Vegetarian Dosage Of Magnesium

Magnesium helps your muscles contract and relax and plays a role in maintaining a healthy immune system, synthesizing protein, metabolizing energy, keeping your bones healthy and regulating your heartbeat, blood pressure and blood sugar level. Because magnesium is abundant in plant foods, well-balanced vegetarian diets likely provide comparable amounts of the mineral to non-vegetarian diets. However, intakes of magnesium are typically below recommendations in American diets in general, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.

Need

Women need 310 mg to 320 mg of magnesium daily, while men need 400 to 420 mg. Although dietary intakes of magnesium tend to be low across the board, older adults have a higher risk for magnesium deficiency because of low dietary intakes and decreased absorption. However, whether you follow a vegetarian or traditional diet, high dosages of magnesium from supplements are not advisable. High intakes of magnesium from food sources are not associated with adverse health effects, but magnesium in supplement form can be toxic, causing diarrhea and abdominal cramps. The tolerable upper intake level for supplemental magnesium -- which indicates the highest amount not associated with adverse effects -- is 350 mg for men and women.

Sources

Vegetarian sources of magnesium include almonds, cashews, spinach, seeds, soybeans, fortified oatmeal, brown rice and legumes such as lentils, kidney beans, black-eyed peas and pintos. Bananas, raisins, potatoes, avocados and dried apricots also provide magnesium. Essentially, a diet rich in whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables helps you maximize your intake of dietary magnesium. Because your body stores magnesium, low intakes may not manifest in a magnesium deficiency. However, keeping your stores of magnesium at normal levels may play a protective role in cardiovascular health and proper immune function.

Deficiency

Although magnesium deficiency is not necessarily more common in vegetarians, other factors may affect your magnesium status. Gastrointestinal or kidney problems may increase your risk for magnesium deficiency, as can poorly-managed diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption or certain medications. Signs of low magnesium levels may include decreased appetite, nausea, fatigue, kidney stones, high blood pressure, high triglycerides and weakness, while more severe deficiencies may be accompanied by muscle cramps, seizures, irregular heartbeat, personality changes and numbness. If your magnesium level is low, your doctor may recommend supplementation and dietary or lifestyle changes.

Considerations

A typical multivitamin provides around 50 mg of magnesium, although nutrient contents vary by brand. If you choose to supplement your diet, choose a vitamin that provides no more than the daily value of each included nutrient. Unless you have a condition that makes a magnesium deficiency more likely, eating a healthy mix of vegetarian foods may be enough. Talk with your doctor about whether you need a magnesium supplement and which dosage is appropriate for you.