Magnesium
Magnesium sits thickest in our database in wheat bran at 611 mg per 100 grams, pumpkin seeds at 592 mg and ground flaxseed at 392 mg. Oats supply 177 mg per 100 grams. On the European list of reference intakes this stands at 375 mg per day (EU NRV). Seeds, bran and nuts carry this list almost single-handedly.
The permitted statements about magnesium
Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 records for magnesium, among others: "magnesium contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue", "magnesium contributes to normal muscle function" and "magnesium contributes to normal protein synthesis". Note what is absent. No authorised wording exists for muscle cramp, sleep quality or stress, and those are precisely the three subjects magnesium is sold on in the trade. We stay with the list.
The five richest sources, with the measurement
Per 100 grams: wheat bran 611 mg, pumpkin seeds 592 mg, ground flaxseed 392 mg, Brazil nuts 376 mg and sesame seeds 351 mg. Chia seeds follow at 335 mg. The pattern is plain: everything at the top is a seed, a nut or the bran layer of a grain. Oats miss the top five at 177 mg per 100 grams, yet often deliver more in practice because you eat eighty grams of them and not eighty grams of Brazil nuts.
375 mg a day as the reference value
We use the EU NRV of 375 mg per day. Calculated with real portions that is well within reach: eighty grams of oats brings over 140 mg, thirty grams of pumpkin seeds nearly 180 mg, and the rest arrives from bread, vegetables and pulses. This is exactly why the gap between white and wholegrain bites hardest here: refining removes the bran layer, and with it most of the magnesium.
When intake runs structurally low
We see it get tight in two kinds of week: those built almost entirely from refined carbohydrates, and those with a steep calorie deficit where nuts and seeds are the first to go because they are energy-dense. Both are a choice problem, not a mystery. What is happening in your case is not for us to establish — that is your GP's work, and only with a measurement behind it.
Why we do not point at a jar here
Magnesium is one of the best-selling supplements in the Netherlands, and at the same time a nutrient that appears in coaching source data at doses far above the reference intake. We do not carry those doses over: they are personal prescriptions, not public advice. We sell nothing and earn nothing from any brand. In a programme we steer wholegrains, seeds and pulses, because those deliver fibre and potassium alongside the magnesium.
How we compile this list
We sort every row in the DCRAFT food database on the measured value per 100 grams and take the top of that list. Rows recorded per piece, per slice or per portion do not count, because a value per piece cannot be compared with a value per 100 grams. Products listed under a brand name are left out: their composition changes outside our control, and a ranking resting on it ages without us noticing. Where several products carry precisely the same value, it comes from one shared row in our source data and we name one product from that group. We set this rule out here because a ranking without a visible selection rule is an opinion rather than a measurement.
Frequently asked questions
Which foods contain the most magnesium?
Wheat bran leads at 611 mg per 100 grams, with pumpkin seeds at 592 mg and ground flaxseed at 392 mg.
How much magnesium per day?
The reference value from the EU NRV is 375 mg per day. Eighty grams of oats plus thirty grams of pumpkin seeds already cover well over half of it.
Does magnesium help against muscle cramp?
No wording for muscle cramp exists in Regulation (EU) No 432/2012. What is permitted: "magnesium contributes to normal muscle function".
Why does wholegrain supply more magnesium than white?
The magnesium sits largely in the bran layer of the grain. Refining flour and rice removes that layer, and it disappears from the end product.
Sources
- DCRAFT food database — KILLER COACH ENGINE V2.3 workbook (accessed 26 August 2026)
- EU NRV — Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII (accessed 26 August 2026)
- Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (accessed 26 August 2026)
Please note: This is general information about nutrition, not medical advice. If you have symptoms or suspect a deficiency, discuss it with your doctor. We do not sell supplements and have no commercial interest in any brand.
Last updated: .
Written by Dennis, founder of Dcraft Of Fitness.