Painful leg cramps can interrupt your sleep at night or come on suddenly during a long run or tennis match. Inadequate blood supply to your legs during intense exercise can cause leg cramps during sports, according to the Mayo Clinic. You can remedy this problem by simply taking a break for a few moments. The Mayo Clinic also cites mineral deficiencies as a potential cause of leg cramps. A diet lacking in potassium, calcium or magnesium can lead to leg cramps. Remedy this problem by adding certain foods to your diet.
Potassium-rich Foods
When most people think of potassium, they think of bananas. In fact, you can get potassium from a wide variety of food sources including dried fruits, such as raisins and apricots, and fresh fruits such as bananas, strawberries, cantaloupes and oranges. Freshly squeezed orange juice or store-bought grapefruit and apricot juices also provide potassium. Potassium-rich vegetables include beets, spinach, peas and mushrooms. Turkey, fish and beef also contain plenty of potassium.
Calcium-rich Foods
Boosting your daily calcium intake will help you promote bone health as well as reduce leg cramps. Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and cheese provide some of the best sources of calcium. Other calcium-rich foods include vegetables such as kale, okra and baked beans, nuts such as sesame seeds and almonds and fruits such as apricots and figs. Particularly calcium-rich foods include figs, tofu and sardines, each of which contain almost twice as much calcium per serving as a glass of milk.
Magnesium-rich Foods
Add nuts, whole grains and dark, leafy greens to your diet to boost your magnesium intake. Magnesium-rich foods include broccoli, kale, spinach, almonds, pumpkin seeds and wheat germ. A serving of halibut also provides a particularly good source of magnesium.
