Though rare, magnesium deficiency can profoundly affect your body, causing parathyroid hormone imbalances, muscle weakness, abnormal heart rhythms and muscle spasms. Magnesium deficiency can occur for a number of reasons, including chronic low dietary intake of the mineral, digestive or kidney diseases, or chronic alcoholism. The treatment for magnesium deficiency depends on its underlying cause, but consuming plants rich in the mineral may help treat magnesium deficiency in some cases.
Vegetables
Vegetables can contribute to your magnesium intake and potentially help relieve magnesium deficiency. Many vegetables, especially dark green veggies, contain magnesium. This is because chlorophyll -- the green pigment that gives dark green veggies their color -- contains magnesium. Consume spinach, kale, swiss chard and okra as sources of magnesium. To further increase your magnesium intake, juice the vegetables into a small amount of apple juice to create a chlorophyll- and magnesium-rich veggie drink.
Nuts
A number of nuts also contain relatively large amounts of magnesium and can therefore help to relieve magnesium deficiency. Almonds, hazelnuts and peanuts contain especially high levels of the mineral, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Consuming 1 oz. of almonds, for example, provides 78 mg of magnesium, which is 18 and 24 percent, respectively, of the recommended intake for men and women. Consume nuts as a convenient snack, or add the nuts to your soups and salads to boost your magnesium intake.
Legumes and Grains
Several legumes and grains can boost your magnesium intake to help treat a deficiency. The Linus Pauling Institute lists lima beans and brown rice as rich sources of magnesium, providing 63 and 86 mg of the mineral, respectively. In addition, foods made from grains contain magnesium, with shredded wheat, oat bran and bran cereals providing a source of the mineral. Consume magnesium-rich legumes and grains as part of your diet, and add bran to your cereals or smoothies to consume magnesium.
Considerations
Though a diet rich in magnesium can help increase the levels of the mineral within your body, diet alone may not prove sufficient to treat magnesium deficiency. If you think you may suffer from magnesium deficiency, consult a physician to determine how best to increase your magnesium levels. In some cases, you may have to treat an underlying disorder, such as a gastrointestinal disease, to help relieve the deficiency. Never take large doses of magnesium supplements, unless you're instructed to do so by your doctor, since excess magnesium consumption can lead to nausea, abnormal blood pressure and difficulty breathing, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.
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