Foods That Contain Magnesium And Potassium

Magnesium and potassium are both essential to the human body. Magnesium aids in more than 300 of the body's biochemical reactions, including maintaining nerve and muscle and supporting the immune system. Potassium plays a role in metabolism and is essential in proper function of tissues, cells and organs. There is a variety of foods that contain both magnesium and potassium.

Fruits

There are many fruits that have both magnesium and potassium. Tomatoes (especially as canned tomato paste) actually have high contents of both minerals. Raisins have a very high content of potassium (1089 mg in 1 cup) and also contain magnesium. Other fruits that contain both magnesium and potassium are apricots, bananas and pumpkin.

Vegetables

Some vegetables are a good source of magnesium and potassium. The ones with the highest content of both are broccoli and spinach. Broccoli has 288 mg of potassium and 120 mg of magnesium in 1 cup, while spinach has 419 mg of potassium and 78 mg of magnesium in a 1/2 cup. Avocados, lettuce and lima beans also contain potassium and magnesium.

Fish

Fish is a good source of magnesium and potassium. Halibut and tuna are high in both. There are 490 mg of potassium and 91 mg of magnesium in a 3 oz. serving of cooked halibut. Tuna has 484 mg of potassium and 54 mg of magnesium in the same portion. Other fish varieties, like cod, contain magnesium and potassium.

Other Foods

There are a number of other foods that contain both magnesium and potassium, including beans, especially white, lima, lentils and soy; nuts like almond, peanut and walnuts, yogurt, tofu and brown rice. Many protein bars and drinks have magnesium and potassium, as are some breads and packaged foods. Milk, which contains 382 mg of potassium in 1 cup, is sometimes fortified with magnesium.

Considerations

Read nutritional information on packages to find additional foods with added magnesium and potassium. Both minerals are helpful in maintaining cardiovascular health, including aiding in the regulating hypertension. Hypokalemia, a metabolic disorder, can be caused by a deficiency of both minerals. It is recommended that adults get 4.7 grams of potassium and about 4 grams of magnesium per day (magnesium recommendations vary slightly by age and gender).