Community Food Co-op

Voted Bellingham's best grocery store. Full-service deli, hot bar, salad bar featuring organic, local, and natural foods. Everyone can shop, anyone can join. Co+op, stronger together.

Welcome! Everyone can shop the Community Food Co-op!
360-734-8158|
  • menu bar three linesMENU
    • Hours & Locations
      • Community Food Co-op, Downtown Store, 1220 North Forest Street at Holly StreetDowntown Store
        1220 North Forest Street at Holly Street
        Bellingham, Washington
        8 am - 9 pm
        360-734-8158
      • Cordata Co-Op exteriorCordata Store
        315 Westerly Road at Cordata Parkway
        Bellingham, Washington
        8 am - 9 pm
        360-734-8158
    • In Our Stores
      • Celebrating Our Co-op’s 50th Anniversary
      • Community Rooms
      • Customer Input
      • How to Shop
      • Service Desk
      • What’s on Sale?
      • Contact Us
    • Departments
      • Bakery
      • Co-op Bakery Café
      • Bulk
      • Dairy & Refrigerated
      • Deli & Deli To Go
      • Floral & Garden
      • Grocery
      • Health & Beauty
      • Meat & Seafood
      • Mercantile
      • Produce
      • Specialty Cheese
      • Wine, Beer, & Spirits
    • Calendar
      • Co-op Event Calender
    • About Us
      • Awards
      • Co-op Blog
      • Magazine & E-news
      • Our History
      • Strategic Plan
      • Sustainability at the Co-op
      • Vision, Mission, and Values
      • Contact Us
    • Community Giving
      • SEED: Community Shopping Days
      • Donations & Sponsorships
      • Donate at our Registers
      • Farm Fund
      • The Real Food Show
    • Join Us
      • Become a Co-op Member • Join Today!
      • Board of Directors
      • Employment
      • Local Business Partners
      • Sell to the Co-op
    • Recipes
      • Recipes
      • Cooking Videos
  • What’s on Sale?
  • Bakery Online Orders
  • Co-op Curbside
  • Join Today!
  • Hours and Locations
You are here: Home / HEALTH & BEAUTY / Ask the Nutritionist: Magnesium

Ask the Nutritionist: Magnesium

by Selva Wohlgemuth, Co-op News contributor

April 2018
Selva Wohlgemuth, meal planning instructor

Selva Wohlgemuth, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist

Dear Nutritionist: I have been struggling with muscle cramps and have a hard time falling and staying asleep. Is there anything you can recommend to help alleviate these symptoms?

Muscle cramps and spasms in the soles of feet and legs, as well as twitching of the eyelid, can all be telltale signs of a magnesium need. Magnesium can also be very helpful in promoting relaxation and therefore good quality sleep. Did you know that more than 60 percent of Americans are not getting adequate amounts of magnesium in their diet?

This is most often related to:

  1. not eating enough magnesium-rich foods
  2. lower amounts of magnesium in our soil today than there used to be in the past
  3. taking medications that deplete magnesium stores (some of the most common are acid blockers, antibiotics, and birth control). Also, chronic stress, alcohol abuse, and malabsorption can all contribute to magnesium deficiency.

Magical Magnesium

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. It plays an important role in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body that can affect you from your nervous system all the way to your bones. Magnesium is required for DNA synthesis, reproduction, energy production, blood pressure regulation, insulin metabolism, adrenal function, nervous system transmission, and more. The recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for adult men and women are 400 mg and 310 mg daily. However, most Americans are not getting enough.

Magnesium Deficiency/Insufficiency

Although severe magnesium deficiency is rare, low or insufficient levels of magnesium have been associated with several health conditions such as Alzheimer’s, insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, migraines, muscle and period cramps, and ADHD. Many symptoms associated with a magnesium deficiency are often neglected or overlooked. Indicators of poor magnesium status include anxiety, depression, menstrual cramps and PMS, sleep disorders, low stress tolerance, muscle cramps, constipation, elevated blood pressure, and more.

How Can You Get More in Your Diet?

Aiming to get adequate magnesium from diet is the best approach, because magnesium-rich foods also provide other essential nutrients and fiber. Chlorophyll and therefore green veggies are a major source of magnesium. Some other excellent food sources include nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Some beans and legumes, fruit, and fish provide moderate amounts of magnesium as well.

What About Magnesium Supplements?

Supplemental magnesium is very safe and can provide quick relief of symptoms. It is a supplement I often recommend if someone has a lot of magnesium-wasting risk factors. However, it’s best not to take more than 350mg of supplemental magnesium per day unless recommended by your health care provider.

Some types of magnesium can be better tolerated and absorbed. Magnesium oxide acts as a laxative, and therefore only individuals that need stooling support should supplement with magnesium oxide. Magnesium citrate can cause loose stools, but only if taken in large dosages. Magnesium glycinate is highly absorbable and does not influence stools. Magnesium is best taken 30 minutes prior to bed due to its relaxing effects.

CALM Magnesium (magnesium citrate)

Start with 1 teaspoon and gradually increase to 2–3 teaspoons if needed.

Magnesium Glycinate

Start with 100mg pill. Then increase if needed to 2–3 pills, depending on recommended dosage.

Epsom Salts

Take a hot bath with 2 cups of Epsom salts. Soak for 20–30 minutes, 1–2 times per week.

Sources of Magnesium from Food

Food Item Serving Size Magnesium (mg)
Pumpkin seeds ¼ cup 190mg
Mung Beans ¼ cup, dry 140mg
Soy Beans ½ cup, dry 140mg
Buckwheat grouts ¼ cup, dry 95mg
Almonds, roasted ¼ cup 90mg
Potato 1 large 90mg
Quinoa ¼ cup, dry 85mg
Spinach ½ cup cooked 80mg
Swiss Chard ½ cup cooked 80mg
Artichoke 1 medium 80mg
Beans (varied) ¼ cup, dry 75mg
Molasses 1 tablespoon 50mg
Oats, rolled ½ cup, dry 40mg
Plantain 1 cup, boiled 40mg
Banana 1 large 40mg
Sesame Seeds 1 tablespoon 30mg
Shrimp 3oz 30mg
Halibut 4oz 30mg

A Recipe Suggestion

vegetarian quinoa salad

See Selva’s recipe for Zesty Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad that incorporates several ingredients that are natural sources of magnesium. 

Photo by Selva Wohlgemuth

Ask the Nutritionist

Have questions? Send them to contact@happybellynutritionist.com. Selva Wohlgemuth is a registered dietitian nutritionist. Learn more about her approach to general health and well-being at her Happy Belly Nutrition website, and see her recipes and other kitchen tips at Poppies and Papayas.

Tweet

HEALTH & BEAUTY ask the nutritionist| dear nutritionist| magnesium| muscle cramps| nutrition| recipe| spasms| vegetarian

Categories

  • BAKERY
  • BULK
  • DELI & CATERING
  • EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
  • FARM FUND
  • FLORAL & GARDEN
  • GROCERY
  • HEALTH & BEAUTY
  • HOT OFF THE PRESS
  • MEAT & SEAFOOD
  • PRODUCE
  • RECIPES
  • SALES
  • SUSTAINABILITY
  • THE CO-OP DIFFERENCE
  • WINE, BEER, & SPIRITS
butternut squash with seeds

Ask the Nutritionist: Squash Talk

Dear Nutritionist: I always see different varieties of winter squash at the grocery store. However, I am unsure how to prepare them. Do you have any easy tips on how to cook and season squash?

inflatable smiling sun balloon in a grassy field

Sun Protection That Is Good for You and the Environment

We like to make the most of our long summer days, but one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime and UV exposure is the most preventable risk factor. So play it safe in the sun this summer.

famers at moon valley organic farm

Local Vendor Profile: Moon Valley Organics

Join the Cordata wellness team on a virtual tour of Moon Valley Organics. The Co-op is proud to partner with this local business whose products promote a healthy way of caring for our bodies and the world.

enews-sign-up-image

get connected and save - click here to sign up for our e-news

HIGH RISK PRIORITY SHOPPING HOUR • 8 am to 9 am daily • both stores
DOWNTOWN STORE & DELI
• map • 360-734-8158 •  8 am – 9 pm; deli service counter closes at 7 pm
CORDATA STORE & DELI • map • 360-734-8158 • 8 am – 9 pm; deli service counter closes at 7 pm
CO-OP BAKERY CAFÉ and CONNECTIONS BUILDING CLASSROOM • map • 360-734-8158 • temporarily closed

Facebook Instagram Twitter

Copyright © 2021 Community Food Co-op

0