Calcium & Magnesium Enriched Foods

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body with the highest concentrations found in your bones, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Half of magnesium, the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, also is contained in your bones. In addition to promoting bone strength, both nutrients help your muscles, heart and arteries function properly. In some cases, foods enriched, or fortified, with calcium and magnesium can help ensure that your daily nutrient needs are met.

Function

Although magnesium deficiencies are rarely diagnosed in the United States, dietary surveys suggest that Americans do not meet their daily needs, which falls between 310 and 420 mg per day for most adults, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Americans typically fall below their daily calcium needs of 1,000 to 2,000 mg for most adults. Foods fortified with calcium and magnesium may help reduce these deficiencies, which can lead to osteoporosis, bone fractures, muscle cramps, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and weakness.

Probable Candidates

Calcium deficiencies are most common among post-menopausal women, female athletes, women who do not menstruate, strict vegans and vegetarians and people with a milk allergy or lactose intolerance. Alcoholics, older adults and diabetics with poorly-controlled blood sugar are at risk for a magnesium deficiency. Although whole foods are the ideal sources of vitamins and minerals, according to MayoClinic.com, fortified foods may help you meet your needs. This is especially important if you have difficulty meeting your nutrient needs through whole foods alone or have an illness, such as Crohn's disease or colitis, that causes nutrient malabsorption. Healthy individuals who eat a well-balanced diet, rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and dairy, fish or soy products, usually do not need added nutrients through supplements or fortified foods.

Available Foods

Many foods and beverages are fortified with calcium, including fortified orange juice, which provides 200 to 260 mg per 6 oz. cup and firm tofu made with calcium sulfate, which provides 204 mg per 1/2 cup. Many protein shakes, cereals, soy milk, almond milk and rice milk varieties are also fortified with calcium. Foods fortified with magnesium include fortified instant oatmeal, which provides 55 mg per 1 cup cooked, and fortified puffed wheat cereal, which provides 17 mg per cup. One cup of cooked, enriched white rice provides 17 mg of magnesium. Some breakfast cereals are fortified with both nutrients. Calcium-fortified orange juice naturally contains magnesium.

Risks

Foods with added calcium and magnesium are generally considered safe. Fortified foods are not necessarily healthier than other foods, however. Fortified pasta, for example, may contain as much protein as meat, according to the "Wall Street Journal." But refined pasta is made from processed grains, which are less nutritious than whole foods such as whole grains and lean meat. If you depend upon processed foods with added nutrients instead of eating a variety of nutritious, whole foods, you run the risk of missing out on other nutrients and fiber. To determine whether enriched foods can also enrich your wellness, seek specified guidance from a qualified health care professional.