Magnesium Intake Calculator: How Much Magnesium Per Day?

Adult men need about 400 to 420 mg of magnesium a day and adult women about 310 to 320 mg, according to the NIH. Pick your age and sex, then tap in what you ate today to see how close you are.

Today's magnesium from food
0 mg
What did you eat today?
Food (NIH ODS serving) Magnesium Servings
Pumpkin seeds, roasted, 1 oz 156 mg 0
Chia seeds, 1 oz 111 mg 0
Almonds, dry roasted, 1 oz 80 mg 0
Spinach, boiled, 1/2 cup 78 mg 0
Cashews, dry roasted, 1 oz 74 mg 0
Peanuts, oil roasted, 1/4 cup 63 mg 0
Soymilk, 1 cup 61 mg 0
Black beans, cooked, 1/2 cup 60 mg 0
Edamame, shelled, cooked, 1/2 cup 50 mg 0
Peanut butter, 2 tbsp 49 mg 0
Potato, baked with skin, 3.5 oz 43 mg 0
Brown rice, cooked, 1/2 cup 42 mg 0
Yogurt, plain, low fat, 8 oz 42 mg 0
Oatmeal, instant, 1 packet 36 mg 0
Kidney beans, canned, 1/2 cup 35 mg 0
Banana, 1 medium 32 mg 0
Milk, 1 cup 27 mg 0
Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked, 3 oz 26 mg 0
Bread, whole wheat, 1 slice 23 mg 0
Avocado, cubed, 1/2 cup 22 mg 0
Chicken breast, roasted, 3 oz 22 mg 0

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How the magnesium intake calculator works

This magnesium intake calculator compares what you ate today with the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for your age, sex and life stage, using the tables from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. The RDA is the daily amount that meets the needs of nearly all healthy people.

Magnesium is a cofactor in hundreds of enzyme reactions, including the ones behind energy production and muscle and nerve function. It shows up in a wide range of foods. One ounce of pumpkin seeds has about 156 mg, chia seeds 111 mg, almonds 80 mg, a half cup of boiled spinach 78 mg and a half cup of black beans 60 mg. Each food in the checker uses the NIH serving size and value.

Your total updates as you tap. The bar shows the percentage of your RDA, plus how many milligrams you have left to reach it. Pregnancy and breastfeeding use their own RDA values, which you can select.

Food is the foundation, and many people use a supplement to round things out. The NIH sets an upper limit of 350 mg a day for magnesium from supplements and medications for adults. Magnesium from food doesn't count toward that limit. Check the elemental magnesium on any supplement label.

How it works

Tap in what you ate today. Each food uses the serving and magnesium value from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements table, and we compare your total to the RDA for your age, sex and life stage.

Magnesium is a cofactor in hundreds of enzyme reactions, including the ones behind energy production, muscle and nerve function.

What the research says

  • NIH ODS lists magnesium RDAs: 400 to 420 mg for adult men and 310 to 320 mg for adult women, with different values during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Read the study
  • A small trial in older adults linked magnesium supplementation to better subjective sleep measures than placebo (Abbasi et al., 2012). Read the study

Glossary

RDA
Recommended Dietary Allowance: the daily intake that meets the needs of nearly all healthy people (97 to 98%).
AI
Adequate Intake: used when there's not enough data to set an RDA.
Cofactor
A helper a protein needs to do its job.
DV
Daily Value: the single number used on US food labels.

Frequently asked questions

How much magnesium do I need per day?

NIH RDAs for adults are 400 mg (men 19-30), 420 mg (men 31+), 310 mg (women 19-30) and 320 mg (women 31+). Pregnancy and breastfeeding have different values.

What foods are highest in magnesium?

Pumpkin seeds (156 mg per oz), chia seeds (111 mg per oz), almonds (80 mg per oz), boiled spinach (78 mg per half cup) and cashews (74 mg per oz) are among the top sources in the NIH table.

What is the upper limit for magnesium?

For adults, the NIH upper limit is 350 mg a day from supplements and medications. Magnesium naturally present in food doesn't count toward it.

Which type of magnesium supplement is best?

Different forms carry different amounts of elemental magnesium and feel different to take. Glycinate is a popular, gentle option. See our magnesium glycinate vs citrate guide for the comparison.

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Sources
  1. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (Table 1 RDAs; Table 2 food sources). https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/

For information only, not medical advice.