Magnesium and ribonucleic acid are both important substances that your body uses on a cellular level. However, while magnesium is a mineral that must come from an external source like food, your cells can manufacture the ribonucleic acid that they need.
RNA
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, ribonucleic acid, abbreviated RNA, is a type of nucleic acid within your body's cells. RNA is a strand of information copied from your DNA -- or deoxyribonucleic acid -- another nucleic acid that contains all of your genetic information. Cells make different types of RNA for different purposes, like DNA transcription -- a process in which your DNA is copied to RNA so that it can be replicated when the cell divides. Without RNA, your cells cannot reproduce, so your body's tissues cannot repair themselves when damaged.
Magnesium
According to the National Institutes of Health, magnesium is the fourth most common mineral in your body. Your body needs magnesium for more than 300 chemical reactions, many of which take place on the cellular level. For example, your body's cells use magnesium in their mitochondria, the cellular body that metabolizes energy. Your body also uses magnesium to help transport substances such as potassium across cell membranes, a process that affects your heart rate and muscle function.
RDI
You do not need to consume RNA intentionally since your cells naturally make it. RNA does use amino acids, which are found in protein, so consume protein as part of a well-balanced diet. Unlike RNA, your body cannot produce the magnesium it needs for your cells to work correctly, so you need to get it from your diet. An average adult male should get 400 mg of magnesium daily, while a normal female needs 310 mg.
Sources
Consume lean protein, such as chicken, fish and lean red meats, as part of your balanced diet, which will help your body with RNA production. Also, eat plenty of leafy green vegetables, which are abundant in magnesium. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, other vegetables, along with legumes, nuts and whole grains, are also sources of magnesium, while processed and refined foods generally have little of the mineral.
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