- Magnesium is a mineral that fights inflammation by protecting against oxidative stress.
- It also prevents inflammation linked to diabetes and post-exercise muscle recovery.
- Top sources include pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, spinach, nuts, black beans and edamame.
Inflammation is like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is a normal immune response that helps your body recover from injury, infection, intense exercise or even ongoing stress. However, problems arise when that inflammatory response stays elevated. When inflammation becomes chronic, it can lead to illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and dementia, to name a few.
One nutrient that we don’t hear about very often that can help fight inflammation is magnesium. This mineral plays a role in immune and metabolic regulation, and research has linked better magnesium status with lower markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (CRP).,
In this article, we’ll look at magnesium’s role in inflammation and the best foods to give you the magnesium you need.
How Magnesium Can Help Reduce Inflammation
It Prevents Cells from Releasing Inflammatory Compounds
Research has found a link between low magnesium status and inflammation. Conversely, adequate magnesium may protect against inflammation, says Serena Pratt, M.S., RDN. One way it may do this is by moderating the movement of calcium into your cells to keep cellular calcium levels stable. That’s important because having too much calcium in your cells can trigger the release of inflammatory compounds throughout your body. It can even spell trouble for your brain, increasing the risk of neurodegenerative disorders.
By making sure you have plenty of magnesium on board, you can help prevent your cells from flooding your body with harmful inflammatory compounds.
It May Protect Against Oxidative Stress
When magnesium status is chronically low, “the body may be more prone to oxidative stress and upregulate inflammatory pathways,” says Pratt. Over time, this may increase levels of inflammatory compounds called cytokines, which may increase blood markers of inflammation, like CRP, she says.
For instance, research comparing magnesium intake with a placebo found that people who took a magnesium supplement were able to reduce their CRP levels, suggesting lower levels of inflammation.
It May Help Protect Against Diabetes
Diabetes has many causes, and one of them is inflammation. “When magnesium status is adequate, it supports insulin function and the body’s response to stress,” says Vanessa Imus, M.S., RDN.
However, better insulin sensitivity isn’t the only way magnesium may protect against diabetes. Remember how magnesium helps keep cellular calcium levels in check? As it turns out, this inflammation-lowering mechanism also promotes healthy blood sugar levels. And that’s not all. It may also help prevent high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight and obesity.
It Can Support Muscle Recovery
Exercise can do lots of good things for your body. But when you work out long and hard, it can lead to more inflammation., At the same time, “low [magnesium] levels can make recovery less efficient,” says Cheryl Harris, M.P.H., RD, increasing the chance that inflammation remains elevated.
On the flip side, research has found that consuming adequate magnesium may help support muscle mass, increase muscle power and improve overall performance.
Food Sources of Magnesium
Most healthy adults need about 420 milligrams of magnesium per day. However, many of us don’t consume enough of this anti-inflammatory mineral. The best ways to get the magnesium you need are from plant foods, especially pumpkin and chia seeds, which provide more than a quarter of the Daily Value per ounce.
Other good sources of magnesium include:
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Peanuts
- Spinach
- Soy milk
- Black beans
- Edamame
- Whole-wheat cereal
- Brown rice
- Baked potatoes
Rather than focusing on one or two foods, an easy way to get the magnesium you need is to eat a wide variety of magnesium-rich foods throughout the day. This might look like adding pumpkin or chia seeds to yogurt or oatmeal, building a meal around brown rice and spinach, or choosing shredded wheat cereal at breakfast.
Other Nutrients to Focus On
Magnesium is one nutrient that can help fight inflammation, but it’s not the only one. Other nutrients that help protect against inflammation include:
- Vitamin C: Supports antioxidant defenses that help reduce oxidative stress. You can get it from citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi fruit, bell peppers and broccoli.
- Vitamin D: This vitamin isn’t just important for bone health. It also plays a surprising role in immune regulation. Yet, it’s only in a handful of foods, such as fatty fish, fortified dairy foods and eggs. If you don’t eat these foods frequently, ask your health care provider if a supplement is right for you.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Most of us don’t consume nearly enough of these anti-inflammatory fats. The best sources are fatty fish, like salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring. If you don’t eat these, you can also find plant omega-3s in flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts.
- Polyphenols: While they’re not nutrients, per se, polyphenols are antioxidants with potent anti-inflammatory powers. You can get them from berries, olive oil, coffee, tea and many colorful vegetables.
Our Expert Take
Unchecked chronic inflammation can lead to the development of many illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and dementia. Magnesium can help. This mineral protects against inflammation by preventing your cells from releasing anti-inflammatory compounds and by protecting against oxidative stress. Magnesium also helps fend off inflammation that can lead to diabetes or impair post-exercise muscle recovery.
Of course, preventing inflammation isn’t about eating one nutrient. Magnesium works best as part of an overall healthy eating pattern. To get your fill, reach for foods like pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, spinach and nuts. And don’t forget other inflammation fighters, like omega-3 fats, antioxidants and vitamins C and D. Together they offer a powerful cocktail of inflammation-fighting nutrition.
