooked spinach carries 87 mg against 25 mg for cooked kale.11 1

2. Pumpkin seeds and other seeds

Pumpkin seeds are the first food I name when I walk through magnesium-rich foods on my show. They're one of the richest sources there is, and they're also high in zinc.7 An ounce of dried pumpkin seed kernels, also called pepitas, carries 168 mg of magnesium, 40% of the Daily Value.1

Other seeds add up quickly. Three tablespoons of hulled hemp seeds carry 210 mg, a quarter cup of sunflower seeds 114 mg, an ounce of chia seeds 95 mg, 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed 55 mg and a tablespoon of sesame seeds 32 mg.1 My High Blood Pressure Protocol calls pumpkin seeds and flax magnesium powerhouses.10

If raw seeds don't sit well with your digestion, try pumpkin seed butter, ideally sprouted.7 For more on each one, see the healthiest seeds to eat.

3. Beans, lentils and edamame

A cup of cooked black beans carries 120 mg of magnesium, white beans 113 mg, edamame 99 mg, navy beans 96 mg, chickpeas 79 mg and lentils 71 mg.1 On my show, I've called black beans a great source and lentils fantastic, and edamame is on my list of magnesium foods too.7 12 Choose organic edamame; it's the soy on my list of approved beans and legumes.13

Soak beans before you cook them; the absorption section below explains why.

4. Nuts, about a handful a day

Almonds and cashews are both great sources.7 An ounce of raw cashews carries 83 mg of magnesium, an ounce of dry-roasted almonds 79 mg (77 mg raw), an ounce of walnuts 45 mg and two Brazil nuts 38 mg.1

My guideline is about a handful of nuts a day at most, because they can be hard on the gut. Almonds digest more easily when you soak them in water, then dry them at low heat in the oven or a dehydrator.13 Brazil nuts are the exception to the handful: my protocols, including the Hashimoto's Protocol, keep them to one or two a day, because they're one of the richest natural sources of selenium, and it's easy to overdo.14 See the healthiest nuts for how the others compare.

5. Whole grains: amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat

A cup of cooked amaranth carries 160 mg of magnesium, cooked quinoa 118 mg, buckwheat groats 86 mg, brown rice 79 mg and oats 63 mg.1 Quinoa is a great option on my magnesium list.7 The ancient-grains breakfast bowl in The Biblio Diet, my book with Jordan Rubin, starts with a cup of cooked quinoa, amaranth or buckwheat.13

Keep your grains whole. Refining that removes a grain's nutrient-rich germ and bran lowers its magnesium substantially.2 Whole-grain wheat flour carries 137 mg per 100 grams, while enriched white flour carries 22 mg, about a sixth as much.1

Refining wheat strips out most of its magnesium

Source: USDA Agricultural Research Service · FoodData Central (SR Legacy) [1]Milling away the germ and bran leaves white flour with about a sixth of the magnesium in whole-grain flour.

Choose whole grains, ideally sprouted, soaked or fermented; the absorption section below explains why.

6. Dark chocolate and cacao

An ounce of dark chocolate with 70% to 85% cacao carries 65 mg of magnesium, and a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder 27 mg.1 In my Mitochondrial Longevity Protocol, I recommend 1 to 2 squares a day of dark chocolate that's 85% cacao or darker, for the cocoa flavanols that support blood flow and mitochondria.15 The safety section covers heavy metals in chocolate. Raw organic cacao brings flavonoids, sulfur and magnesium too.13

7. Wild Atlantic mackerel and other wild fish

Mackerel is on my magnesium list: incredibly high in omega-3s, and very high in magnesium too.7 Three ounces of cooked Atlantic mackerel carries 82 mg of magnesium, a can of sardines packed in oil with their bones 36 mg and 3 ounces of cooked wild Atlantic salmon 31 mg.1

Atlantic mackerel is on the FDA and EPA list of Best Choices for low mercury.16 Whatever fish you choose, make it wild, ocean-caught and with fins and scales.13 For more options, see the best fish to eat.

8. Avocado and other fruit

Avocados are a great source of magnesium too.7 A whole avocado carries 58 mg, a medium banana 32 mg and a quarter cup of dried figs 25 mg.1 Avocado is also one of the foods that bring prebiotic fiber and magnesium together, which the absorption section explains.7

Here's how the biggest servings on this list compare:

Magnesium in a typical serving of the richest foods

Source: USDA Agricultural Research Service · FoodData Central (SR Legacy) [1]The Daily Value for magnesium is 420 mg.

How much magnesium do you need a day?

Quick answer

Adult men need 400 to 420 mg of magnesium a day and adult women 310 to 320 mg, with 350 to 360 mg during pregnancy.2 Food labels use a Daily Value of 420 mg.8

These are the Recommended Dietary Allowances set by the Food and Nutrition Board, with adequate intakes for babies.2

Life stage	Male (mg a day)	Female (mg a day)
Babies, birth to 6 months	30 (adequate intake)	30 (adequate intake)
Babies, 7 to 12 months	75 (adequate intake)	75 (adequate intake)
Children, 1 to 3 years	80	80
Children, 4 to 8 years	130	130
Children, 9 to 13 years	240	240
Teens, 14 to 18 years	410	360
Adults, 19 to 30 years	400	310
Adults, 31 and older	420	320
Pregnancy		400 (ages 14 to 18), 350 (19 to 30), 360 (31 to 50)
Breastfeeding		360 (ages 14 to 18), 310 (19 to 30), 320 (31 to 50)

That target is easier to reach than it sounds. One of the meals I've suggested on my show for magnesium is wild-caught salmon with quinoa and sautéed greens.7 With 3 ounces of salmon and a cup each of cooked quinoa and spinach, the USDA values add up to about 306 mg, close to three-quarters of the Daily Value.1 My High Blood Pressure Protocol puts the daily habit simply: add a magnesium-rich food to every meal.10

How to get more magnesium from food

Eat more of the foods above, and help your body absorb what's in them. The best way to improve your magnesium levels is through diet and lifestyle, along with a supplement in some cases.12 Your body typically absorbs 30% to 40% of the magnesium in food and drinks, and the way you prepare and pair your food can move that number.2

You aren't what you eat. You are what you absorb.Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNSFrom The #1 Mineral for Sleep That 48% of People Lack, The Dr. Josh Axe Show (2026), at 29:47

Here's how the magnesium on your plate reaches your cells:

1Whole plant foods carry it

Green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains are good sources, and foods with fiber generally bring magnesium with them.2

2Refining strips much of it

Milling away a grain's germ and bran lowers its magnesium substantially.2

3Binders can hold some back

Phytic acid in grains, beans, nuts and seeds, and oxalate in some greens, bind magnesium in the gut.5 11

4Preparation frees more of it

Soaking, sprouting and fermenting lower phytic acid, so more of the minerals stay available.17 4

5Your gut absorbs about a third

You typically absorb 30% to 40% of the magnesium in food and drinks, and in a trial of 11 women who each spent 5 weeks on a prebiotic fiber and 5 on a placebo, the fiber raised that share.2 18

6The kidneys balance it

When your status runs low, the kidneys hold on to more magnesium, and when you take in extra, healthy kidneys clear it.2

Soak, sprout or ferment grains, beans, nuts and seeds

Phytic acid, one of the antinutrients in grains, beans, nuts and seeds, binds minerals in your gut.4 Its effect on magnesium has been measured. In two small studies, 8 or 9 healthy adults each ate the same white bread as single test meals, once with and once without added phytic acid. The amount found in whole-meal bread cut magnesium absorption from 32.5% to 13.0%, and the smaller amount found in brown bread cut it from 32.2% to 24.0%.5

Traditional preparation brings phytic acid down. A review of grain-processing research found that soaking, germination and fermentation lower it in grains and legumes and make more of their minerals available.17 It's what I teach: by lowering phytic acid, sprouting and fermenting make more iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium available to your body.4 Soak beans before you cook them, and choose sprouted-grain bread or real sourdough.4

Pair them with prebiotic fiber

On my show, I've explained that prebiotic fibers can measurably increase magnesium absorption.7 In a trial of 11 postmenopausal women, 10 grams a day of a prebiotic fiber, short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides, for 5 weeks raised magnesium absorption from 30.2% on a sugar placebo to 33.9%; each woman took both, and neither the women nor the researchers knew which was which. Two of the authors worked for a food company's health and nutrition group.18

That trial used an isolated fiber. Food brings the fiber and the mineral together, and some of the top foods that carry both are artichokes, oatmeal, lentils, apples and avocado.7 A medium boiled artichoke carries 50 mg of magnesium.1 See prebiotic foods for more.

Choose whole, unrefined food

Ultra-processed foods strip magnesium out.3 Even whole, real foods often carry fewer minerals today because of modern farming practices, as I've pointed out on my show.7 4 Long-term records show it in wheat. In archived grain from a field experiment in England running since 1843, magnesium held steady from 1845 to the mid-1960s, then fell as shorter, high-yielding wheat varieties came in, while the magnesium in the soil stayed stable or rose.19

That's why I encourage eating whole, organic foods and shopping at your local farmers market when you can.7

Planning your magnesium for the week?

Ask Dr. Axe AI. Its answers draw on this library and show their sources.

What drinks are high in magnesium?

Quick answer

Coconut water, mineral water and milks from goats, sheep or coconuts all carry magnesium: a cup of coconut water has 60 mg, a cup of sheep milk 44 mg and a cup of goat milk 34 mg.1 In a 2001 comparison of published water data, a liter of most moderately mineralized European bottled waters supplied 16% to 41% of an adult's daily need.20

Water can be a real source. A review of water reports from 21 North American cities found that for half of the tap waters, drinking 2 liters a day would supply 6% to 31% of an adult's magnesium needs.20 In a study run by a mineral-water maker's research institute, 10 healthy women absorbed 45.7% of the magnesium in a magnesium-rich mineral water when they drank it alone and 52.3% when they drank it with a meal, each woman trying both.21

Natural sparkling mineral water and coconut water are both on my list of drinks for the biblical diet.13 For something creamy, half a cup of canned coconut milk carries 52 mg, and a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder stirred into warm goat or coconut milk adds 27 mg more.1 See sparkling water for how the bubbly kinds differ.

Does eating more magnesium lower disease risk?

Quick answer

People who eat more magnesium have lower rates of type 2 diabetes, stroke and early death: in a 2016 analysis of 40 studies that followed more than 1 million people for 4 to 30 years, each extra 100 mg a day went with a 19% lower risk of type 2 diabetes.22

The analysis pooled 40 studies that followed people for 4 to 30 years, nearly all of them measuring magnesium intake with food questionnaires. Beyond the 19% for type 2 diabetes, every additional 100 mg a day was linked to a 10% drop in the risk of dying from any cause and a 7% drop in stroke risk, and in the 3 data sets from 2 study groups that tracked heart failure, the risk was 22% lower.22 Total cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease showed no clear link. These studies followed people over time, so they show links rather than proof that magnesium caused the difference.22

Each extra 100 mg of magnesium a day from food went with lower risk

Source: Fang et al. · BMC Medicine, 2016 [22]Risk per extra 100 mg of magnesium a day, pooled from studies that followed people over time.

For what magnesium does throughout your body, see magnesium benefits.

Should you take a magnesium supplement?

Start with food, then test before you supplement. The test to ask for is red blood cell (RBC) magnesium, a look at the magnesium inside your red blood cells, and my bloodwork guide puts its functional range at 5.5 to 6.5 mg/dL.6 If your result is low, I recommend 300 to 400 mg of magnesium glycinate in the evening, about an hour before bed, the same dose my Deep Sleep Protocol starts with.23 4 That's elemental magnesium, the amount the Supplement Facts label lists.4 2

The forms, doses and medication notes are in our guides to the signs of magnesium deficiency and the types of magnesium, and magnesium for sleep covers the bedtime dose.

Who should be careful with magnesium?

Quick answer

Magnesium from food is safe for healthy people, because the kidneys clear the extra; the cautions are for supplements, kidney disease, kidney stones and a few specific foods.2

Take extra care if any of these apply:

Kidney disease: Your kidneys are what clear extra magnesium, so the risk of too much rises when they don't work well. Check with your doctor before taking any magnesium supplement.2
Supplements and medications: The upper limit for adults is 350 mg a day from supplements and medications, and magnesium in food doesn't count toward it. High supplement doses often cause diarrhea, nausea and cramping; if the top of the 300 to 400 mg range above loosens your stools, stay closer to 300 mg. Magnesium supplements can interact with bisphosphonate bone drugs and with tetracycline and quinolone antibiotics, and diuretics and proton pump inhibitors can change your magnesium status.2
Kidney stones: Oxalates aren't harmful in small amounts, but eating a lot of high-oxalate foods such as spinach, almonds and beets, especially with poor gut health, can contribute to kidney stones in susceptible people.4 If you've had stones, mix in lower-oxalate greens such as kale, which carried a tiny fraction of spinach's oxalate in the study above.11
Dark chocolate and heavy metals: In a 2024 analysis of 72 dark chocolate and cocoa products bought in the U.S. from 2014 to 2022, 31 of the 72 (43%) went over California's maximum daily level for lead in a serving, and 13 of the 37 tested for cadmium (35%) went over its level for cadmium, while 70 of the 72 stayed under the FDA's interim reference level for lead.24 Enjoy chocolate by the square.
King mackerel: It's on the FDA and EPA list of fish to avoid because of its mercury, so choose Atlantic mackerel.16
Nut, seed or sesame allergy: Build your magnesium from leafy greens, beans and whole grains instead.

The bottom line

Why food is the best place to get your magnesium

Magnesium-rich foods are everyday foods: a cup of cooked greens, an ounce of pumpkin seeds, a bowl of beans or quinoa, a few almonds or cashews, a square of dark chocolate. Those foods bring magnesium along with the other nutrients it works with, which is why I want most of yours coming from your plate.7 Seeds, grains and beans have fed people since the beginning, and soaking, sprouting and fermenting them, as traditional cultures have long done, helps you absorb more of what they carry.4

Put a magnesium-rich food at every meal, cook your greens, soak your grains and beans, and keep nuts to a handful and Brazil nuts to one or two a day. To see where you stand, the free 25 Root-Cause Bloodwork Markers guide shows you how to read RBC magnesium against its functional range.

Fill your plate with the foods God made, and your body has what it needs for the hundreds of jobs magnesium does every day.

Foods high in magnesium: frequently asked questions

What foods are highest in magnesium?

Seeds, cooked leafy greens, beans and whole grains: 3 tablespoons of hulled hemp seeds carry 210 mg, an ounce of pumpkin seeds 168 mg, a cup of cooked amaranth 160 mg and a cup of cooked spinach 157 mg.1 Swiss chard, black beans, quinoa, sunflower seeds, edamame, chia, cashews, almonds, Atlantic mackerel and dark chocolate follow.1

What is the best source of magnesium?

Food: I recommend getting the bulk of your magnesium from what you eat, starting with green leafy vegetables, then nuts, seeds and legumes.7 3 Pumpkin seeds are one of the richest single sources, at 168 mg an ounce.1

How much magnesium do you need a day?

Adult men need 400 to 420 mg a day and adult women 310 to 320 mg, with 350 to 360 mg in pregnancy and 310 to 320 mg while breastfeeding.2 The Daily Value on food labels is 420 mg.8

Is spinach a good source of magnesium?

Yes: a cup of cooked spinach carries 157 mg, 37% of the Daily Value.1 Eat it cooked, because a cup of cooked spinach holds about six times the leaves of a cup of raw.1

Which fruits are high in magnesium?

Of the fruits on this page, avocado brings the most per serving: a whole avocado carries 58 mg.1 A medium banana has 32 mg and a quarter cup of dried figs 25 mg.1

Which nuts are highest in magnesium?

Of the nuts on this page, Brazil nuts carry the most by weight, about 107 mg an ounce, but my protocols keep them to one or two a day for their selenium, so cashews and almonds are the everyday picks: an ounce of raw cashews carries 83 mg and an ounce of dry-roasted almonds 79 mg.1 14 My guideline is about a handful of nuts a day at most.13

Which vegetables are high in magnesium?

Cooked leafy greens: a cup of cooked spinach has 157 mg, Swiss chard 151 mg and beet greens 98 mg.1 A medium boiled artichoke carries 50 mg and a medium baked potato with its skin 48 mg.1

Which foods are high in both magnesium and potassium?

Leafy greens, beans, avocado and potatoes bring plenty of both: a cup of cooked spinach has 157 mg of magnesium and 839 mg of potassium, and a whole avocado 58 mg of magnesium and 975 mg of potassium.1 See potassium-rich foods for more.

What drinks are high in magnesium?

Coconut water carries 60 mg a cup, and in a 2001 comparison of published water data, a liter of most moderately mineralized European bottled waters supplied 16% to 41% of an adult's daily need.1 20 Sheep milk, goat milk and canned coconut milk add some too.1

Does dark chocolate have magnesium?

Yes: dark chocolate with 70% to 85% cacao carries 65 mg an ounce, 15% of the Daily Value.1 I recommend 1 to 2 squares a day of chocolate that's 85% cacao or darker.15

How can I get more magnesium naturally?

Add a magnesium-rich food to every meal, cook your greens, and soak, sprout or ferment your grains, beans, nuts and seeds.10 4 On my show, I've named artichokes, oatmeal, lentils, apples and avocado as foods that bring prebiotic fiber and magnesium together, and in a trial of 11 postmenopausal women who each spent 5 weeks on 10 grams a day of a prebiotic fiber and 5 weeks on a sugar placebo, the fiber raised magnesium absorption from 30.2% to 33.9%.7 18

What blocks magnesium absorption?

Phytic acid in unsoaked grains, beans, nuts and seeds, and oxalate in some greens, hold magnesium back.4 11 In two small studies of healthy adults who ate the same white bread with and without added phytic acid, it cut magnesium absorption from 32.5% to 13.0% at the amount in whole-meal bread and from 32.2% to 24.0% at the amount in brown bread.5 Soaking, sprouting and fermenting lower phytic acid.17

Can you get too much magnesium from food?

Not if you're healthy: your kidneys clear the extra, and the adult upper limit of 350 mg a day applies only to supplements and medications.2 With kidney disease, check with your doctor before taking any magnesium supplement.2

Should I take a magnesium supplement or eat magnesium-rich foods?

Start with food, then test: ask for RBC magnesium, and if it's low, I recommend 300 to 400 mg of magnesium glycinate in the evening, about an hour before bed.6 23 4

Freshness & method note

October 15, 2026 — Rewrote the page around Dr. Axe's food-first approach to magnesium, with 24 numbered references (the earlier page cited none). Every food value now comes from USDA FoodData Central for a stated serving, including pumpkin seeds at 168 mg an ounce (the earlier page listed 156 mg from a different record), and the Daily Value is given as the fixed 420 mg (the earlier footnote said it was based on a 2,000-calorie diet). Replaced the uncited "less than 60 percent" and "two-thirds" intake figures with the NIH's 48%. Removed wheat bran as the top food, peanut butter, soy milk, tofu, fortified cereals, cow's milk, chicken breast and lean beef, along with health claims for Brazil nuts, almonds and mackerel that the earlier page didn't source. Cut the Brazil nut serving from an ounce to one or two nuts. Added a ranked list in Dr. Axe's order, the full daily-needs table, how to absorb more magnesium, drinks with magnesium, the research on intake and disease risk, his test-first approach to supplements, one safety section, three charts, a step-by-step diagram of how magnesium reaches your cells and an FAQ.

References

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

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