By Dr. Carolyn Dean, MD, ND

"The 2:1 magnesium to calcium ratio is for supplemental use of these minerals.

It's based on several points of research.

1. The amount of magnesium in the diet has dropped from 500 mg a day 100 years ago to 150 mg presently.

2. People seem to require two to three times the RDA of 400 mg per day of magnesium.

Looking at calcium and magnesium content of common foods, there is more calcium in the diet. Also, magnesium is rapidly lost from cooking and processing food, unlike calcium.

CALCIUM CONTENT OF COMMON FOODS

Food Mg Calcium

Vegetables

1?2 cup cooked spinach 88

1 cup cooked dried beans

(white, kidney, soy, and so on) 95–110

1?2 cup cooked kale 103

1?2 cup cooked collards 110

1 cup cooked turnip greens 126

1?2 cup cooked dandelion greens 147

1?2 cup cooked beet greens 157

1 medium stalk broccoli 158

1 cup bok choy (Chinese cabbage) 252

Baked Goods and Ingredients

1 slice whole-wheat bread 50

1 medium waffle 76

1 medium corn muffin 96

1?2 cup soy flour 132

1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses 140

Seafood

6-oz can clams 62

6 scallops 115

3.5-oz can salmon with bones 284

20 medium oysters 300

7 sardines with bones 393

Nuts and Seeds

1?2 cup sesame seeds 76

1?2 cup Brazil nuts 128

1?2 cup almonds 175

Fruit

1?2 cup cooked rhubarb 200

MAGNESIUM CONTENT OF COMMON FOODS

Food Magnesium (mg) per 31?2oz (100g)

serving

Kelp 760

Wheat bran 490

Wheat germ 336

Almonds 270

Cashews 267

Molasses 258

Yeast, brewer’s 231

Buckwheat 229

Brazil nuts 225

Dulse 220

Filberts 184

Peanuts 175

Millet 162

Wheat grain 160

Pecan 142

English walnuts 131

Rye 115

Tofu 111

Coconut meat, dried 90

Brown rice 88

Soybeans, cooked 88

Figs, dried 71

Apricots 62

Dates 58

Collard greens 57

Shrimp 51

Corn, sweet 48

Avocado 45

Cheddar cheese 45

Parsley 41

Prunes, dried 40

Sunfower seeds 38

Barley 37

Beans, cooked 37

Dandelion greens 36

Garlic 36

Raisins 35

Green peas, fresh 35

Potato with skin 34

Crab 34

Banana 33

Sweet potato 31

Blackberry 30

Beets 25

Broccoli 24

Cauliflower 24

Carrot 23

Celery 22

Beef 21

Asparagus 20

Chicken 19

Green pepper 18

Winter squash 17

Cantaloupe 16

Eggplant 16

Tomato 14

Milk 13

3. Up to 80% of the population does not get the RDA of magnesium. There are many levels of diet, stress, and drug use that can be blamed.

4. Recent research shows that women who are taking calcium supplements have a higher rate of heart disease, meaning that calcium builds up in the body, whereas the balancing mineral, magnesium, is deficient.

5. 60% of the population is constipated, which is another indication of lack of magnesium.

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