Magnesium Benefits for Health: Try 4 Plant-Based Recipes Instead of Tablets

Magnesium Benefits

Lately, there’s been a lot of interest in magnesium tablets and magnesium supplements.

Many people are now realizing how crucial this mineral is for mental peace, muscle recovery, and heart health.

You may not hear about it as often as iron or calcium, but magnesium is just as essential. It supports over 300 functions in the body, including:

• Energy production

• Nerve function

• Muscle relaxation

• Heart rhythm

• Sleep

Despite playing a role in hundreds of functions, magnesium deficiency is still one of the most common deficiencies today.

Health Benefits of Magnesium

Magnesium is involved every time you breathe, move, digest, or try to sleep peacefully. Some of its major functions are:

1. Helps in digestion and energy production

2. Supports muscle contraction and relaxation, reducing cramps

3. Boosts serotonin (happy hormone) and melatonin (sleep hormone)

4. Maintains bone strength by regulating calcium and vitamin D

5. Acts as an electrolyte for heart rhythm and nerve health

A deficiency in magnesium can lead to numbness, abnormal heart rhythm, and coronary spasms.

🧠 Magnesium for Sleep, Stress & Brain Health

Magnesium is important for sleep, anxiety relief, and stress management. Studies have found that long-term deficiencies increase the risk of:

• Stroke

• Alzheimer’s disease

• Parkinson’s

• Migraine

Causes of Magnesium Deficiency

Despite its importance, many people don’t get enough magnesium. Some major reasons include:

1. Over-farming leading to soil depletion

2. High stress and cortisol levels burning through magnesium stores

3. Excess tea, coffee, processed food, and sugar

4. Over-exercising reducing magnesium reserves

5. Cooking methods like boiling and straining, which remove minerals

🥗 4 Magnesium-Rich Recipes with Indian Ingredients

Here are four simple, traditional, magnesium-rich recipes:

1. Banana Stem & Moringa Soup

Supports digestion, liver health, and hormonal balance.

Ingredients:

½ cup finely chopped banana stem (soaked in diluted buttermilk)	Small piece of ginger
1 tsp moringa powder / 1 tbsp fresh moringa leaves	½ tsp cumin seeds
Rock salt, pepper, 2 cups water

Method:

Temper cumin, add banana stem and moringa. Simmer for 15–20 mins. Blend if desired. Take once or twice a week as a light evening meal.

2. Puffed Lotus Seed (Makhana) & Fig Laddu

A mineral-rich snack calming for the nervous system.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry roasted makhana

• ¾ cup dried figs (soaked & mashed)

• 1 tbsp grated dry coconut

• Pinch cardamom, few drops cow ghee

Method:

Grind makhana coarsely, mix with figs, coconut, cardamom. Bind with ghee into laddus. Store airtight.

3. Horsegram & Coconut Chutney

Excellent source of protein, magnesium, and iron.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp boiled horsegram	½ tsp roasted cumin
2 tbsp grated coconut	Ginger, curry leaves, rock salt, lemon juice

Method: Blend into a chutney. Serve with rotis, dosas, idlis, or rice. Use 2–3 times a week.

4. Ragi Pistachio Milk (Night Tonic)

A sleep-friendly tonic rich in magnesium and calcium.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp ragi flour

• 1 cup milk/water (A2 or nut milk preferred)

• 4–5 soaked pistachios

• Pinch nutmeg or dry ginger

• Jaggery or mishri to taste

Method:

Make a slurry of ragi flour, add to hot milk, simmer 5 mins. Blend with pistachio, add jaggery, nutmeg. Serve warm before bed.

🥦 Other Plant-Based Magnesium Sources

Some natural magnesium-rich foods include:

Banana	Quinoa seeds
Avocado	Broccoli
Beet	Zucchini

🚫 Why Avoid Magnesium Supplements?

Instead of relying on market supplements, focus on natural magnesium sources.

Supplements can sometimes lead to overdose and complications, while food-based magnesium is safe and beneficial.

🌱 Lifestyle Habits for Better Magnesium Absorption

• Avoid overcooking or draining mineral-rich food

• Don’t combine magnesium meals with excess caffeine

• Sleep on time to regulate hormones

• Practice pranayama to reduce cortisol and retain magnesium

• Use sesame or almond oil massage to calm the nervous system

Magnesium works quietly, but its effects are powerful—better sleep, stable mood, lighter digestion, and calmer mind.

FAQs on Magnesium Benefits