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Magnesium and Pregnancy: How Much Do You Need?

Marcie Jones 1 Comment

Magnesium is needed for more than three hundred biochemical reactions in the body and is needed for bone and tissue cell function. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady and bones strong, and some studies suggest it can lower your risk of preeclampsia and low birth weight.

While you’re expecting you need 360‒400 mg. of it a day, with no more than 350 mg per day from supplements. Getting enough of it can spare you the pregnancy irritations of leg cramps, excessive swelling (edema), mental disorientation, and even depression and preterm labor. Magnesium is found in some amount in all unprocessed plant foods. Not all prenatal vitamins contain your daily recommended intake of magnesium- in fact, most don’t- so check labels (if your prenatals are by prescription, ask your pharmacist for a copy of your vitamin’s contents). And there’s a lot of magnesium in chocolate, so if you have terrible leg cramps, try a chocolate bar!

As you read supplement labels, note that magnesium and manganese are not the same thing, manganese is a different mineral element and is necessary for enzyme function, but you only need about 2 mg. of it a day. Since you only need a tiny bit and it is found in most plant foods, taking a manganese supplement is not necessary.

Avocado, Florida 206 mg per medium avocado
Almonds 86 mg per oz.
Almonds 86 mg per oz.
Mixed roasted nuts 66 mg per oz.
Spinach 65 mg per cooked 1/2 cup
Peanut butter 50 mg per 2 tablespoons
Banana 30–45 mg per medium banana
Chocolate bar 31 mg per oz.
Kale31 mg. per cup

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Filed Under: Nutrition, Pregnancy (general) Tagged With: Nutrition

Comments

  1. Pearse says

    October 10, 2015 at 10:29 pm

    not due ’till the end of March so my 3rd tri is still a few weeks away.Our baby shower will be at the end of January, so my plan is to stock up on all (un)necessary gear in February. I’m hopnig between Christmas and our Shower we’ll get a good chunk of our stuff.

    Reply

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