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Magnesium
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Magnesium is a mineral found in a wide variety of foods. The richest sources are green leafy vegetables (such as spinach) and nuts. Good sources include bread, fish, meat and dairy foods.
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How much do I need?
You should be able to get all the magnesium you need from your daily diet. This is:
300 mg a day for men
270 mg a day for women
What does it do?
Magnesium has a number of important functions. For example it:
- helps turn the food we eat into energy
- helps make sure the parathyroid glands work normally. The parathyroid glands produce hormones important for bone health
What happens if I take too much?
Taking high doses of magnesium for a short time can cause diarrhoea.
There isn't enough evidence to say what the effects might be of taking high doses of magnesium for a long time.
What is FSA advice?
You should be able to get all the magnesium you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. But if you decide to take magnesium supplements it's a good idea not to take too much because this could be harmful.
Having 400 mg or less a day of magnesium from supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
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