Nutrition experts revealed that magnesium is often not given the same attention as other vitamins and minerals, although it plays a pivotal role in supporting the overall health of our body, especially improving blood sugar management and supporting neuro-psychological balance.
According to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), magnesium is an abundant mineral in our body and it’s naturally present in many foods.
The mineral is required in more than 300 different reactions in our body, including those that regulate muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure.
“Magnesium plays a role in how our body handles sugar,” Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy told Prevention magazine.
“It helps with the action of insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels.” When you have enough magnesium in your body, insulin can work better and your body can manage blood sugar more effectively, Keatley said.
Also, stress can cause our body to use more magnesium than usual, which can limit our body’s ability to do other tasks with the nutrient, Keatley said.
“In addition, magnesium can help reduce the release of stress hormones like cortisol,” he said. “It’s like a natural chill pill that can help keep our body’s stress response in check.”
Magnesium helps regulate brain function and mood. It plays a role in releasing and using neurotransmitters, which are chemicals in our brain that affect our mood and emotions.
The mineral may help improve bone density and decrease fracture risk.
“Magnesium is stored in bones and is an important part of bone health,” said Deborah Cohen, DCN, an associate professor in the department of clinical and preventive nutrition sciences at Rutgers University School of Health Professions.
At baseline, magnesium can help to relax and widen your blood vessels, Keatley said. “This makes it easier for blood to flow and can help lower blood pressure,” he added. “It’s like making the highways wider so that traffic can move more smoothly.”
A 2025 review in hypertension found that magnesium seems to be beneficial for lowering blood pressure in people with high blood pressure and magnesium deficiency, but larger studies are needed.
There are a lot of foods that are high in magnesium. Nutrition experts recommended trying to get more of the nutrient in our diet from food first.
These are the most magnesium-rich foods, according to the NIH are: Pumpkin seeds, Chia seeds, almonds, spinach, cashews, peanuts, shredded wheat, soymilk, black beans, edamame, peanut butter, potato with skin, brown rice and plain yogurt.
