Magnesium: Key dietary sources, signs of insufficiency and its degradation through thermal food processing
Katarzyna Mazur
2026-03-21
4 min. read
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Magnesium serves as a foundational micronutrient within the human body, acting as an indispensable cofactor for the proper activity of nearly eighty distinct enzymes. A deficiency in this mineral can rapidly give rise to a spectrum of adverse symptoms, underscoring its pivotal role in regulating numerous biological processes. The demand for magnesium is particularly pronounced in tissues characterized by high metabolic turnover—most notably the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as vital organs such as the cardiac muscle, liver, kidneys, endocrine glands, and digestive tract, where magnesium participates in critical metabolic and signaling reactions.
What is the source of magnesium?
We don't have to worry about the availability of this mineral because it's the number one thing on this list. 100 grams of this product contains up to 540 mg of magnesium. So let's eat it as a breakfast cereal, and then we'll have to pick up the cereal from these cereal crops, and we're going to have to figure out why we can't get enough of it.
Loss of magnesium during meal preparation
Since magnesium requires adequate vitamins for proper absorption and proper digestive functioning, we should pay attention to how to prepare the ingredients that contain it in order to reduce its loss even further. It's not important, but it's important to pre-process vegetables and fruits, which is to pick them up. It causes the most losses of this microelement because it leaves us with the skin we throw out.
Magnesium deficiency is a symptom
The daily need for magnesium is about 350 mg for men and 280 mg for women. Its absorption is supported by vitamin B6. The most common cause of magnesium deficiency is (unfortunately) the consumption of highly processed foods. Magnesium depletion also causes stress and life in constant haste.
What makes it harder to absorb magnesium?
Magnesium deficiency can be caused not only by a lack of the nutrient in the diet, but also by the difficulty in absorbing it by some products. It will be absorbed to a much lesser extent if you have too much strong coffee and tea in your diet. Excess fat will also make it difficult to digest it. Excessive protein, sodium and calcium limit its absorption from the digestive tract. It is beneficial to limit the intake of soda and alcohol.
