Which foods are
richest in magnesium?
(from USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard
Reference,
Release
16-1)
![Photo: Various foods that contain magnesium. Link to photo information](/peth04/20041031203621im_/http://ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/may04/k11083-1i.jpg) Good sources of
magnesium include bran muffins, pumpkin seeds, barley, buckwheat flour, low-fat
vanilla yogurt, trail mix, halibut steaks, garbanzo beans, lima beans,
soybeans, and spinach. Click the image for more information about
it.
Read the
magazine
story to find out more. |
Dragging Through the Day? Be Sure You Get
Enough Magnesium By
Rosalie Marion Bliss
May 5, 2004
If you find yourself huffing and puffing at the gym, you might
need to get more magnesium in your diet. Inadequate magnesium is associated
with a need for increased oxygen during exercise, according to scientists with
the Agricultural Research Service.
The findings are based on a study conducted by ARS physiologist
Henry C. Lukaski, nutritionist Forrest H. Nielsen and clinical nutrition
support staff at the Grand Forks
Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, N.D. ARS is the
U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief
scientific research agency.
The study began with a phase that provided 10 postmenopausal
women with a controlled diet adequate in magnesium for 35 days. In the next
phase, a low-magnesium diet provided them less than half the recommended daily
intake for 93 days. The last phase provided a diet adequate in magnesium for 49
days. The volunteers were subjected to exercise tests at the end of each
dietary phase, along with biochemical and physiological tests.
The data show that when magnesium levels were depleted, the
volunteers needed more energy and more oxygen to do low-level activities than
when they were getting adequate magnesium. The findings are consistent with
other studies showing that too little magnesium makes the body work harder.
The researchers concluded that getting adequate magnesium is
important for people to make sure their hearts and muscles are healthy enough
to meet the demands of daily living. The recommended dietary allowance for
magnesium is 320 milligrams (mg) daily for women over age 31, and 420 mg daily
for men over age 31.
Read more
about this research in the May issue of Agricultural Research
magazine. |