15 Magnesium-rich Foods to Prevent Stroke, Heart Failure, and Diabetes
This is by no means an exhaustive list but a guide for the most common foods with a high magnesium content. Leafy greens, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and seeds of all kinds are high in magnesium.
- Avocado
- Beet greens
- Raw cacao
- Collard greens
- Cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale
- Fatty fish (e.g., wild-caught salmon, mackerel)
- Fruits and berries, including bananas, and figs
- Herbs, including chives, parsley, fennel, and basil
- Nuts, seeds, and legumes, including almonds, cashews, pine, and Brazil nuts; sunflower and pumpkin seeds, lentils, and Lima beans
- Romaine lettuce
- Swiss chard
- Spices, including coriander, cumin, mustard seed, and clove
- Spinach
- Squash
- Turnip greens
When it comes down to the nuts and bolts of life, Magnesium is a catalyst we couldn’t live without.
Magnesium passes through cell membranes, transporting other minerals (such as potassium) from cell to cell throughout the body. Communication between cells requires protein synthesis that is catalyzed by magnesium. The processes that result from the break-down of proteins affect hormone secretion and gland function.
Additionally, magnesium and calcium that float around outside of cells carry them to different parts of the body, with implications for immune system function. (14)
Magnesium’s Role in the Prevention of Stroke and Diabetes
Stroke
Magnesium is a potent vasodilator, meaning it opens up blood vessels, thereby decreasing blood pressure. Ischemic stroke (the most common) occurs when there is a blockage or blood clot in a blood vessel that cuts off blood flow to the brain. Dilation of blood vessels to prevent blockage is therefore highly preventative.
Diabetes
Magnesium deficiency commonly affects people with diabetes, both types 1 and 2; almost half of people with type 2 diabetes are lacking in this mineral.